The UX of Subscription Cancellation - Unsubscription

Every beginning has an end - and this is also the case for users subscribing to our platforms. In this article, we will discuss the importance, as well as give solutions for a better UX design in the case of subscription cancellation.

Even though I am speaking for myself, I am sure most of the people who will read this article have come across this situation at least once in their lifetime. You download an app, it does not matter if you are new to it, or have been hearing about it for a while. In order to benefit from all their services you choose to purchase their monthly subscription. A few months go by, and you realize that you no longer need or like their services so you decide that it is time to cancel your monthly subscription.

This is where the issues start to arise. Instead of the app allowing you to make a quick and graceful exit, you are now finding yourself stuck in an endless cycle of calling call centers, and looking for the needle in the haystack when you are trying to locate the unsubscribe options. Although this seems to be a canon event for many users, it does not mean these types of practices should not be changed.

As UI/UX designers, the last thing we would want to do is to drive our users away from ever returning for our services by providing them with an unpleasant cancellation experience. On the contrary, there are websites and apps that make this process intuitive and quick. But before we get to that, let’s explore exactly how the user experience and the subscription cancellation options are connected.

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Especially as people who work in UI UX design, we should be well aware that users download and use various websites and apps. This automatically means that they are likely to have multiple active subscriptions at once. This is where we can start noticing the link between the user experience and the subscription cancellation policies.

Just as we want to make a great first impression on our users by providing them with aesthetically pleasing and efficient user interfaces, we should equally care about giving them an easy exit. No matter how great our apps and websites are, there is always the possibility that users will choose to no longer access them - and that is perfectly fine! Well, as long as we are prepared with the right tools for that.

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In order to better understand how a great UI UX design for an app can influence the user experience, let’s take a look at the YouTube Premium subscription cancellation feature. While we can access YouTube for free, their premium version includes a few extra features, such as watching as many videos as we want without being interrupted by ad breaks. 

And when it comes to their cancellation option, it could not be simpler. All you have to do to terminate your premium subscription is click your profile icon and tap the membership option. YouTube does not even require its users to leave the app in order to cancel their membership, nor does it request any additional steps, which is a great example of efficient UI UX design.

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As UI/UX designers, it is crucial that we are familiar with the design principles that can help us step up our design game. Let’s take a look at a few practices we can start integrating into our subscription cancellation processes.

• Unsubscribe Button.

‍One of the most important design principles that we need to take into consideration in relationship with the UX design is the placement of the unsubscribe button. It should be easily visible to all users and placed in an intuitive spot that makes sense with the context. 

• Double Confirmation.

‍There are many cases in which, for multiple reasons, users accidentally perform an action. To avoid confusion, we should ask the users twice if they want to cancel their subscriptions. The “Are you sure you want to cancel?” message is quite common and serves the purpose of reassuring users of what they are doing.

• Options of Returning.

‍Even if a user wants to leave our app for now, it does not mean that their decision also needs to be permanent. By reminding users that they can always opt to return for our services, we can also enhance the UX design. 

• Show the Users What they will Miss.

‍FOMO is one of the greatest advertising techniques. We should not shy away from implying these, and one way through which we can achieve this is to remind the users what they are potentially missing out on if they choose to unsubscribe from our services. ‍

• Personalize it.

Just as we would proceed with other aspects of our UI designs, we also need to personalize the membership cancellation process for our users. We can achieve this by reminding our users about their highlights of using our product, such as the points they gathered or the benefits they received.

• Following Up.

‍It is always thoughtful and helpful to confirm to users what action they performed. Whether it is via a pop-up or an e-mail, we can choose to send an extra confirmation of their choice of canceling their subscription. 

We at uinkits understand the importance of inputs in great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.

“You press the button, we do the rest.” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button. 

Our design system includes UI components, icons, variables, cards, buttons and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!