Adobe cancellation fee? How to cancel and avoid the early termination charge

What the public record shows

The points below come from the US government's court filings and Adobe's own terms. They are public record, not findings by GACS.

• The federal case: in June 2024 the Department of Justice, on referral from the FTC, filed a complaint against Adobe and two of its executives. It alleges Adobe pushed customers toward the "annual paid monthly" plan without adequately disclosing that cancelling in the first year could cost hundreds of dollars, and made cancellation difficult.
• How the plan works: "annual paid monthly" is a one-year contract paid in monthly instalments. Adobe's own terms state that cancelling after 14 days triggers an early termination fee of 50% of the remaining contract months.
• Free trials: the FTC says people who signed up for a free trial and did not cancel in time were automatically placed on the annual paid monthly plan, without it being clear they were entering a one-year contract.
• "I cancelled but was still charged": the FTC's consumer alert says some subscribers who contacted customer service believed they had cancelled, only to find Adobe was still charging them.
• Case status: as of October 2026 the case (5:24-cv-03630, Northern District of California) remains on the FTC's public docket. Adobe has denied the allegations and said it would fight the case in court.

Step 1: Cancel properly, so the charges actually stop

Uninstalling the apps does not cancel the subscription.

Step 2: Fight the fee and get money back

1. Step 1

   Check the 14-day window first

   Adobe refunds in full if you cancel within 14 days of the initial order. If you are inside that window, cancel immediately — no fee applies.

2. Step 2

   Ask Adobe support in writing

   Use the chat or support page on adobe.com. Say the annual contract and its termination fee were not clearly disclosed when you signed up, and ask for the fee to be waived or refunded. Some customers report the fee being waived when they push back. Save the transcript.

3. Step 3

   Dispute the fee with your card issuer or PayPal

   If Adobe refuses, open a dispute and paste the letter below. Reference the FTC case (5:24-cv-03630) — it shows a federal regulator has challenged this exact fee.

4. Step 4

   File a complaint

   Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. The FTC's case against Adobe was built on consumer complaints, and yours adds to the public record.

I am disputing the early termination fee charged by Adobe.

The plan was presented to me as a monthly subscription. The fact that it was a one-year contract with an early termination fee of 50% of the remaining months was not clearly disclosed when I signed up. The US Federal Trade Commission filed a federal complaint against Adobe in June 2024 (case 5:24-cv-03630, N.D. Cal.) over exactly this practice.

I have cancelled the plan. Please refund the early termination fee and any related charges listed below:

[Date] - [Amount]
[Date] - [Amount]

Thank you.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• FTC press release: FTC takes action against Adobe for hiding fees and preventing cancellation (June 2024)
• FTC case page: Adobe, Inc., U.S. v. (case 5:24-cv-03630, N.D. Cal.)
• FTC consumer alert: Adobe used hidden fee to trap people into paying for subscription plans
• Reuters: US sues Photoshop maker Adobe for hiding fees, making it difficult to cancel
• Adobe: Cancel your Creative Cloud membership
• Adobe: Subscription and cancellation terms
• FTC: Negative option (automatic renewal) rule and guidance
• FTC: Report fraud or a bad business practice
• PayPal: Automatic payments help
• Apple: Request a refund
• Google Play: Cancel, pause, or change a subscription

This page describes public court filings and company terms. It does not claim that Adobe broke any law — that is for the court to decide. Adobe or anyone named here can send corrections to hello@gacs.app, and we will review them promptly.