6 Tips to Navigate Cancellations in a Subscription Box Business

Learn how to navigate cancellations, boost retention, and keep your subscription box growing—even when subscribers say goodbye.

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Cancellations are inevitable—but they don’t have to derail your subscription box business.

Let’s face it—cancellations are part of the subscription box world. As much as we’d love for our subscribers to stick around forever, that’s just not the reality of this business model.

People cancel for all kinds of reasons. Most of them have nothing to do with you or your box.

Maybe they’re cutting expenses, decluttering, or just overwhelmed. It can still feel personal, especially when you’ve poured your heart and soul into your subscription box.

But here’s the thing: cancellations don’t have to break your momentum. In fact, with the right strategies in place, you can handle them with confidence, reduce your churn, and even come out stronger on the other side.

Let’s talk through six practical tips to help you navigate cancellations—and reduce them wherever you can.

1. Accept That Cancellations Happen—And Have a Plan

I’ll say it again: You will always have cancellations.

They don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They don’t mean your box isn’t valuable. They simply mean you’re running a subscription box business and cancellations are a part of that business.

What matters most is how you respond. Do you know your numbers? Are you tracking trends? Are you learning from feedback? Are you putting systems in place to retain more subscribers?

Inside the Launch Your Box training library, members can find a new lesson—Navigating Cancellations & Retention Strategies—where I walk you through what to watch for, how to interpret your numbers, and what to do next. You’ll also find my Retention Toolkit and Retention Rate Calculator to help you take action right away.

Learn more about retention strategies in this blog post.

2. Know Your Numbers

When cancellation numbers go up, emotions can take over. That’s why tracking your subscriber data is key to staying objective and focused.

Here are the numbers to track each month:

• How many subscribers you started with
• How many you gained
• How many canceled

Use these numbers to calculate your retention rate—and get a clear picture of what’s really happening in your business.

Use my free Retention Rate Calculator to simplify this process and spot trends over time.

Grab the Retention Rate Calculator!

Here’s a quick guide:

• 95–100% retention – You’re doing excellent.
  
• 90–95% retention – Strong and steady.
  
• 80–90% retention – Room to improve—watch for patterns.
• Below 80% – Time to evaluate your messaging, product fit, and overall experience.

3. Outsource Cancellations

In the early days, I handled every single cancellation myself. And every time one came in, I’d question everything.

But once I started handing off cancellations to a member of my team, everything changed. I could focus on what the numbers were telling me—not what my feelings were telling me.

If you’re not ready to delegate yet, take a step back and look at your metrics monthly. Avoid obsessing over individual cancellations.

For example, one month I had 68 cancellations—and I was bracing for the worst. But when I really looked at my numbers? When I did the math? I had a 96% retention rate. That was the truth. Not the emotional spiral (and tub of ice cream) I was headed for.

4. Know That Many Will Come Back

Statistically, December and January will be your highest months for subscription box cancellations. 

Subscribers are recovering from the holidays, and budget cuts often hit "fun" purchases first.

Don’t let this affect you. 

In my experience with my own subscriptions, about 75% of people who cancel at any point come back. 

Why? Because I made them feel welcome. I gave them grace. And I let them know they were always invited back.

Your tone and response during cancellation matter. Make sure you keep the door open for them to return.

5. Refill Spots Faster with a Waitlist

Cancellations are easier to handle when you know exactly who to reach out to next.

That’s why you should always be growing and nurturing your waitlist—even when your subscription is full.

Talk about your waitlist in social posts, Lives, emails—everywhere. Make it easy for people to join. And when spots open up? Email your list and fill those gaps fast.

Those 68 cancellations I mentioned? I can send an email to my waitlist and fill most if not all of those quickly and easily.

Need help nurturing your waitlist? Start here!

6. Use a Cancellation Form (and Learn from the Data)

Don’t just let someone click a button and disappear. Set up a cancellation form to guide the process and collect feedback.

My cancellation form includes:

• A preview of next month’s box to tempt them to stay
• A reminder of our cancellation policy
• A simple feedback section asking why they’re leaving

The responses I get help me improve my boxes, my messaging, and the overall subscriber experience.

Want even more ways to boost retention? Grab my free resource:
10 Ways to Surprise and Delight Your Subscriber. These small, thoughtful touches go a long way in making subscribers feel appreciated—and more likely to stay.

Cancellations Happen. But So Does Growth.

Cancellations are going to happen—it’s just part of running a subscription box business. But when you take the emotion out of it, learn from the data, and put the right strategies in place, they don’t have to knock you off course.

Keep showing up for the subscribers you do have. Keep surprising and delighting them. Keep tracking your numbers, nurturing your waitlist, and perfecting your experience so that more subscribers stay. And the ones who leave are more likely to come back.

You’re not alone in this. Every subscription box owner faces cancellations. What matters is how you respond.

And if you’re a Launch Your Box member, don’t forget—you’ve got extra support waiting for you inside the training library. Watch the Navigating Cancellations & Retention Strategies lesson to dig deeper into what works, what to watch for, and how to turn cancellations into opportunities to grow stronger.