Gravity
How we score cancellation difficulty
Every service in the Hardest-to-Cancel Index is scored from 0 to 100 across six factors, then graded A to F. Scores come only from facts we can document in an official source; where a fact is not documented, that factor is scored as no added friction rather than guessed.
The rubric
| Factor | Range | Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation channel | 0–25 |
|
| Retention gauntlet | 0–20 |
|
| Notice period | 0–15 |
|
| Contract / early-termination fee | 0–15 |
|
| Refund friction | 0–15 |
|
| Dark patterns | 0–10 |
|
The six factor maxima sum to 100. A higher score means more friction.
Grade bands
How scores are verified
Each factor is scored against the provider’s own official cancellation documentation, and against primary sources (such as FTC actions, state attorney-general filings, or court rulings) where they document specific friction. We do not score from anecdotes alone, and we do not invent notice periods, fees, or refund terms.
Because prices and policies change, the index is recomputed from our verified cancellation guides at build time, so a service’s score here always matches the difficulty badge on its guide. When a provider changes its flow and we re-verify the guide, the score updates with it.
These scores are Viral App Labs LLC’s editorial ratings under this disclosed methodology. They are not third-party statistics, and they are not a legal characterization of any company.
See how we verify cancellation steps in our editorial policy.