A “ZIN” or “ZINIO” charge on your credit card is almost always a payment to Zinio, a digital magazine platform that sells individual magazine subscriptions and an all-you-can-read plan called Zinio Unlimited.1Zinio. About Us The charge usually comes from a subscription that auto-renewed or a free trial that converted into a paid plan. If the descriptor reads only “ZIN” and the amount is close to $44, the charge may instead be a Zumba Instructor Network membership, which is unrelated to Zinio.
Zinio or Zumba? Check the Amount First
The dollar figure usually tells you which company charged you. Zinio Unlimited runs $8.99 per month after a one-month free trial.2Zinio Unlimited. Discover3Better Business Bureau. Zumba Fitness LLC – Complaints4Zumba. ZIN Membership FAQs If the number on your statement matches Zumba’s figure, cancel through Zumba, not Zinio. The rest of this article assumes the charge is Zinio.
Why the Charge Showed Up
Two patterns account for most surprise Zinio charges. The first is auto-renewal on a magazine subscription. Zinio’s own help center notes that “some magazines have automatic renewal enabled by default to ensure uninterrupted service after your current subscription expires.”5Zinio Support. Managing Automatic Renewal – Why Was I Charged What felt like a one-time purchase keeps billing once the initial term ends.
The second is the Zinio Unlimited free trial. The trial converts to a paid $8.99 plan automatically when the month ends. Apple’s App Store listing for Zinio Unlimited warns that users must turn off auto-renewal at least 24 hours before the current period ends to avoid being charged.6Apple App Store. Zinio Unlimited
Where you signed up matters. Subscriptions bought through the Zinio iOS or Android app have auto-renewal turned off by default and expire on their own after all issues are delivered.7Zinio Support. How to Manage Subscriptions via iTunes Google Play Subscriptions bought on the Zinio website may have auto-renewal on from the start. People who don’t remember which channel they used are often the ones surprised months later.
How to Cancel the Subscription
Cancellation depends on where the subscription was originally purchased. Zinio does not allow subscription management through its mobile apps, and deleting the app does not cancel anything tied to it.8Google Play Help. Cancel, Pause, or Change a Subscription on Google Play
If You Bought on the Zinio Website
Sign in at zinio.com, click the profile icon, go to Settings, then Subscriptions. Find the subscription, click Manage, and select Disable to turn off auto-renewal.9Zinio Support. How to Manage Subscriptions The subscription details page also shows whether auto-renewal is currently on and how many issues remain.10Zinio Support. How to Check Your Subscription Details
If You Bought Through Apple or Google Play
Zinio itself cannot cancel these because the payment was processed by Apple or Google. For Google Play, go to play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions, find the subscription, click Manage, and select Cancel Subscription.8Google Play Help. Cancel, Pause, or Change a Subscription on Google Play For Apple, cancel through Settings on an iPhone or iPad, or through your Apple ID account page.
If You Bought Through a Publisher
Some magazine subscriptions sold on Zinio actually run through the publisher or a third-party partner. These will not appear on Zinio’s subscription management page, and you have to contact the publisher directly to cancel.11Zinio Support. 5Zinio Support. Managing Automatic Renewal – Why Was I Charged If you paid through an app store, the refund goes through that store, not Zinio.
If Zinio or the app store declines and you believe the charge was unauthorized or came after you had canceled, you can dispute it with your credit card issuer. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you have 60 days from the date of the statement containing the charge to send a written dispute to your card issuer’s billing-inquiry address. The issuer must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days, and while the dispute is pending, it cannot report you as delinquent or take collection action on the disputed amount.12Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges