# Cancel a server

> Cancel a VPSNine server at the end of its paid month or delete it now, what to back up first, and what happens to your data and billing afterwards.

Source: https://vpsnine.com/help/cancel-a-server · Updated: 2026-10-10

Billing is monthly with no lock-in, so you can stop whenever you want. There are two ways to do it: cancel at the end of the month you've paid for, or delete the server straight away. Either way, the server's disk is erased, so get your data off first.

## Back up first

When a server is deleted, its disk and its [snapshots](https://vpsnine.com/help/snapshots) are erased. After that, nothing can be recovered, by you or by us.

Copy a folder to your own computer with `rsync`:

```bash
rsync -avz root@203.0.113.42:/var/www/ ./backup-www/
```

Databases can stream a dump straight to your machine. MySQL or MariaDB first, then PostgreSQL; use the one you have:

```bash
ssh root@203.0.113.42 'mysqldump --all-databases --single-transaction | gzip' > all-databases.sql.gz
ssh root@203.0.113.42 'sudo -u postgres pg_dumpall | gzip' > postgres.sql.gz
```

Open the files on your computer and check they aren't empty.

## Tidy up loose ends

Two things people forget:

- **DNS.** Remove or change any records pointing at the server's addresses. Otherwise your domain keeps pointing at an address that may later belong to someone else.
- **API tokens.** If a script had an [API token](https://vpsnine.com/help/api-tokens) just for this server, revoke it.

## Cancel at the end of the paid month

Open the server in the panel. In the billing box, choose **cancel at period end** and confirm.

The server keeps running until the date shown as **paid until**. The renewal line changes to "none: the server is deleted when the paid period ends", and you won't be asked to pay for another month.

Changed your mind? Choose **keep this server** any time before that date, and billing carries on as before.

Cancelling at period end only works while the paid month is still running. Once the **paid until** date has passed (the renewal is overdue, or was issued late), there's no period end left to cancel at, and the panel says: "This server's paid month has ended. Pay the renewal to keep it, or delete it now." Pay the renewal invoice to keep the server, or [delete it now](#delete-it-now). If you do neither, the [unpaid renewal](https://vpsnine.com/help/unpaid-renewal) dates apply.

On the **paid until** date, the server is deleted along with its disk and snapshots, its IP addresses are released, and we email you to confirm. Once the deletion has started, the panel says "Being deleted: it can't be kept any more."

## Delete it now

If you're done with the server today, use **delete…** with the server's other actions and type its hostname to confirm. The server and its disk go straight away, and billing for it stops.

Unused time isn't refunded, unless you're still inside the [14-day money-back guarantee](https://vpsnine.com/help/money-back-guarantee). In that case, ask for the refund *instead of* deleting the server: we delete it as part of the refund.

From the command line, `vps9 servers delete web-1` does the same, after asking you to type the hostname. Cancelling at the end of the month is only in the panel.

## If you can't log in

Email hello@vpsnine.com from the address on your account and say which server to cancel. We'll reply to confirm. If you haven't heard back, email again before the server's renewal invoice is due, so you aren't billed for another month.