How to Cancel Constant Contact + Get a Refund in 2024

Constant Contact is a brilliant email marketing service (EMS), particularly if you’re brand new to EMS and still learning the ropes. However, it’s not right for everyone. More experienced marketers will likely find the limited automation frustrating. And, honestly, the fact that some account administration tasks can only be done by calling customer services is disappointing.

If you’re looking for an alternative, ActiveCampaign offers far more value for your money. For roughly the same price as Constant Contact, you’ll get one of the best email automation builders on the market. You can also fully manage your account online and even pause it for up to a year if you need to take a break.

If you’re ready to move on from Constant Contact, be aware that canceling your account isn’t as easy as clicking a link or tapping a few buttons. You’ll need some time on the phone if you want to cancel – and to make sure your refund isn’t mishandled like mine was.

Quick Guide: How to Cancel Constant Contact and Get a Full Refund

To cancel your account with Constant Contact, follow these steps:

1. Log in to Constant Contact. If you’re planning on getting a refund under the 30-day money-back guarantee, you’ll need to export your contacts now – Constant Contact closes your account immediately if you ask for a refund.
2. Call the billing department. Dial 855-229-5506 and follow the virtual assistant’s instructions. You’ll then be connected to a billing specialist.
3. Request an account closure. If you’re eligible for a refund, you’ll have to explicitly request this. You’ll usually be given a retention offer at this stage.
4. Wait for email confirmations. You should receive two confirmation emails – a cancellation confirmation within an hour of calling, and a refund confirmation within two business days.

My Experience: Here’s How I Canceled My Constant Contact Account

Although the billing specialist I spoke with was efficient, the entire process took much longer than just clicking a cancellation link – which is all you have to do with most of Constant Contact’s competitors.

I also had to follow up multiple times to get my refund processed. Here’s how my experience went…

Step 1: Log In to Your Account

Before you start the cancellation process, you’ll need to export your contact list and any other data. This is particularly important if you’re requesting a refund as, if you’re eligible, your account will be closed right away.

If you’re not eligible for a refund, then your account will be closed at the end of the next billing cycle.

To export your data, log in to your Constant Contact account and click Contacts at the top of the screen. Underneath your insights, you’ll see a table containing all of your contact lists. Click the checkbox in the top-left corner of this table to select all of your contact lists, then select Export in the dropdown menu.

Next, you’ll see a popup window asking what information you want to export. Check the box next to every information field you’ll need and click Export. This will take you back to the Contacts page.

When your file is ready, you’ll see a blue box above the table of contact lists – then click Download CSV. And you’re good to go!

Step 2: Call Constant Contact

You can reach the billing department at 855-229-5506 Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET (if you want to cancel your account on a weekend or late at night, tough luck!). Make sure you have your username or the email associated with your account ready.

You’ll be greeted by a virtual assistant who asks why you’re calling. I simply said, “I want to close my account.” Then, you’ll need to give the virtual assistant a reason for your account cancellation. I explained that the standard Email plan didn’t have the features I wanted.

Step 3: Talk With a Billing Specialist

Unfortunately, it turns out virtual assistants can’t process account closures. Instead, you have to speak to a Constant Contact representative to complete the process. I waited for less than a minute to be connected, though.

Even though it’s the virtual assistant’s job to verify your account and your reason for calling, you can expect to answer the same questions when you speak with a billing specialist.

This time, I went into a little more depth. I explained that the standard Email plan didn’t have the automation features I needed to market my business, but the Email Plus plan was outside of my budget.

The billing specialist pitched me a decent retention offer: a discount on the Email Plus plan for a limited amount of time. However, I turned it down and asked to proceed with the cancellation.

Step 4: Ask for Your Refund

Next, I asked how long I would have access to the account. The billing specialist assured me the account would stay open until the end of the billing cycle, which was a few weeks away.

Then I asked how the refund process worked. They clarified that if I wanted to take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee, the account closure would happen immediately. I requested to move forward with the refund, and true to their word, they closed the account right away.

Step 5: Watch for Email Confirmations

The billing specialist I spoke with explained that I would receive an account cancellation email within an hour and a refund confirmation email within two business days.

