How to Cancel Yelp: Step-by-Step Guide

What is Yelp

Yelp is a platform that combines consumer reviews, business listings and tools for local businesses to manage presence and advertise. It offers free business profiles alongside paid products such as Yelp Ads, reservation and guest manager tools for restaurants, and enhanced page features and data products for larger customers. This mix means both consumers and businesses may encounter subscription-style charges or ongoing advertising budgets tied to a billing cycle.

For business customers, Yelp publishes discrete product pages for advertising and restaurant tools that show monthly subscription options, pay-per-day or pay-per-click advertising and enterprise licensing for data APIs. These product pages and help articles are the primary sources for plan structures and billing rules.

How cancellations typically work for Yelp subscriptions

Problem: many Yelp products involve recurring billing, automatic renewal and different refund rules depending on the product type (ad campaigns, seat/guest manager subscriptions, API licenses, or promotional credits). This means cancellation timing matters and may affect whether further charges occur or whether any unused portion is refundable.

Solution: what to expect - notice periods, billing cycles and proration.

• Billing cycle and renewal: Yelp business products commonly bill on a monthly basis or by daily ad budget. Self-serve ad placements advertise flexible budgets and no fixed-term contracts for some advertisers, but paid subscriptions (for restaurant management tools or enterprise licenses) typically renew automatically at the end of the billing period.
• Proration and refunds: entitlement to a refund or proration depends on the specific product and whether the provider treats the service as used. For some subscription tools, a provider may offer a pro-rata refund for unused time if the subscription is terminated mid-period; for ad budgets or daily spend models the balance may be consumed by delivered impressions or clicks and therefore not refundable.
• Cooling-off period: general consumer law cooling-off rights vary by product. Digital services and advertising do not always carry an automatic statutory cooling-off period, but consumer guarantees still apply where a service is faulty or misrepresented. See consumer guarantees section below.

Customer experiences with cancelling Yelp

What users report

Customers and business owners report mixed experiences. Review platforms and forum threads contain frequent complaints about continued charges after a reported cancellation, unclear billing statements, and difficulty obtaining timely refunds. Many reports focus on advertising customers who believe campaigns were turned off but were still billed. Trust and communication problems are common themes in public feedback.

Other users note positive aspects: a small number of advertisers report predictable cost-per-click behaviour and that flexible budgets let them stop spend quickly when a campaign is underperforming. Yelp also documents some products as "no term contracts" for self-serve ad buyers, which aligns with advertisers who end campaigns without long-term obligation.

Recurring issues and practical takeaways

• Unauthorised or repeat charges: multiple reviewers report being billed after cancellation or after a free trial. This suggests it is important to reconcile bank statements against billing dates and to keep contemporaneous records.
• Hidden differences across products: Yelp has different product families (ads, restaurant tools, API/data licensing). Each product may use a different billing model and refund approach; treating them as interchangeable creates risk.
• Expectation management: some sellers of Yelp advertising and upgrades use trial credits or promotional offers. Users report that trials convert to paid plans automatically unless a subscription is ended before the trial expiry. Confirming the specific trial rules in the relevant product page is essential. Reports show disputes often arise from misunderstandings about trial cut-offs and renewal timing.

Documentation checklist

• Proof of purchase: record of the transaction or invoice showing product name, dates and amounts.
• Billing statements: copies or screenshots of card, bank or payment-provider statements showing the charges and dates.
• Terms and product page: capture the relevant product description, trial terms or advertised features in effect when you subscribed.
• Cancellation confirmation: any confirmation number, reference or notification you received after attempting to stop a service.
• Timeline: a concise date-ordered list of events (sign-up, trial end, cancellation attempt, any subsequent charges) with transaction IDs if available.
• Communication log: record of dates and brief summaries of interactions with the provider, including any case numbers or staff names where provided.

Practical rights under consumer law that matter for Yelp

The Australian Consumer Law provides guarantees that services must be supplied with due care and be fit for purpose. For Yelp products, this means if a paid tool or subscription is materially different to how it was described or fails to deliver a service for which you paid, you may be entitled to remedies such as cancellation and a refund for the unused portion.

The ACCC emphasises that consumers should keep records and report conduct that appears misleading or deceptive. Recent enforcement actions in subscription markets show regulators will scrutinise businesses that represent an easy cancellation process but then prevent effective cancellation. This framework applies to digital platforms offering subscriptions, including advertising and business tools.

Yelp subscription plans and pricing (recap)

This table summarises public pricing information for Yelp business products where a monthly or daily rate is shown. Many published figures are in USD; converted AUD values are approximate and shown for context. Conversion used mid-market USD to AUD close to early January 2026 (approx A$1.50 per US$1). See source links for live pricing and local availability.

Comparison table: Yelp vs common local alternatives

Refunds, disputes and chargebacks: how they typically proceed

Problem: a charge appears after you believed a subscription was ended, or you were billed following a trial period. This is a common complaint in public feedback about ad and subscription platforms.

Solution: practical options and what to expect without specifying operational contact channels.

• Check the billing cycle: compare the charge date to the subscription renewal date and trial end date. This establishes whether the charge aligns with an automatic renewal.
• Assess whether the service failed: if the service was materially different to what was promised or not delivered, consumer guarantees may support a refund for the unused portion.
• Payment disputes: if a charge is unauthorised or repeated after a cancellation attempt, your payment provider has dispute options and time limits. Keep all transaction identifiers and documentation because these are commonly requested during a dispute.
• Expect timelines: refunds and disputes can take several business days to weeks depending on the payment method, bank processing times and the provider's internal procedures. Maintain an event timeline and documentation to strengthen your position.

Common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid

• Assuming one product rule applies to another: Yelp’s ad budget model differs from subscription-style restaurant tools; treat each subscription type separately.
• Missing trial cut-offs: promotional credits and trials often convert automatically to paid plans if not ended before a stated date; missing the cut-off is a frequent cause of unexpected charges.
• Not keeping records: lacking proof of dates, amounts and the exact product purchased makes disputes harder to resolve.
• Ignoring small charges: small daily or recurring charges can accumulate; reconcile statements regularly.

Address

• Address: Yelp, 140 New Montgomery Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA

What to do after cancelling Yelp

Once you have taken steps to end a subscription or stop spend, focus on three practical tasks: monitor, document and escalate when necessary.

• Monitor billing statements: watch bank and card statements for at least two billing cycles to confirm no further unexpected debits.
• Keep documentation: preserve invoices, receipts, the timeline of events and any confirmations. These items are evidence if you need to request a refund, open a dispute with your payment provider, or report the matter to a regulator.
• Use consumer law remedies when applicable: if the service was not supplied as described or a promised cancellation process was not honoured, consumer guarantees may require a remedy such as refund or contract termination. The ACCC and state consumer protection bodies can advise on rights and reporting options.
• Escalate financial disputes: if charges continue after you have documented a clear cancellation and attempted resolution, your payment provider or card issuer typically offers a dispute or chargeback process. Prepare your documentation to support the claim.
• Plan future safeguards: for recurring payments, consider calendar reminders before trial expiries or renewal dates and regular reconciliation of card statements.

If you need tailored advice about a specific charge or contract term, consider seeking independent legal advice or contacting a consumer protection agency for help interpreting obligations under the Australian Consumer Law. The resources cited here are starting points for the facts consumers commonly rely on when assessing rights and remedies.