Cancellation runbook · 2026
How to Cancel Apollo.io (Self-Serve Cancellation Runbook)
Apollo is genuinely self-serve to cancel — unlike enterprise SaaS, you don't need 60-day written notices or certified mail. Account settings → Billing → Cancel subscription handles 95% of cases. The remaining 5% (custom enterprise contracts, credit overage refunds, integration cleanup) is what this runbook covers — plus the downgrade path that saves money without the migration overhead of full cancellation.
The 60-second summary
- Standard plans — settings → Billing → Cancel subscription. Effective at end of current billing cycle.
- Custom enterprise contracts — email billing@apollo.io with non-renewal notice. Same template as enterprise cancel runbooks.
- Credit overage refunds — request within 30 days of purchase if unused.
- Consider downgrade first — cutting Organization → Professional → Basic saves $40-$70/seat/mo without migration overhead.
Step 1 — Determine your billing cadence + plan tier
Apollo offers monthly or annual billing across Free, Basic ($49/seat/mo), Professional ($79/seat/mo), and Organization ($119/seat/mo) tiers. Annual plans get 15-20% off vs monthly. The cancellation rules differ: month-to-month plans cancel anytime with no early termination fee; annual plans either prorate-buyout or wait until renewal date. Find your billing cadence in account settings → Billing → Subscription details, or check your most recent invoice for monthly vs annual indicator.
Operator tip: Apollo's Organization tier requires a minimum of 3 users. If you're below that and want to drop to Basic or Professional, the downgrade often saves more than full cancellation — and avoids the data export overhead.
Step 2 — Cancel via account settings (self-serve)
Apollo cancellation is genuinely self-serve, unlike most enterprise SaaS. Log into your Apollo admin account → Settings → Billing → Subscription → Cancel subscription. Select a cancellation reason (it's optional but Apollo uses the data for retention). Confirm cancellation. You'll receive a confirmation email immediately. The account stays active through your current billing period (end of month for monthly, end of contract year for annual).
Operator tip: If you don't see a 'Cancel subscription' option in account settings, you may be on a custom enterprise contract that requires written notice. In that case, email billing@apollo.io with your account ID and a non-renewal notice — same template as enterprise cancel runbooks.
Step 3 — Address credit overages and refund eligibility
Apollo charges credit overages at $0.20/lookup beyond your monthly allotment, with a $50-$500 minimum overage purchase. If you have unused overages or recently purchased overage credits, contact billing@apollo.io to request a refund within 30 days of purchase. Annual plan cancellations are typically NOT refunded for the remaining term — you keep access until your annual cycle ends.
Operator tip: Pull your credit usage history from admin → Usage. If you bought overage credits in the last 30 days that you haven't fully used, request a refund explicitly: 'I'm canceling subscription effective [date]; please refund unused overage credits purchased on [date].' Apollo's billing team is generally cooperative on recent overage refunds.
Step 4 — Export data + cancel integrations
Before access ends, export: (a) saved lists and contacts via admin → Lists → Export, (b) sequence definitions and prospect data via API or admin export, (c) Salesforce/HubSpot integration mapping settings (the connector breaks on cancellation). Apollo's data export tooling is fast — most teams complete export in under 2 hours.
Operator tip: If you're moving to ZoomInfo, Cognism, or Clay, plan a 7-day overlap. Re-enrich active accounts in your CRM via the new tool's API before Apollo's connector cuts off. Don't let CRM enrichment go dark.
Refund eligibility by plan type
- Monthly plans: No refund needed — cancel anytime, pay through end of current month, access ends on next billing date.
- Annual plans paid upfront: Generally NOT refunded. You keep access through end of contract year. Plan replacement timing accordingly.
- Recently purchased overage credits: Refundable within 30 days of purchase if unused. Email billing@apollo.io with purchase date and request explicit refund.
- Custom enterprise contracts: Treated like enterprise SaaS — written notice required, refund terms per contract. Use the enterprise cancellation template.
What Apollo will send after cancellation
- The retention email after cancellation. Apollo will send a 'sorry to see you go' email with a discount offer (typically 30-50% off for 3-6 months). The discount stays valid for 14-30 days — don't feel pressured to respond immediately.
- The "free month extension" offer. Apollo sometimes offers an extra free month if you reactivate within 30 days. This is a no-strings offer for monthly plans but can complicate annual plan accounting — don't accept if you're committed to leaving.
- The competitive comparison email. Apollo will send retention content positioning vs ZoomInfo, Cognism, or Clay. The decision is already made — these emails are easy to ignore for self-serve cancellations.
- The "your account expires in 7 days" reminder. This is automated, not a sales tactic. Confirm your data export is complete before this fires.
After cancellation — the runway
- Export lists, sequences, prospect data. Most teams complete export in under 2 hours. Plan it during your active subscription period.
- Cancel Salesforce/HubSpot connector. Sync stops on cancellation date. Plan replacement enrichment (ZoomInfo, Cognism, Clay) to be live 7 days before cutoff.
- Document sequence performance metrics. Apollo sequence A/B test results don't migrate to other tools. Document what works before access ends.
- Calendar your replacement's renewal. When you sign your next sequencing tool, calendar 60-90 days before its renewal as your non-renewal notice deadline (especially for ZoomInfo or Outreach where the lock-in is real).
Where most teams go after Apollo
- Do I need Apollo if I have ZoomInfo? — overlap audit (enterprise data)
- Do I need Apollo if I have Cognism? — overlap audit (EMEA-strong)
- Do I need Apollo if I have Clay? — overlap audit (orchestration layer)
- Do I need Apollo if I have Outreach? — overlap audit (sequencing-focused)
- Are you wasting money on Apollo? 7 diagnostic signs
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