To cancel an AT&T phone plan, call AT&T at 800.331.0500, use online chat when it’s available, or visit an AT&T company-owned store with a government-issued ID. Before you do, two things matter more than the call itself: any remaining device installment balance becomes due in full the moment you cancel, and AT&T does not prorate your final month of service. A few minutes of preparation can save you hundreds of dollars and keep you from losing your phone number for good.
Port Your Number Before You Cancel
If you want to keep your current phone number, do not cancel first. Start the switch with your new carrier and let them pull the number over through a port request. The port itself cancels the AT&T line automatically. Federal law requires carriers to honor valid porting requests, so AT&T can’t refuse one.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 47 USC 251 – Interconnection
Cancel first and the number goes back into AT&T’s pool for reassignment, and once that happens it’s gone. To start a port, get a Number Transfer PIN by dialing *PORT from your AT&T phone and following the prompts.2AT&T. Get a PIN to Transfer Your Wireless Number You’ll also need your AT&T account number and the name on the account. Your new carrier handles the rest.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Have the primary account holder’s name, the account number from any billing statement, and your account passcode. If you’ve forgotten the passcode, reset it through the myAT&T app or online portal.3AT&T. Learn About Account or Extra Security Passcodes Without these, the representative can’t verify you and won’t process the cancellation.
Then check whether you’re still paying off a device. Open the myAT&T app and look under device details for a remaining installment balance. That figure matters, because it becomes due in full the moment you cancel. On a phone you’ve only had for six months, the balance can easily run $700 or more. If you’re on a legacy one- or two-year service contract instead, look up your contract end date. Knowing these numbers before you dial keeps a routine cancellation from turning into an argument.
How to Cancel
By Phone or Chat
Call 800.331.0500 or use the chat option on AT&T’s support page when it’s available.4AT&T. Cancel Wireless Service or Remove a Line You’ll be routed to AT&T’s retention team, and you should expect offers: discounted pricing, bill credits, waived fees. If you’ve decided, be direct, decline politely, and confirm you want the line canceled. Before hanging up, ask for a confirmation number and a follow-up email.
In Store
You can also walk into an AT&T company-owned store with a government-issued ID. Staff can process the cancellation on the spot and hand you a receipt. This works well if you also have equipment to return, since it collapses two errands into one.
Online
Online self-service cancellation for wireless accounts isn’t broadly available. If your account is based in Illinois, Massachusetts, or New York and you originally ordered service online, you may be able to cancel through your account at att.com.4AT&T. Cancel Wireless Service or Remove a Line Everyone else needs to call or visit a store.
What You’ll Owe on Your Final Bill
Three charges drive the final bill: the current month’s service, any device balance, and any early termination fee.
AT&T does not prorate your final month. Cancel on day three of the billing cycle and you still pay for the whole cycle.4AT&T. Cancel Wireless Service or Remove a Line The upside is that service stays active through the end of that period, so there’s no reason to rush your cancellation to the first of the month. Timing it near the end of a billing period gets you the most out of what you’ve already paid for.5AT&T. Prorated Credits for Service Cancellation Are Ending
If you’re financing a phone or accessory, the entire remaining installment balance becomes due immediately when the linked line is canceled, and that lump sum appears on your final bill.4AT&T. Cancel Wireless Service or Remove a Line Check the exact amount in the myAT&T app before canceling.
Most AT&T customers today are on installment plans rather than service contracts, but if you’re still on a one- or two-year commitment, canceling early triggers an Early Termination Fee ranging from $58 to $325 depending on how many months remain.6AT&T. AT&T Mobility Fee Schedule The fee shrinks as you approach the contract’s end, so if you’re within a couple of months of expiration, waiting it out can be cheaper than paying the fee.
Your final bill typically arrives about one billing cycle after cancellation. Pay it promptly; unpaid final bills go to collections and damage your credit. If you’ve been on AutoPay, confirm whether it will still process the final statement rather than assuming it. You can keep accessing your myAT&T account for a period after cancellation to view and pay.
Canceling Within 14 Days
If you just activated a line or bought a new device and already regret it, AT&T gives you 14 days from the purchase or shipping date to return the device in like-new condition with all original packaging, which makes the line cancellation a clean break. AT&T charges a restocking fee of up to $55 per device returned to a retail store, though Apple devices returned in unopened packaging are exempt.7AT&T. Return and Exchange Policy Corporate Responsibility Users get up to 30 days. Outside that window, a return won’t undo the activation, and you’re back to a standard cancellation with whatever installment balance remains.
Returning AT&T Equipment
After canceling, you have 21 days to return any AT&T-owned equipment to avoid a non-return fee.8AT&T. Find Out How to Return Your AT&T Equipment This mainly covers leased devices, gateways, and promotional hardware. Non-return fees can reach $850 per device.9AT&T. Return a Defective or Damaged Wireless Device
You have two options:
- Ship it using a prepaid label from AT&T’s online portal, and keep the tracking number until AT&T confirms receipt.
- Drop it off at an AT&T company-owned store and get a printed receipt on the spot.
Either way, keep your proof of return. That receipt or tracking number is your only defense if AT&T’s warehouse later claims the equipment never arrived. Once the return is inspected and processed, pending equipment charges come off your account.
Unlocking Your Phone After Cancellation
A locked AT&T phone won’t accept a SIM from another carrier, so if you’re bringing the device to a new provider, request an unlock through AT&T’s device unlock portal. The phone must be paid off in full, purchased at least 60 days ago, not active on another AT&T account, and not reported lost or stolen.10AT&T. Unlock Your Phone or Device Wait 48 hours after your final installment payment before submitting the request. AT&T processes unlocks in about 48 hours and emails confirmation with instructions.
Removing One Line From a Family Plan
To remove a single line from a multi-line plan, call 800.331.0500 and specify which line to cancel. The other lines stay active. AT&T’s multi-line plans often discount per-line pricing as more lines are added, so dropping a line can raise the monthly cost for everyone who stays. Check the per-line pricing on your plan before you cancel so the remaining account holders aren’t surprised by a higher bill.
Only the primary account holder or an authorized user can remove a line. If that’s not you, the account holder either needs to make the call or add you as an authorized user first.
Military Service Members
Active-duty service members, spouses, and dependents can cancel AT&T wireless service without paying an Early Termination Fee under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The service member must be transferred or deployed for 90 days or more for qualifying duty such as active deployment, basic training, or a base-to-base transfer.11AT&T. Cancel or Reactivate AT&T Service for U.S. Military or Service Members
The account must be in good standing with the latest bill paid, and you’ll need to submit deployment orders. You can file the request through AT&T’s military support portal by uploading your orders, or fax it to 847.513.5954 with your account details and cancellation date. Cancellation can be processed up to 30 days before the departure date.11AT&T. Cancel or Reactivate AT&T Service for U.S. Military or Service Members
If you entered a device installment plan before receiving deployment orders and you’re past the 14-day buyer’s remorse window, you may be able to keep the device without further installment payments. Deployed service members are also exempt from standard device unlock requirements.11AT&T. Cancel or Reactivate AT&T Service for U.S. Military or Service Members
When the Account Holder Has Died
A family member or estate representative can cancel the account of a deceased primary account holder by calling 800.331.0500. You’ll typically need the deceased’s mobile number and either their Social Security number or account password. The representative can waive Early Termination Fees, but any outstanding balance remains the estate’s responsibility. If other family members on the plan want to keep their lines, ask about transferring those lines to a new account rather than canceling everything, which preserves their numbers and keeps their service running.