What happens to my subscriber lists after deletion?

All subscriber lists (audiences) are permanently deleted when you close your account. Subscribers will not receive any notification about your account closure, but they will no longer receive emails from you through Mailchimp.

Will I get a refund for my unused subscription time?

No. Mailchimp does not provide refunds for unused subscription time when you close your account. To minimize costs, cancel your paid plan at the end of your billing cycle before closing the account.

Can I close my account if I have an outstanding balance?

You may need to settle any outstanding payments before Mailchimp allows you to close your account. Check your billing page for any unpaid invoices and resolve them first.

What happens to my custom domain and email authentication?

Custom domain settings for email sending (SPF, DKIM records) will no longer be needed after account closure. You should remove or update these DNS records to keep your domain settings clean, though leaving them won't cause harm.

Do I need to delete audiences before closing my account?

No, you don't need to manually delete audiences. When you close your account, Mailchimp automatically deletes all audiences, campaigns, templates, and other data associated with your account.

How do I export my email templates?

In the Campaigns section, find your email templates. Click on each template you want to save, then use 'Replicate' to create a copy. You can then view and copy the HTML code to save externally before closing your account.

What if I'm not the account owner?

Only the account owner can close a Mailchimp account. If you're an admin or user but not the owner, you'll need to request that the owner close the account or transfer ownership to you first.

How to Delete Your Mailchimp Account - Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Written & Verified By

Delete.Directory Content Team

Our team of privacy advocates and digital rights experts has helped over 100,000 users reclaim control of their online presence. We test every deletion process to ensure accuracy.

This guide helps you permanently delete your Mailchimp account. We believe in digital autonomy: your right to leave any platform should be as easy as joining it. Follow these verified steps to ensure complete account deletion.

How We Verified This Guide

Methodology: Hands-on testing with live accounts

Quick Information

Time Required

5 minutes

Difficulty

easy

Steps

5 steps

Official Resources

Official Mailchimp Help - Close Your Account

Official deletion guide from Mailchimp

Additional Resources

[1]

Mailchimp Privacy Policy

Official privacy policy explaining data deletion (Intuit owns Mailchimp)

[2]

Mailchimp Data Processing Addendum

Official guide on data handling after deletion

[3]

Mailchimp Terms of Use

Legal terms regarding account closure

Step-by-Step Guide

Export Your Audience and Campaign Data

Before closing your account, export all subscriber lists, campaign reports, and analytics. Go to Audience > All contacts > Export audience, and save your campaign reports from the Campaigns page.

Tips

•Export audience lists as CSV files
•Download campaign performance reports
•Save any email templates you created

Warnings

•You cannot recover this data after account deletion

Cancel Your Paid Plan

If you're on a paid plan, downgrade to the free plan or cancel your subscription before closing your account. Click your profile icon, go to Account > Billing, and select 'Cancel monthly billing' or downgrade to free.

Tips

•Free plan users can skip this step
•Cancel before your next billing date to avoid charges
•You won't receive refunds for unused time

Navigate to Account Settings

Log in to your Mailchimp account and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select 'Account' from the dropdown menu, then click 'Settings' in the left sidebar.

Tips

•Make sure you're logged into the correct account
•Only account owners can close accounts
•Clear your browser cache if you encounter issues

Initiate Account Closure

In Account Settings, scroll down to find the 'Close Account' section. Click 'Close Account', review the warning message, type 'DELETE' to confirm, and click 'Close Account' again to proceed.

Tips

•Type DELETE in all capital letters
•Read all warnings about data loss
•Have your password ready if prompted

Warnings

•Account closure is permanent and immediate

Confirm Closure via Email

Mailchimp will send a confirmation email to your account email address. Open the email and follow any additional confirmation steps if required. Your account will be permanently closed.

Tips

•Check spam folder if email doesn't arrive within 5 minutes
•Save the confirmation email for your records
•All audiences and campaigns are permanently deleted

Important Warnings

Permanent Data Loss

All subscriber lists, email campaigns, templates, automation workflows, and analytics data will be permanently deleted. There is no way to recover this information after account closure.

