Cancel Save the Children the easy way

Mission and core work

Save the Children is an international charity dedicated to improving the lives of children through emergency response, education, health programs and advocacy. The organisation raises funds from supporters in the UK and globally to deliver programmes in crises and long-term development.

Operations in the UK and worldwide

Save the Children operates programmes worldwide and maintains a UK fundraising and supporter care presence. The UK operation asks for one-off and monthly donations, runs a shop and supports fundraising via apps and direct debits.

Company facts

Web (online) cancellation steps

1. Open the Save the Children UK monthly giving hub: Monthly giving hub.
2. Search for guidance or an account login area where you can manage your regular gift.
3. If no online cancel button is available, note your supporter number and follow the email or phone route below.
4. If you have a Direct Debit instruction, expect cancellation to take effect before the next collection on the 1st or 17th.

Phone cancellation steps

1. Call Supporter Care on +44 (0)20 7012 6400.
2. Provide your full name, address, supporter number and Direct Debit reference if available.
3. Request cancellation or a pause of up to six months. Ask for an email confirmation and a reference number.
4. If you do not receive confirmation, follow up by emailing [email protected].

Email cancellation steps

1. Send an email to [email protected] with subject line "Cancel monthly donation" and include your full name, address, supporter number, payment method and the date you want cancellation to take effect.
2. Request a confirmation email stating the cancellation date and any refund decision if applicable.
3. If no response within 10 working days, call the Supporter Care number above and quote your email.

Post cancellation steps

1. Write a signed letter containing your full name, address, supporter number, payment details and the date you want the cancellation to take effect.
2. Send the letter by registered post to Save the Children, 1 St John's Lane, EC1M 4AR London, United Kingdom.
3. Keep the delivery receipt as proof and follow up with Supporter Care by phone or email for confirmation.

Moving abroad or change of address

If you move and no longer want to support from your UK account, contact Supporter Care with your new address and bank details to request cancellation. Required proof documents: new address details and, if the payment method changes country, a bank statement showing a new account. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 applies when the donation was taken as part of a distance contract.

Price increase or change in donation terms

Save the Children allows donors to change their monthly amount by contacting Supporter Care. If the organisation applies a change to an agreed paid service (rare for donations), the Consumer Rights Act 2015 protects you where a service is affected by an unfair contract term.

Death of subscriber

To cancel following the death of a donor, supply a death certificate and the supporter details to Supporter Care. Required proof documents: death certificate and the deceased supporter reference or bank details. The charity will stop future collections once documentation is reviewed.

Legitimate ground and errors

Save the Children recognises specific exceptions for refunds and cancellations such as errors in donation processing. Required proof documents: bank statement showing the error and any correspondence. Charity practice and the Charities Act 2011 are relevant for handling refunds; Save the Children states they will discuss requests and require paperwork before processing.

End of commitment or sponsorship period

If your donation was tied to a fixed-term sponsorship, request confirmation of the end date and cessation of payments from Supporter Care. Required proof documents: your sponsorship paperwork or emails confirming end of term. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 may apply for contracts concluded at a distance.

Cooling-off (14 day right)

If your donation or purchase was made under a distance contract that qualifies as a service or supply that allows cancellation, you may have a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Required proof documents: proof of purchase date and a clear statement of cancellation. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 - see legislation.

Before you cancel: negotiate

Save the Children offers options to reduce or pause a regular gift rather than cancelling. Specific retention options found in research: you can reduce your monthly donation amount by speaking to the Supporter Care team, or pause a regular gift for up to six months. To request these options, call +44 (0)20 7012 6400 or email [email protected] and ask explicitly for a pause or reduction. There are no other publicly published retention offers available from Save the Children in the verified sources.

What cancelling saves - yearly maths

Below are annual savings for several real monthly amounts Save the Children suggests.

• £3 monthly: 3 x 12 = £36 per year.
• £5 monthly: 5 x 12 = £60 per year.
• £7.28 monthly: 7.28 x 12 = £87.36 per year.
• £10 monthly: 10 x 12 = £120 per year.
• £25 monthly: 25 x 12 = £300 per year.

Cheapest alternative from competitors listed below: World Vision UK at £4 monthly in this comparison. Saving if you switch from Save the Children £5 monthly to World Vision £4 monthly: £5 x 12 = £60; £4 x 12 = £48; annual saving = £12.

Key UK consumer law

Relevant statutes: the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (services performed with reasonable care and skill) and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (14-day cancellation for distance and off-premises contracts). The Competition and Markets Authority highlights that hard-to-cancel subscriptions and unclear auto-renewal terms may be unfair.

How to escalate

Step 1: Contact Save the Children Supporter Care by phone or email and keep all correspondence. Step 2: If unresolved, get advice from Citizens Advice and consider complaining in writing to the charity. Step 3: For card payments consider Section 75 or chargeback through your card issuer when eligible. If the issue involves a regulated sector (financial, telecoms, energy) use the relevant ombudsman. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 are at legislation.gov.uk.

Check your bank and Direct Debit

After you receive cancellation confirmation, verify that no further Direct Debit collections are taken on the next scheduled date (1st or 17th). If a payment is taken after cancellation, contact Save the Children Supporter Care and your bank immediately to dispute the collection.

Data, final communications and re-activation

Ask Save the Children for a final confirmation email stating the cancellation date and whether any final donation was taken. If you cancelled but later want to start again, re-activation is done by setting up a new donation via the Save the Children UK donation pages or by contacting Supporter Care.

Use this checklist to complete a clean cancellation and retain evidence.

• Note your supporter number and the payment method used.
• Call +44 (0)20 7012 6400 and request cancellation; ask for a confirmation email.
• If you email, send to [email protected] with full details and request confirmation.
• If sending post, use registered mail to Save the Children, 1 St John's Lane, EC1M 4AR London, United Kingdom and keep the receipt.
• Check bank account on the next Direct Debit date (1st or 17th).
• If a payment is taken after confirmation, request a refund via Save the Children and, if necessary, contact your bank for chargeback or Section 75 if applicable.