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Cancellation Hetzner: Easy Method
What is Hetzner
Overview
Hetzner is a German-based hosting provider offering cloud servers, dedicated servers, storage, domains, web hosting and colocation.
Services are subscription-based and typically use automated renewal and web consoles for management.
Common service types
Product families include Hetzner Cloud (virtual servers and object storage), Robot (dedicated servers, domains, colocation) and konsoleH (web hosting, managed services).
Billing and cancellation behaviour can differ by product family and management interface.
How to cancel Hetzner
Which interface to use
Choose the interface that manages your product: Console for cloud, Robot for dedicated/domains/colocation, konsoleH for web hosting and managed services.
Account-wide closure is possible but rare and involves a support request and notice period.
Step-by-step cancellation
- Log in to the relevant interface (Console, Robot or konsoleH).
- Locate the specific product or order you want to cancel (instance, server, domain, hosting package).
- Use the product's cancel / delete / cancel order option as provided in the interface.
- For full-account closure or complex cases, open a support ticket listing all services you want terminated.
- Confirm any prompts and note the effective cancellation date shown by the interface.
What happens when you cancel
Access and renewal
Most Hetzner products auto-renew and must be actively cancelled via their respective interfaces to stop future billing.
Products managed via Robot or konsoleH commonly follow a 30-days-to-end-of-month rule; the cancellation may take effect at the end of the billing cycle.
Data and recovery
Data may be deleted shortly after cancellation and in some cases immediately; recovery is not guaranteed once deletion occurs.
Cloud items (Console-managed) are billed hourly and can often be stopped immediately with prorated billing, reducing exposure to unnecessary charges.
Will I get a refund?
14-day withdrawal right
Under EU/German consumer rules, there is a 14-day right of withdrawal for consumers which can trigger a full refund if properly exercised.
In practice, customers must use the 'cancel order' flow (commonly in Robot for servers) within 14 days to claim a full refund; otherwise you may be billed for the first month. See user discussions for practical guidance: LowEndTalk thread.
After the 14-day window and exceptions
Outside the 14-day consumer-rights window refunds are not guaranteed; cancellations are normally handled as prorated billing rather than full refunds.
Repeated misuse of the withdrawal process may lead Hetzner to restrict or deny future services to that customer. For community reports see: LowEndTalk discussion.
Hetzner plans and pricing
Pricing snapshot
The following South African Rand (ZAR) prices reflect local-sourced listings for 2024/2025 and may change; confirm current pricing before purchasing.
Contact Hetzner or the local reseller for the latest offers and availability.
Price table
| Plan | Price | Period | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| TruServ Commerce (New Hardware) | R2 395.00 | Monthly | Intel Xeon E3-1230 (3.2 GHz quad-core), 32 GB ECC DDR3, HW RAID 5, custom hardware |
| TruServ Commerce Setup Fee | R895.00 | One-off | Setup fee (free for June orders) |
| Shared Hosting - 5 GB SSD | R99.00 | Monthly | 5 GB storage, unlimited traffic, 5 databases |
| Shared Hosting - 10 GB SSD | R149.00 | Monthly | 10 GB storage, unlimited traffic, 10 databases |
| Shared Hosting - 20 GB SSD | R439.00 | Monthly | 20 GB storage, unlimited traffic, 40 databases |
| Managed Dedicated Server - 500 GB SSD | R1 295.00 | Monthly | Intel Xeon quad-core 3.2 GHz, 8 GB ECC, 500 GB SSD, 500 GB web traffic |
| Managed Dedicated Server - 1 TB SSD | R2 495.00 | Monthly | Intel Xeon quad-core 3.2 GHz, 32 GB ECC, 1 TB SSD, 1 TB web traffic |
| Dedicated Server (Entry Level) | R995.00 | Monthly | Intel Xeon E3-1230, 16 GB ECC, 2×1 TB HDD, 2 TB web traffic |
| Dedicated Server (Mid Level) | R1 595.00 | Monthly | Intel Xeon E5-1620, 32 GB ECC, 2×1 TB HDD, 4 TB web traffic |
| Co-location - Full Rack | R5 700.00 | Monthly | Full rack in Samrand facility, no setup fee |
| Co-location - Half Rack | R3 500.00 | Monthly | Half rack in Samrand facility (coming soon) |
| Co-location Traffic Cost | R2.20 per GB | Pay-as-used | Data transfer pricing |
| Co-location Power Cost | R0.95 per kWh | Pay-as-used | Power consumption pricing |
Your consumer rights in South Africa
Jurisdiction and applicable law
Hetzner is an EU/German provider, so EU/German consumer rules often govern contracts when the offer is made from the EU.
