Cancel Dreamstime the easy way

Overview

Dreamstime is a stock photography and digital media marketplace that sells images, videos and other creative assets to individuals and organisations. The platform also operates contributor accounts for photographers and designers to upload and monetise their work.

Main use cases

Buyers use Dreamstime for single downloads or subscription plans to obtain royalty-free images and media for marketing, editorial and creative projects. Contributors use the platform to sell images and receive payouts when thresholds are met.

Company facts

Read the company overview on Wikipedia - Dreamstime.

Web (best route)

1. Go to Dreamstime and log in to your account.
2. Open My Account > Payment Profiles.
3. Find the active subscription and set Renew as OFF.
4. Take a screenshot of the updated Payment Profiles page showing 'renew as OFF'.
5. If you were billed incorrectly after cancelling, contact support at +1-615.771.5611 or [email protected] for a refund; Dreamstime will refund if no download credits from that renewal were used.

iOS and Android (mobile apps do not cancel)

1. Open a web browser on your phone (Safari, Chrome).
2. Go to Dreamstime and log in to your account.
3. Follow the Web steps above to turn Renew as OFF in Payment Profiles.
4. Take a screenshot as proof.

Phone

1. Call +1-615.771.5611 and state your account email and subscription you want cancelled.
2. Ask the agent to confirm cancellation and to send an email confirmation.
3. If billed despite cancellation request, request a refund and explain you did not use any download credits from the renewal.

Email

1. Email [email protected] from the address on your account with subject: "Cancel subscription and refund request".
2. Include your account username, last 4 digits of the card used, and the reason.
3. Keep copies of sent email and any reply.

Post

1. Write a signed cancellation letter stating your account details and date you want the subscription cancelled.
2. Send by registered mail to Dreamstime, Streathigh Road, SW16 1EQ London, United Kingdom.
3. Keep the postal receipt and delivery confirmation as proof.

Moving / change of country

If you move country and need to cancel, contact Dreamstime support with proof of new address such as a utility bill or tenancy agreement. Dreamstime does not publish special relocation rules; use the normal cancellation route and attach proof. Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015 - service must be performed with reasonable care and skill.

Price increase

If Dreamstime increases subscription price during your contract, check contract terms in your Payment Profiles. If a price increase constitutes a unilateral change that disadvantages you, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on unfair contract terms applies and you can challenge the change. Provide screenshots of the old price, new price notice and your account statement as proof. Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Death of subscriber

For the death of an account holder, contact Dreamstime support and supply a death certificate and proof of relationship. Research does not show Dreamstime's exact process; use email [email protected] and include required documents. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 where contract termination is required in some circumstances.

Legitimate ground - technical faults or unusable media

Dreamstime accepts refunds when a downloaded piece of Media has technical flaws or cannot be downloaded; credits used for it may be refunded. To request refund, supply the download reference, date, and error screenshot. Dreamstime's refund windows: individual downloads refunded if made no more than 7 days ago; plan/package refunds within 30 days if the plan has not been used. Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015.

End of commitment

If your subscription term ends and auto-renew is on, you must turn Renew as OFF in Payment Profiles before the renewal date. If your yearly subscription has begun and you want to cancel, Dreamstime requires conversion to a monthly plan first and payment of any price difference before cancellation is allowed, per Dreamstime support guidance. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Cooling-off (14-day right)

If you bought a plan online, you have a 14-day cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. If you authorised immediate download at purchase, the digital content exception applies and you may lose the right to a refund once download/streaming starts. Provide purchase confirmation and evidence of whether downloads occurred. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Before you cancel - negotiate

Research shows no consistent public reports of retention discounts from Dreamstime. If you want to ask for a retention offer, contact support by email or phone and request a downgrade, temporary pause, or a pro-rated refund. Example script: "I want to cancel because of cost. Do you offer a lower monthly plan, a pause, or a refund for unused credits? My account email is [your email]." Attach evidence of billing and the date of the next renewal.

What cancelling saves you - example calculation

Use your actual plan price to compute savings. Example: if your Dreamstime plan costs £9.99 per month, annual cost = 9.99 x 12 = £119.88 per year. Switching to a free alternative such as Pexels costs £0 per year, so annual saving = £119.88 - £0 = £119.88. If your account incurred a one-off charge like the example review where a user was charged £23 for one picture, cancelling recurring subscription avoids similar monthly charges building up: £23 x 12 = £276 per year avoided. Cheapest real alternative: Pexels at £0 per month. Competitor price examples: Shutterstock example plan £29.00/month = £348.00/year; Adobe Stock example plan £19.99/month = £239.88/year.

Consumer law that applies

United Kingdom consumer law relevant to Dreamstime: Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. The CMA treats hard-to-cancel subscriptions and unclear auto-renewal terms as potentially unfair.

Cooling-off and digital content

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 provide a 14-day cooling-off period for most online contracts. If you consented to immediate download of digital content at purchase, the digital content exception may remove the right to cancel the contract for that purchase once downloading starts.

Escalation steps

1. Complain to Dreamstime first and keep written records. 2. If unresolved, get advice from Citizens Advice. 3. For card payments, consider Section 75 or a chargeback through your card issuer if eligible. 4. If you believe the trader used unfair contract terms or hard-to-cancel practices, report to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Check access and downloads

After cancelling, verify that Renew as OFF is set in Payment Profiles and keep the screenshot. Downloads you purchased remain subject to Dreamstime licence terms; cancelling does not remove already-granted licences.

Final billing and refunds

If you were charged because the cancellation request arrived after renewal, contact Dreamstime support immediately. Dreamstime will refund subscription fees when no download credits from the renewal were used, per their policy. Refund windows: 30 days for unused plans/packages, 7 days for individual downloads in some cases.

Data and re-activation

If you want account deletion, request data deletion by email to [email protected]. Re-activation usually requires creating a new account or re-subscribing through the website.

Follow this checklist to cancel and protect your rights.

• Log in to Dreamstime and set Renew as OFF in Payment Profiles; take a screenshot.
• Save payment receipts and the date of next renewal.
• If billed after cancelling, email [email protected] and call +1-615.771.5611 asking for a refund and state you did not use renewal credits.
• If necessary, send a registered letter to Dreamstime, Streathigh Road, SW16 1EQ London, United Kingdom.
• If you cannot get a refund, contact your bank for chargeback or Section 75 for qualifying card payments.
• Keep copies of all correspondence for escalation to Citizens Advice or the CMA.