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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.

Operator video

Watch the Apollo teardown before you cancel

Operator walkthrough of what Apollo actually does for sub-30-rep teams — useful sanity check before you pull the plug or downgrade.

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

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FAQ

On monthly plans, yes — cancellation is effective at the end of your current billing cycle, but you can submit cancellation any day within the cycle. On annual plans, you keep access through the end of your contract year regardless of when you submit cancellation.

Generally no. Apollo's standard annual plan terms don't include prorated refunds for early cancellation. You keep access through the contract end date. The exceptions: clear billing errors, material misrepresentation at signing, or successful chargeback dispute (rare).

Lists and sequences remain accessible during your active subscription period (end of month for monthly, end of contract year for annual). After cutoff, your data becomes read-only for 30 days, then is deleted per Apollo's data retention policy. Export everything before cutoff.

Custom enterprise contracts (typically negotiated for 50+ users) require written notice via email per the MSA. Send notice to billing@apollo.io with your account ID and explicit non-renewal language. Use the same template as ZoomInfo/Outreach enterprise cancellations.

Yes — the Salesforce-Apollo and HubSpot-Apollo connectors stop syncing on cancellation date. Existing enriched fields stay in CRM (your data), but no new enrichment after cutoff. Plan replacement enrichment (ZoomInfo, Cognism, Clay) to be live 7 days before cutoff to avoid an enrichment gap.

Often yes, and this is the more pragmatic move for many teams. Cutting from Organization ($119/seat/mo) to Professional ($79/seat/mo) saves $480/seat/yr while preserving the core data + sequencing. Cutting from Professional to Basic ($49/seat/mo) saves another $360/seat/yr. Run the downgrade math before assuming full cancellation is the right move.

Most teams complete export in under 2 hours. Lists, sequences, prospect data, and CRM mapping settings can all be exported via admin panel. Sequence templates and prospect data export as CSV; sequence configurations export as JSON via API. Plan a 7-day overlap with your replacement tool.

Canonical URL: https://stackswap.ai/cancel-apollo