Quick Summary
- Call 1-888-225-5837 to cancel TDS residential service
- TDS keeps billing until it receives and verifies your cancellation notice
- Most TDS residential service is subscription-based, so refunds or credits generally do not apply if you cancel before the end of your billing period
- Some state and service combinations have specific full-month billing rules. Time your disconnect near the end of the paid billing cycle when you can
- Early termination charges can apply if your account has a specified minimum service term. The amount is account-specific, so ask TDS for the calculation before approving the disconnect
- If equipment must be returned, TDS sends a return kit with a box and prepaid UPS label. TDS must receive required equipment within 30 days after service cancellation
- Keep your cancellation confirmation, return tracking, and final bill until the account is closed cleanly
How to Cancel
Phone is the verified general residential cancellation path for TDS. The cancellation support page and residential service terms point customers to the phone, and the residential contact form says it cannot help with disconnecting service.
Phone
Call 1-888-225-5837. Have your account number, service address, account PIN or security answers, billing cycle dates, and a list of services you want to disconnect.
Ask the rep to confirm:
- The exact disconnect date
- Whether each service is month-to-month or under a minimum term
- Any early termination charge for your proposed disconnect date
- Whether the account will be billed through the full billing cycle
- Which equipment must be returned
- The equipment return due date
- Your cancellation confirmation number
TDS requires account verification before it can discuss or change services, so have the account holder or authorized user ready for the call.
Contact Form / Chat
TDS has chat and contact options for support, but public cancellation instructions say to call. The residential contact form cannot disconnect service and points customers to the contact center for account-specific questions.
Use chat or the contact form for follow-up questions, return-kit problems, or billing clarification. Treat the phone confirmation number as the cancellation record.
QuickConnect Accounts
QuickConnect customers have a separate account page. Those customers can log in through tdstelecom.com/quickconnect, choose Manage My Account, and select Cancel Service.
That route is specific to QuickConnect. Standard TDS residential customers should use the phone path above.
Porting a TDS Home Phone Number
If you want to port a TDS home phone number to another provider while keeping bundled internet or TV, call 1-888-223-0001 before starting the port. TDS says this avoids interruption to the bundled services you want to keep.
What It Costs
Early Termination Charge
TDS residential service is month-to-month unless you agreed to a specified minimum service term. A minimum term can be tied to discounted equipment, promotional pricing, or another signup offer. If you cancel that service early, TDS can charge an early termination charge.
TDS does not publish one universal ETF amount for every residential account. The amount should have been disclosed when you signed up, and TDS says you can contact them at any time for a calculation tied to a specific termination date.
| Situation | Early termination charge |
|---|---|
| Month-to-month service | Usually none beyond regular charges |
| Minimum service term / promotional agreement | Account-specific charge; ask TDS for the calculation |
| Service ended after TDS receives verified cancellation notice | Customer remains responsible for charges through the applicable billing period |
Billing and Proration
Most service is subscription-based, so refunds or credits generally do not apply when you cancel before the end of the billing period. The residential terms also say monthly service charges are billed for the full monthly charge without proration, subject to legal restrictions.
TDS publishes a non-proration page listing state and service combinations where full-month billing applies:
- Georgia and New Hampshire: internet and TDS TV
- Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont: internet and telephone
- Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Indiana: internet, TDS TV, and phone
- Arizona, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, Mississippi, California, Michigan, New York, South Carolina, Washington, Virginia: internet
TDS terms list exceptions for active military deployment and for TV or data equipment leased from TDS.
Call before your billing cycle renews. Ask what date the account is paid through, then choose a disconnect date that avoids paying for unused days when possible.
Final Payment
After disconnection, TDS says customers lose access to TDS ePay. TDS lists three final-balance routes:
- Mail a check to the TDS Payment Center
- Pay by automated phone payment with a $3.95 fee
- Pay online with a Rush Payment with a $4.95 fee
If you want to avoid the processing fees, confirm the mailing address and final balance before sending a check.
Equipment Return
What You Return
TDS says some equipment must be returned and some may be exempt. The rep should confirm required return items when you request cancellation.
Common return items in the TDS equipment return guide include:
- Internet modems
- eero device and power cord
- TV receivers and remote controls
- TDS-provided ethernet or power cords
Equipment with a DO NOT REMOVE sticker, or equipment similar to the guide’s do-not-return examples, should stay in place. Return only the equipment TDS confirms for your account.
How to Return It
After cancellation, TDS sends a return kit with a box and prepaid UPS shipping label. Pack only the confirmed return items, apply the prepaid label, and drop the box at an authorized UPS location or drop box.
Keep the UPS receipt or tracking number until the final bill shows no equipment charges.
Deadline
TDS must receive required equipment within 30 days after service cancellation. The deadline is based on receipt by TDS, so shipping near the end of the window can still create a problem.
Return processing can take up to two weeks to appear on the account. A charge that appears right after you ship may clear after processing, but you need tracking if it does not.
Unreturned Equipment Fees
If equipment is not returned within 30 days or is damaged, TDS terms say the customer will be charged an unreturned equipment fee determined by TDS. The public materials do not provide one fixed fee schedule.
The equipment return guide also says a $21.95 shipping charge may be applied to the account for returning TV equipment.
After You Cancel
Save these until the account is closed cleanly:
- Cancellation confirmation number
- Rep name and call notes, if you have them
- Final bill
- UPS return receipt or tracking number
- Any email confirmation from TDS
Watch the final bill for regular service charges through the billing period, any early termination charge, equipment shipping charges, unreturned equipment charges, and payment processing fees.
If the return kit does not arrive quickly enough to meet the 30-day received-by deadline, contact TDS immediately. Waiting creates an avoidable equipment-fee dispute.
Common Problems
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| You want to cancel online | Use the phone path unless you are specifically a TDS QuickConnect customer. General residential cancellation goes through 1-888-225-5837. |
| Contact form will not disconnect service | Call TDS instead and use the form only for general follow-up questions. |
| Rep cannot quote the early termination charge | Ask whether the account has a specified minimum service term. If yes, ask for the exact calculation for your proposed disconnect date before approving the cancellation. |
| Full-month charge after canceling mid-cycle | Compare the charge to TDS’s non-proration policy and your state/service type. Ask the rep what date your account was paid through before choosing the disconnect date. |
| Return kit does not arrive | Contact TDS immediately. The 30-day clock is based on TDS receiving the required equipment, so waiting can create an equipment-fee dispute. |
| Unsure what equipment to return | Return only the equipment TDS confirms. Do not remove equipment with a DO NOT REMOVE sticker or send back items TDS says are exempt. |
| Equipment charge after return | Call with your UPS receipt or tracking number. Return processing can take up to two weeks to show on the account. |
| Porting home phone while keeping other services | Contact TDS at 1-888-223-0001 before starting the port so bundled internet or TV is not interrupted by mistake. |
| Final payment access disappeared | TDS says ePay access ends after disconnection. Use the listed final-payment routes and account for any phone or rush-payment processing fees. |
Final Checklist
- Call 1-888-225-5837 unless you are a QuickConnect customer using the QuickConnect account page
- Confirm disconnect date, paid-through date, and any minimum service term
- Get the ETF calculation before approving the disconnect date
- Ask which equipment must be returned and what should stay in place
- Watch for the UPS return kit and ship early enough for TDS to receive it within 30 days
- Keep cancellation confirmation, return tracking, and final-payment proof
- Review the final bill for full-month charges, ETF, shipping, payment fees, and equipment charges