I’d prefer to receive these confirmations instantly, since all I had was a verbal statement and a supposedly closed account. Yet just as the billing specialist stated, I did receive an account closure email in about an hour.

However, I didn’t receive a refund confirmation within two business days as promised.

In fact, I had to call support three times to get my refund processed.

The first time, the support rep simply didn’t process the refund. The second time, the support rep promised a resolution within a couple of hours…but, as I’m sure you can guess by now, that didn’t happen.

The third time – the next day – I called back again, and the support rep once again promised a resolution within a couple of hours. About an hour later, I finally received a refund confirmation.

I’d usually request a written confirmation of everything discussed with a billing specialist, directly from them via email, while still on the call. I wish I’d tried that this time. I don’t know if it would have saved me the extra calls, but it’s worth trying if you’re in this situation so you don’t have to go through the same hassle I did.

Now, I’d purchased the cheapest Constant Contact plan – and received a discount at that – so I wasn’t out much money. If I hadn’t received my refund, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world.

But now that I know how much of a hassle the cancellation and refund processes are, I’d definitely think twice about signing up for a more expensive plan.

3 Best Constant Contact Alternatives for Beginner Marketers

Constant Contact is still one of our favorite email marketing services for newbie marketers as it’s super easy to use (just read our Constant Contact review). However, its analytics are overly basic and – as you’ve seen from my attempts to get my refund – customer support isn’t always great.

I’ve tested a bunch of alternative EMS, and here are the ones I’d recommend instead:

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers tons more features than Constant Contact for a roughly similar price. With this EMS, you’ll get detailed reporting and analytics, a drag-and-drop automation builder with 500+ templates, and 40+ landing page templates.

If you’re a beginner marketer who’s not afraid to dive into a more advanced feature set than Constant Contact offers, you’ll find a lot to love with ActiveCampaign.

Sendinblue

While Constant Contact’s 60-day trial is great, it doesn’t compare to Sendinblue’s free plan. Sendinblue offers unlimited contacts, up to 300 emails a day, and basic automated workflows on its free plan, making it fantastic for marketers who want to experiment before they commit to a paid plan.

If you’re ready to dive straight into a paid plan, Sendinblue’s drag-and-drop editor is also a genuine pleasure to use. You can also easily add conditional content display to your emails from within the editor – something that Constant Contact doesn’t allow you to do.

AWeber

Constant Contact is one of the easiest EMS platforms I’ve ever used, but AWeber comes a very close second. Everything is built to be as intuitive as possible, and if you do need help, you can count on 24/7 live chat support – even on the free plan.

Beginner marketers will also love AWeber’s webinars, video tutorials, and guides, as these are specifically designed to help you master email marketing. Sure, Constant Contact has beginner guides too, but they’re nowhere near as comprehensive.

Canceling Constant Contact Is a Major Hassle

Closing your Constant Contact account is not a challenging process, though it may require more time than expected. It’s crucial to remember that, if you overlook the refund process, you won’t receive your money automatically, so be sure to follow up on it refunds.

Now that you’ve canceled your Constant Contact plan, you’re going to need a new email marketing service. I’d recommend ActiveCampaign for its powerful automation suite or Sendinblue for its full featured free plan.

Both are on our list of the very best email marketing services in 2024 and will help you level up your email marketing game.

FAQ

How do I cancel my Constant Contact account?

To close your Constant Contact account, you have to call the billing team. You can reach billing support on 855-229-5506 Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

Can you cancel Constant Contact any time?

Yes – if you cancel your account and you’re not eligible for a refund, then your account will be closed at the end of the current billing cycle. It takes two business days to receive a cancellation confirmation email, however, so I’d recommend contacting the billing department at least three business days before your next bill is due.

Does Constant Contact give refunds?

Constant Contact has a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means the platform offers refunds in the first 30 days after opening your account. Once you pass the 30-day mark, the platform has a no-refund policy. If you need to ask for a refund, make sure you export your contact list first as your account will be closed immediately.

What is the best email marketing platform?

That depends on your business needs. ActiveCampaign is great if you’re serious about automation. If you’re concerned about keeping costs in check, Sendinblue offers a generous free plan. I recommend checking out our top 10 email marketing services in 2024 to find the EMS that’s right for you.