You're sitting there, looking at your bank statement, and you see that recurring UPS charge. Maybe you signed up because you needed to reroute a single package three years ago. Or perhaps you’re just tired of the "Premium" features that don't actually seem to speed up your deliveries. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided it’s time to make UPS cancel My Choice a reality. It sounds simple. It should be simple. But if you’ve spent more than five minutes clicking through the cluttered UPS dashboard, you know it’s kinda like trying to find a specific screw in a junk drawer.
I’ve been there. Honestly, the UPS interface feels like a relic from 2005. It’s dense, the buttons aren't where you think they'd be, and the terminology is just confusing enough to make you give up and pay for another month. Let’s just get it done.
The Difference Between Deleting and Downgrading
Most people searching for a way to have UPS cancel My Choice actually want two different things. Some want to delete their entire UPS account forever. Others just want to stop paying the $19.99 (or whatever the current annual rate is in your region) for the Premium tier.
If you delete the whole account, you lose your tracking history. You lose your saved addresses. You lose the ability to easily authorize "leave at door" instructions for future packages. Usually, the move is to just downgrade to the "Basic" version. The Basic version is free. It still pings your phone when a box is coming, which is really all most of us need anyway. If you're paying for Premium, you're paying for things like "Confirmed Delivery Windows" or "Unlimited Deliveries to Another Address." If you aren't a power-shopper or someone who lives in an apartment with a broken call box, those features are basically burning money.
How to Drop the Premium Tier
First, log in. Don't do this on the mobile app if you can avoid it. The app is notorious for hiding subscription management settings behind three different sub-menus. Use a desktop browser.
Once you’re in, you need to head to your Profile. It’s usually that little person icon in the top right. From there, click on "Login Settings" or "Accounts and Payment." You’re looking for a section labeled UPS My Choice.
Here is the part where it gets tricky. You’ll see your enrolled address. Next to that address, there should be an "Edit" button or a "Manage" link. Click that. You should see your membership level listed as "Premium." You’ll want to look for a link that says "Switch to a Basic Membership" or "Cancel Premium Membership."
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UPS will almost certainly try to hit you with a "Are you sure?" pop-up. They might even offer you a discount to stay. If you're done, you're done. Click through the prompts until you get a confirmation email. If you don't get that email, it didn't happen. Check your spam folder.
When the Button Just Isn't There
Sometimes the website glitches. Or, more commonly, you might be part of a "Household" account where someone else is the primary member. If you aren't the person who originally set up the My Choice plan for that specific address, you can't cancel it. You've gotta get the primary account holder to do the heavy lifting.
Another weird quirk? If you have a pending delivery that you've already used a Premium feature on—like a scheduled delivery window—the system might lock your membership status until that package is marked as delivered. It’s annoying. It's basically a digital "hold" on your account settings. Wait 24 hours after the package arrives and try again.
What About the Refund?
This is where people get really frustrated. UPS’s official policy on My Choice Premium refunds is... stingy. Generally, if you’ve used any Premium features during your current billing cycle, they won't give you a pro-rated refund. You’ll just keep the Premium status until the end of your year, and then it won't renew.
However, if your card was just charged yesterday and you haven't touched the account, you can try calling their customer service line at 1-800-742-5877. Don't bother with the chatbot. The chatbot is a circle of hell. Just keep saying "Agent" or "Representative" into the phone until a human picks up. Tell them the renewal was accidental. Sometimes they’re cool about it. Sometimes they aren't. It depends on the mood of the person on the other end of the line.
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Deleting the Account Entirely
If you’re just done with UPS and want to UPS cancel My Choice by nuking the whole profile, the path is slightly different. You’ll go back to that Profile area. Under "Login Settings," there is usually a "Close My Account" option at the bottom of the page.
Fair warning: This is permanent.
If you have a UPS My Choice for Business account, it's a whole different animal. Business accounts often have linked shipping accounts (those six-digit alphanumeric codes). You can't just close the My Choice part without affecting your ability to print labels or view your negotiated rates. If you're a business owner, think twice before hitting the delete button. You might just want to remove the "My Choice" add-on and keep the shipping account active.
Why Does It Feel So Hard?
It's called a "dark pattern." It's a design choice meant to make it easy to sign up and hard to leave. UPS wants that recurring revenue. By burying the "cancel" or "downgrade" buttons under four layers of menus, they know a certain percentage of people will just give up.
Don't be the person who gives up.
If the website keeps throwing "Technical Error" messages at you—which happens more often than it should—clear your browser cache or try an Incognito/Private window. Sometimes the site gets stuck in a loop with old cookies, and it won't let you save your new "Basic" settings.
Summary of the "Quick Fix" Steps
If you’re skimming this because you’re currently frustrated with a loading screen, do this:
- Use a laptop, not your phone.
- Go to Profile > UPS My Choice > Manage.
- Look for the tiny text that says "Switch to Basic."
- Confirm everything.
- Check for the email.
If that fails, your last resort is the "Remove Address" option. If you remove your home address from the My Choice service entirely, there is no "service" left to charge you for. It's the "scorched earth" method of cancellation, but it works when the "Downgrade" button is being flaky.
Moving Forward Without the Subscription
Once you’ve successfully managed to have UPS cancel My Choice, you’ll realize life isn't that much different. You still get the tracking numbers in your email. You can still track things on the website. You just won't get those hyper-specific (and often inaccurate) four-hour delivery windows.
If you're worried about package theft now that you don't have the Premium "reroute" feature, remember that you can still send packages to a UPS Access Point (like a CVS or a local locker) for free in many cases, even on the Basic plan. You just have to set it up before the package is out for delivery.
Practical Next Steps
- Verify the Status: Check your "Payment Options" in the UPS portal. If you see a credit card saved there that is only used for My Choice, delete the card information. This prevents "accidental" renewals next year.
- Monitor Your Statement: Set a calendar reminder for 7 days from now. Check your bank or credit card statement to ensure the "Pending" charge (if it was a recent renewal) has been reversed or that no new charges appear.
- Alternative Tracking: If you hate the UPS interface, try using an aggregator like Shop or 17Track. You just paste your number once, and you never have to log into the UPS dashboard again.
- The "Nuclear" Call: If the website simply refuses to work, call 1-800-742-5877. When prompted, say "Cancel My Choice Premium." If the automated system fails, stay on the line for a human. Record the date and the name of the representative you spoke with.
Managing your digital footprint means staying on top of these small, annoying subscriptions. It takes ten minutes of frustration now to save twenty bucks and a year of "Where is my package?" notifications you didn't really want anyway. Keep your confirmation number and move on with your day.