Software and VPN Deals: Intro vs Renewal Pricing

Most VPN, hosting and software deals are a discounted first term paid upfront, after which the plan auto-renews at a higher standard price. Money-back guarantees usually cover only the first purchase and exclude app-store, reseller and some payment methods. Note the renewal price and turn off auto-renew if you do not want it before the term ends.

Intro price vs renewal price

The headline price on most subscription deals applies to the first term only.

Hostinger shows "Renews at" next to each intro price. At the time of writing, Premium was $2.99/month on a 48-month term, renewing at $10.99/month (Hostinger pricing). Its terms say renewals are charged at the fees in effect when they renew, which can be higher or lower than what you paid (Hostinger terms).
Surfshark labels the intro rate as a sale price for the first term and says you are charged "the applicable renewal price" after that (Surfshark pricing).
Grammarly says promotional rates last one term and then renew at the standard rate (Grammarly support).
NordVPN: we could not read its terms of service, so its official renewal wording is unconfirmed.

A promo code usually lowers the first term only. NordVPN codes go in a promo-code link at checkout after you pick a plan (NordVPN support).

Billing cycles and upfront payment

Long-term plans look cheap per month because the monthly figure is the total divided by the number of months, and you pay the total on day one. Hostinger states that plans are paid upfront (Hostinger). Surfshark sells 1, 12 and 24-month plans. Grammarly bills in advance, monthly or annually; its terms do not mention a quarterly option (Grammarly terms).

Before you commit to a multi-year term, multiply the monthly price by the months to see the real charge, then check the renewal price for the next term.

Money-back windows and exclusions

NordVPN: 30 days from the first purchase of a new subscription. Renewal payments are not covered unless local law requires it. After you confirm through live chat, eligible payments show a Refund button in Nord Account; the money can take up to 10 business days (NordVPN).
Surfshark: 30 days from the first purchase, one refund per service, and recurring payments are never refunded. Excluded: resellers other than Paddle, Google Play or Cleverbridge; prepaid or gift card payments; Dedicated IP and Alternative ID add-ons; and users who already had a free trial of 30 days or more (Surfshark terms).
Hostinger: 30 days for new purchases and renewals of web, cloud, Agency, KVM VPS and Game Panel hosting, and Hostinger or Titan Email. Never refundable if paid in cryptocurrency. Excluded: domain renewals, completed transfers, redemption fees, domain privacy, most country-code domains, Google Workspace email, VPS and Game Panel upgrades, credits, the first payment after a free trial, and accounts suspended for abuse. New .com, .net and .org domains are refundable within 96 hours, and a free bundled domain's value may be deducted from a hosting refund (Hostinger refunds).
Grammarly: payments are not refundable and partly used periods get no refund or credit, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Mistaken charges can be raised with support.

App store and reseller purchases

Where you buy decides who refunds you. NordVPN does not refund Apple App Store or Amazon Appstore purchases; those go to Apple or Amazon. Google Play purchases can be refunded by NordVPN support or within 48 hours through Google Play (NordVPN). Surfshark follows the same split: Apple and Amazon handle their own refunds, Google Play within 48 hours, then Surfshark support (Surfshark support). Promo codes from a brand's website usually do not apply to app-store purchases, so buy direct if you want to use one.

Auto-renew and cancelling

Auto-renewal is the default almost everywhere. Surfshark turns it on by default, emails ahead of renewal for plans longer than one month, and lets you switch it off in your account or through support. Hostinger renews automatically and can charge up to 30 days before the term ends (Hostinger terms). Grammarly renews for the same term length at the then-current fees; you can cancel any time and keep access until the period ends, then drop to the free plan.

For NordVPN, its blog describes turning off auto-renew in Nord Account under Billing, Subscriptions; we could only read this in a search summary.

Comparison table

Service	Refund window	Renewals refundable?	Key exclusions	Auto-renew
NordVPN	30 days, first purchase	No, unless local law requires	Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, other resellers	Yes
Surfshark	30 days, first purchase	No	Most resellers, prepaid or gift cards, add-ons, prior long trials	On by default
Hostinger	30 days	Yes, for listed hosting and email	Crypto payments, domain renewals, credits, first payment after trial	Default; can charge up to 30 days early
Grammarly	None stated	No	All payments non-refundable where law allows	Yes, same term at current fees

We could not confirm Canva's pricing, trial or refund terms from its own pages, so it is not listed.

Your rights in the US, UK and EU

US: a federal appeals court vacated the FTC's "click-to-cancel" rule on 8 July 2025. On 12 February 2026 the FTC reinstated its older, narrower rule covering prenotification plans, and on 13 March 2026 it published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (FTC, Federal Register). Enforcement continues under ROSCA and Section 5 of the FTC Act.
UK: a 9 August 2026 government release brought the DMCC Act subscription rules forward to January 2027: clearer upfront information, reminders, easier exit, and a 14-day cooling-off period after a trial ends or a long contract renews (GOV.UK). Earlier documents said spring 2027, and the secondary legislation had not been published when we checked (GOV.UK, April 2026).
EU: you have 14 days to withdraw from an online contract without giving a reason; for services the clock starts when the contract is agreed. You lose the right for digital content once you start it after expressly giving up withdrawal, and for a fully delivered service you agreed to start straight away (Your Europe).

Questions people ask

Will my VPN renew at the same price?

Usually not. Surfshark charges the applicable renewal price after the first term, Grammarly promotional rates last one term, and Hostinger renews at the fees in effect at renewal. Check the renewal price before buying.

Can I get a refund on a renewal?

NordVPN and Surfshark do not refund renewals, although NordVPN makes an exception where local law requires it. Hostinger does cover renewals of its listed hosting and email products within 30 days.

I bought through the App Store. Who refunds me?

Apple. NordVPN and Surfshark both say App Store and Amazon Appstore refunds go through Apple or Amazon. Google Play purchases can be refunded through Google Play within 48 hours.

Does paying in crypto affect my refund?

At Hostinger, yes: anything paid in cryptocurrency is never refundable. Surfshark excludes payments by prepaid or gift card from its money-back guarantee.

Sources

NordVPN: Money-back guarantee (read Oct 16, 2026)
NordVPN: How to apply a coupon code (read Oct 16, 2026)
Surfshark: Terms of service (read Oct 16, 2026)
Surfshark: App store refunds (read Oct 16, 2026)
Surfshark: Pricing (read Oct 16, 2026)
Hostinger: Refund policy (read Oct 16, 2026)
Hostinger: Universal terms of service (read Oct 16, 2026)
Hostinger: Pricing (read Oct 16, 2026)
Grammarly: Terms (read Oct 16, 2026)
Grammarly: Subscription renewal (read Oct 16, 2026)
FTC: Negative Option Rule (read Oct 16, 2026)
Federal Register: Prenotification negative option plans (read Oct 16, 2026)
GOV.UK: Subscription rules from January 2027 (read Oct 16, 2026)
GOV.UK: Subscription traps crackdown (April 2026) (read Oct 16, 2026)
Your Europe: Returns and withdrawal (read Oct 16, 2026)

Rules and fees change. Each figure above was read on the official page on the date shown; the provider's own page is always the final word.