To cancel MTN auto-renewal, use the MyMTN app, send an SMS command to a short code, or dial a USSD menu, picking the method that matches your MTN country network. The codes are not the same across MTN Nigeria, MTN South Africa, and MTN Ghana, so using the wrong one is the most common reason a cancellation attempt fails. Once you have the right code, the whole thing takes under two minutes.
Check What’s Actually Subscribed First
Before you cancel anything, pull up the list of what’s billing your line. On MTN Nigeria, dial *305# and select “Active Services” to see every subscription currently charging your account.1MTN Nigeria. *305# Menu On MTN South Africa, dial *155# to view active content and subscription services. Write down the exact bundle names or codes that appear, because some SMS cancellations need the specific code.
This step matters because unexpected charges often come from third-party content services rather than the data bundle you assume is at fault. Seeing the full list tells you what you’re actually cancelling.
MTN Nigeria
You have a few SMS options depending on whether you want to stop one plan or all of them. To toggle auto-renewal on a specific data plan, send the letter R followed by the bundle code to 312. The same code that switched auto-renewal on switches it off when sent again.2MTN Nigeria. Data Autorenewal
Other SMS routes to 131 work too. Send NO followed by the plan code to cancel a single subscription. Send STOPDATA to cancel all auto-renewing data plans at once. Send STOP ALL or CANCEL to attempt cancelling every active subscription in one go. Wait for a confirmation SMS before assuming any of these landed.
If you’d rather use a menu, dial *305# and work through subscription management from there.1MTN Nigeria. *305# Menu The MyMTN NG app also handles this: tap “Manage Subscription,” find the bundle, and toggle auto-renewal off.2MTN Nigeria. Data Autorenewal
MTN South Africa
Dial *155# to reach the subscription management menu, where you can view and cancel active content and third-party services (sometimes called WASP services).3MTN South Africa. How Can I Cancel Content and Subscription Services (WASPS) The same code covers both MTN’s own subscriptions and the third-party ones that ride on your airtime.
In the MyMTN app, go to “Products,” then “Subscriptions.” Tap the subscription you want to stop and follow the prompts. The app gives a visual confirmation once the change goes through, which is easier to trust than a cryptic SMS reply.
MTN Ghana
Send the word STOP to shortcode 138 to cancel data bundle auto-renewal.4MTN Ghana. How Do I Stop the Data Bundle Auto Renewal? No menu, no bundle code, one message.
To go further and block premium-rated services entirely, dial *155#, select option 99 for more options, and choose “block PRS.” That prevents future third-party subscriptions from attaching to your line in the first place.
Using the MyMTN App
If you’d rather tap through a screen than type codes, install MyMTN from Google Play or the App Store and sign in with your MTN number. Verification runs through a one-time PIN sent by SMS. Once you’re in, the subscription section is labeled slightly differently by country: “Manage Subscription” on MTN Nigeria, “Products” then “Subscriptions” on MTN South Africa. Either way you’re looking for a toggle or an unsubscribe button next to the plan.
Stopping Third-Party Content Charges
Some of the most persistent charges come from services you don’t remember signing up for: horoscopes, trivia clubs, ringtone subscriptions. If auto-renewal charges keep appearing after you’ve cancelled MTN’s own bundles, third-party content providers are usually the reason.
On MTN Nigeria, *305# and “Active Services” will show you what’s there so you can cancel them individually.1MTN Nigeria. *305# Menu On MTN South Africa, *155# handles WASP subscriptions from the same menu as content services.3MTN South Africa. How Can I Cancel Content and Subscription Services (WASPS) On MTN Ghana, the “block PRS” option under *155# stops premium billing at the source.
If you never use premium content services, blocking third-party billing entirely is more reliable than cancelling one subscription at a time.
When to Call Customer Care
If SMS and USSD attempts don’t stick, or if you think you’re being billed in error, call MTN directly. On MTN South Africa, dial 135 from your MTN line, or 083 135 from another phone. On MTN Nigeria, dial 180 from your MTN line. Ask the agent to cancel the specific auto-renewal, get a reference number, and note the date and time.
An agent can also tell you whether a charge is coming from an MTN bundle or a third-party provider, which often changes what needs to happen next.
Confirming It Worked
MTN sends a confirmation SMS once auto-renewal is successfully turned off. If nothing arrives within a few minutes, try again. A response saying the request is “pending” means it hasn’t fully processed.
The surer check is to look at your active subscriptions again. Dial *305# on MTN Nigeria and confirm the bundle is gone from “Active Services.”1MTN Nigeria. *305# Menu In the app, revisit the subscription screen and confirm the toggle is off or the plan no longer appears. Thirty seconds of verification is cheaper than discovering the cancellation failed after your next airtime deduction.
What Happens After Cancellation
Cancelling auto-renewal doesn’t cut off your current bundle. It keeps working until its normal expiration date; you just won’t be charged again at the end of the cycle. If you cancel auto-renewal on day 10 of a monthly 5GB plan, you keep the remaining data through the rest of that month. After that, MTN won’t deduct airtime for a new cycle. If you want the bundle back later, you’ll need to resubscribe manually or re-enable auto-renewal through the same channel you used to turn it off.