Discord has secured its status as the #1 communication hub for gamers looking to coordinate with friends and connect thriving gaming communities. And power users on a mission to perfect their gameplay leverage Discord Nitro subscriptions to unlock superior features for organizing epic raids, dominating leaderboards, and maximizing performance.
But what happens when financial realities catch up, and you need to cut Nitro from your budget? Will your server boosts vanish instantly – sabotaging communities now relying on your expanded capacity gifts? Can you even successfully cancel, or will Discord’s notorious subscription algorithm find ways to keep charging your card?
As a hardcore gamer who has both subscribed religiously to Nitro for years AND faced my share of cancellation snafus, I’ve compiled this definitive, no-BS guide examining all potential outcomes, pitfalls, and workarounds when you finally put your Nitro subscription to pasture.
Nitro Nostalgia: Recapping What You Stand to Lose
Before confronting the sobering cancellation process, let’s warm our hearts by remembering what made us fall in love with Nitro’s charms in the first place. Sniffle.
Nitro Perks for Players, Not Posers
The Nitro investment delivered more than just cosmetic bells and whistles – it unlocked tangible competitive gaming advantages!
Some standout boons:
- HD Video Quality: lag-free, 60fps screenshare to showcase gameplay and coordinate with teammates
- 100MB File Uploads: share extensive gameplay recordings and tournament footage easily
- Custom Emojis: design unique communication shortcuts and reactives to embed in chats
Little touches like animated avatars or GIF profile pics mattered less than raw functionality gains. Nitro’s premium conferred real capabilities enabling next-level community creation and seamless multiplayer collaboration.
And as leaders within various gaming spheres, our upgraded abilities allowed nurturing player bases that came to rely on our purpose-built environments! Which makes walking away all the more difficult…
Booster Rockets for Server Communities
Arguably nothing symbolized Nitro’s empowering spirit more than server boosts gifted to beloved communities.
These “power-ups” unlocked special ranks, channel space, storage increases, and bitrate allowances for partners and friends to advance collective goals. We grew the proverbial Discord “pie” through boosts – not merely feeding our own egos.
After months Establishing thriving servers as nitro subscribers, casually cancelling risks sabotaging the very foundations we helped erect! Tread carefully…
Marching Towards the Nitro Cancel Gallows
Alas, despite Nitro’s aid conquering past gaming glories, economic factors pressure even the most diehard subscribers to wave the white flag eventually.
Family obligations arise. Job income dries up. Recession strikes. Regardless the justification, that fateful day arrives when you vow to cancel automatic Nitro renewal.
I remember my own remorseful walk towards the termination buttons. But crucially, with proper steps, cancelling need NOT immediately decimate all of Nitro’s gifts! Light still peeks through the darkness…if you know where to look.
Locating the Cancel Buttons
Like an expert bomb technician, carefully dismantle your account’s Nitro integration to avoid unintended explosions.
Here are foolproof instructions identifying the exact cancel subscription buttons on desktop AND phones:
Desktop
- Select the Gear Icon to open Discord’s settings menu
- Choose “Subscriptions” from left-side navigation bar
- Identify the active Nitro membership box
- Click/Tap “Cancel Subscription” button inside box
- Pick reason + confirm cancellation
Mobile
- Tap down arrow next to your profile to open drawer
- Scroll down and choose “Settings”
- Select “Subscriptions” from vertical tab list
- Tap the active Nitro subscription entry
- Tap “Cancel Subscription” inside expanded details
- Confirm cancellation decision
Cancelling Mid-Trial vs Post-Trial Consequences
Next, let’s distinguish the dreadful cancellation outcomes depending on Nitro enrollment status:
If Cancelled MID 3-month free trial:
- Immediately lose all Nitro benefits
- Charged $0 (Discord cannot bill trials retroactively)
If Cancelled AFTER trial ends:
- Maintain benefits for remainder of billing cycle
- Charged for 1 additional month at next renewal date
- Lose benefits ONLY once final paid period concludes
So in plain English:
- Trials let you flee scot-free if cancelled anytime during 90 days
- Paid plans charge you for 30 days post-cancellation then cut amenities
budgeting the extra month for transitions.
Special Case: Preserving Server Boosts After Cancellation
What about beloved boosts breathes life into our communities? Will cancelling nitro instantly downgrade their levels?
Fortunately…Discord built in protections preventing this disastrous outcome!
Instead, active boosts REMAIN fully functional until their initial 90 day duration expires – regardless of you cancelling Nitro in the interim! Discord essentially preserves past boost investments, allowing you to cancel without unexpectedly sabotaging servers.
However, note that post-cancellation you CANNOT add new boosts. But existing ones persist for their original 90 day terms before automatically deactivating. This prevents communities being immediately gutted.
Avoiding Accidental Charges After Cancellation
Even with clean cancellations, glitches occasionally trigger erroneous Nitro renewal charges. Here’s how protecting yourself:
Use prepaid virtual cards
Privacy.com or applets like Privacy let you generate virtual debit cards with custom limits to fund purchases. Create one tied specifically to only 1 month of Nitro payments. Even if charged again, the card will simply decline.
Setup two-factor authentication (2FA)
Discord’s 2FA adds login protection preventing others from accessing your account and undoing the cancellation undetected. It also blocks fraudulent subscription renewals. Enable 2FA via the platform’s security settings.
Combined, virtual payment sources plus login protections make accidental double-charges nearly impossible!
Silver Linings: Life After Nitro Cancellation
While Nitro’s tools feel indispensable in the moment, creativity flourishes under limitations. Don’t despair at losing premium aids – see it as opportunity getting back to basics!
What emerging discord alternatives offer similar benefits but no recurring fees? How can you better utilize free bots or plugins? Scope out fresh features within recent Discord updates perhaps rendering Nitro obsolete!
And for server boosts specifically, rally members to collectively fundraise activating Community Boosts the democratic way. By pooling resources, you may replicate former booster perks without ANY singular Nitro subscriptions!
Where one chapter ends, another begins. The time for grief passes quickly. We gamers constantly adapt to shifting conditions and don’t dwell on Deserted gear. Instead we charged forwards to conquer the NEXT big challenge!
Today Nitro, tomorrow…who knows. But we WILL remain sailing together regardless.
TL;DR Cancel Survival Cheatsheet
Let’s recap the need-to-know cancellation steps:
🔹 Locate and select “Cancel Subscription” in Discord’s Subscriptions tab
🔹 If mid-trial, cancel freely without charges
🔹 If post-trial, pay for 1 more month then lose perks
🔹 Active boosts remain temporarily before expiring
🔹 Enable 2FA and virtual cards to block erroneous charges
Follow those, and gracefully transition accounts away from paid Nitro without sabotaging beloved communities!
Now go enjoy reconnecting with long-lost non-premium features once again 😉 Maybe they aren‘t SO bad?
Did I miss any other cancellation outcomes or advice? Let the community know below!