Pret a Manger coffee subscription customers hit with £20 fee despite trying to cancel during free trial

The coffee and sandwich chain launched its YourPret Barista subscription service in September, offering up to five coffees or other drinks a day for a £20 monthly fee. Those who sign up get the first month free as an introductory offer and can cancel at any time.

But users have complained they've been rolled onto the fee-charging subscription at the end of the trial, even though they'd tried to cancel. In some cases, they say they were even sent an email apparently confirming they'd successfully opted out. 

Pret admits "a small proportion" of customers have reported problems with cancelling - though it didn't tell us how many complaints it's received or exactly why the issue has occurred. 

There is a lengthy cancellation process so it's possible some customers may have missed certain steps - see below for full details on how to cancel and how to get a refund if you've unwittingly been charged. 

For full details of how the Pret scheme works, see our Pret a Manger launches £20/month coffee subscription service MSE news story.

What are Pret customers saying?

One MoneySaver, Emma, emailed to tell us: "I signed up for the subscription service at Pret A Manger, with the free trial for a month. I found that I had not used it enough, so three days before renewal I cancelled the subscription. I received an email confirmation too. On the renewal date, Pret still withdrew a £20 charge."

Emma said she'd contacted Pret to complain.

Here are some of the other complaints we've seen on social media:

If you've struggled to cancel your subscription, let us know at news@moneysavingexpert.com. 

How do I cancel my Pret subscription?

You can cancel your Pret subscription online via the Pret a Manger website.

Pret says customers can cancel their subscription at any time with no penalty, as long as it is before their renewal date. 

After visiting the site above: 

• Scroll down and click "Manage account"

• Click "Cancel subscription"

• Click "Cancel my subscription"

• Type in your email

• Then you should be emailed a one-time passcode

• Enter the passcode on the Pret website

• Confirm you want to cancel

• Then you will receive a cancellation confirmation email

Make sure you check for this cancellation email as soon as you've done it.

Pret says if you don't get a confirmation email, your cancellation hasn't been processed - so you'll need to try again or get in touch with Pret. 

What can I do if I've tried to cancel and been charged?

If you've tried to cancel and been charged, you should contact Pret's customer service team. You can do this via its online form or on Facebook Messenger.

Everyone sent the one-time cancellation passcode before their renewal date will be refunded, according to Pret. 

A Pret A Manger spokesperson said: “A small proportion of customers have contacted us about problems with cancelling during the trial period.

"Where this has happened, we have asked the customer to share the one-time passcode email that was generated as part of the cancellation process. If this shows that the customer received the email before the renewal date, then we have been happy to process a refund and cancel their subscription

"“We encourage any customers who are having trouble cancelling to please get in touch with our customer service team and we will resolve the issue.”