Whether South African consumer law applies depends on where the contract was concluded and the parties involved.
Local protections and cooling-off
South African statutes such as the Consumer Protection Act may provide cooling-off or similar protections in some transactions.
For a purchase from an EU-based provider, rely first on the provider's stated refund/withdrawal policies and EU rights, and consult local consumer authorities for South Africa-specific applicability.
Customer experiences
Positive feedback
Many users praise Hetzner for strong performance and value for money, citing good uptime and competitive pricing.
Public review platforms include both long-term positive experiences and technical praise: TrustPilot reviews.
Negative feedback
Common complaints include slow or impersonal support, account deactivations and KYC/verification friction for some users.
Community threads discuss refund experiences and support responsiveness: refund policy discussion.
Documentation checklist
What to prepare before cancelling
- Login details for the correct management interface (Console, Robot, or konsoleH).
- Invoice numbers or order references for the services you intend to cancel.
- Backup copies of any data you need to keep before termination.
Documents to attach to support requests
- Clear list of services to be cancelled (IDs, hostnames, domains).
- Proof of identity or company details if the account may require verification.
- Payment receipts and invoice settlement evidence if disputing charges or requesting refunds.
Common mistakes
Using the wrong cancel action
Example: cancelling a server but not using the 'cancel order' flow that triggers the 14-day withdrawal can forfeit a full refund.
Always confirm which cancel option matches your intent: immediate deletion, end-of-cycle cancellation, or order withdrawal.
Not backing up data
Example: assuming data will remain accessible after cancellation. In many cases data is deleted soon after termination.
Make local backups and verify snapshots before initiating cancellation to avoid irreversible data loss.
Comparative recap
Quick comparison
The table below summarises typical cancellation and refund behaviour across Hetzner product types for quick reference.
Use it to choose the correct interface and timing for cancellations.
| Product | Cancellation method | Refunds / proration | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud (Console) | Console: stop/delete instance | Hourly billing, prorated (pay only for hours used) | Can be cancelled immediately; billing adjusted hourly |
| Dedicated / Domains / Colocation (Robot) | Robot: cancel server / cancel order (use 'cancel order' for withdrawal) | 14-day withdrawal may allow full refund if proper flow used; otherwise prorated or end-of-cycle | Often 30-days-to-end-of-month rule applies |
| Web hosting / Managed (konsoleH) | konsoleH: cancel hosting package | Typically end-of-billing-cycle cancellation; refunds uncommon after withdrawal window | Often follows 30-days-to-end-of-month timing |
| Account closure | Support ticket listing all services | Settle outstanding invoices; refunds depend on product and timing | 30-days notice and end-of-month rules usually apply |
After cancelling
Immediate steps
Confirm the cancellation email or ticket response and note the effective termination date shown by Hetzner.
Verify backups and remove any DNS or external dependencies pointing to the terminated service.
Useful links and community resources
- Postclic guide on cancelling Hetzner
- LowEndTalk: refund and return experiences
- TrustPilot reviews of Hetzner
Address
Registered office
Hetzner Online GmbH
Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany
Notes
Send cancellation notices or registered correspondence to the address above if required by contract terms.
For online cancellations, use the product-specific management interface first before sending postal notices.
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Written by Ryan du Plessis
Postclic editor · 8 years experience
Editor at Postclic for 8 years, I turn complex registered electronic mail procedures into clear, actionable English.