No Grace Period

Mailchimp account closure is immediate. Unlike some platforms, there is no 30-day grace period to change your mind. Once confirmed, all data is permanently deleted.

API Keys Invalidated

All API keys and integrations will immediately stop working. Update any external applications or websites that use Mailchimp API connections before deletion.

Custom Domain Settings

If you've set up a custom domain for email sending, you'll need to update or remove DNS records after account closure to avoid email delivery issues.

Subscriber Unsubscribe Records Lost

Your unsubscribe and bounce records will be deleted. If you create a new account, you could accidentally email people who previously opted out.

Connected App Access

Third-party apps and services connected to your Mailchimp account will lose access. Disconnect or reconfigure these before deletion.

Alternatives to Consider

Downgrade to Free Plan

easy

Instead of deleting your account, downgrade to Mailchimp's free plan which allows up to 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly email sends.

Pros

•Retain all your audience data and campaign history
•No monthly costs
•Can upgrade again if needed

Cons

•Limited to 500 contacts on free tier
•Mailchimp branding on emails
•Reduced features and automation

3 min

Pause Campaigns Instead

easy

Keep your account active but pause all active campaigns and automation workflows. This preserves your data without sending emails.

Pros

•All historical data remains intact
•Can resume email marketing anytime
•No permanent data loss

Cons

•Paid plans continue to incur charges
•Account data remains on Mailchimp servers
•Requires manual management

10 min

Migrate to Alternative Email Platform

medium

Export your data and migrate to platforms like ConvertKit, Constant Contact, or Sendinblue before closing your Mailchimp account.

Pros

•Maintain email marketing capabilities
•Explore different features and pricing
•Keep your subscriber relationships

Cons

•Time required to set up new platform
•Potential subscriber opt-in requirements
•Learning curve for new interface

60 min

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Mailchimp account closure is permanent and immediate. Once you close your account, all data including audiences, campaigns, and templates are permanently deleted with no recovery option. This is why exporting your data beforehand is critical.

References & Citations

[1]
Mailchimp Privacy Policy
Official privacy policy explaining data deletion (Intuit owns Mailchimp)
https://www.intuit.com/privacy/statement/
[2]
Mailchimp Data Processing Addendum
Official guide on data handling after deletion
https://mailchimp.com/legal/data-processing-addendum/
[3]
Mailchimp Terms of Use
Legal terms regarding account closure
https://mailchimp.com/legal/terms/

All citations verified as of 11/8/2025. We regularly review and update all external links to ensure accuracy.

Found incorrect information?

We strive for accuracy. If something's outdated or wrong, let us know.

Report incorrect information

Quick Navigation

Related Guides

You might also want to delete these accounts

hubspot

Alternative platform offering email marketing plus CRM capabilities

salesforce

Enterprise CRM that includes email marketing features

Critical Warnings

Permanent Data Loss
All subscriber lists, email campaigns, templates, automation workflows, and analytics data will be p...
No Grace Period
Mailchimp account closure is immediate. Unlike some platforms, there is no 30-day grace period to ch...
API Keys Invalidated
All API keys and integrations will immediately stop working. Update any external applications or web...

Last Updated

November 8, 2025

Mailchimp Account Deletion

How We Verified This Guide

Quick Information

Official Resources

Additional Resources

Step-by-Step Guide

Export Your Audience and Campaign Data

Cancel Your Paid Plan

Navigate to Account Settings

Initiate Account Closure

Confirm Closure via Email

Important Warnings

Permanent Data Loss

No Grace Period

API Keys Invalidated

Custom Domain Settings

Subscriber Unsubscribe Records Lost

Connected App Access

Alternatives to Consider

Downgrade to Free Plan

Pause Campaigns Instead

Migrate to Alternative Email Platform

Frequently Asked Questions

References & Citations

Found incorrect information?

Quick Navigation

Related Guides

Critical Warnings

Tags