How to Cancel Vivint & Tips to Get Out of Your Contract Early

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You've made up your mind that you no longer want Vivint. Now it's time to start the process of cancelling.

I went through the fine print of a Vivint contract and took screenshots of the clauses that matter, so you can see the wording for yourself before you pick up the phone. This guide covers all the details that you need to know about your contract.

Quick links:

How to cancel Vivint step by step
Do you have a contract, and how long is it?
Is there a cancellation fee?
Ways to get out of your contract without a penalty
The 3 day right to cancel
What still works after you cancel
What to switch to instead

How To Cancel Vivint Service

Here are the steps to follow:

Review your Vivint agreement. Find out when your "initial term" ends and how much you still owe on your equipment.
Call Vivint customer service at 1-800-678-2635 to begin the cancellation process.
Ask Vivint if you still owe money on the equipment. You can find this info online before calling by logging into the dashboard and looking at your invoice.
Put your cancellation request in writing and send it to Vivint at least 30 days before you want your service to be terminated.
Get written confirmation from Vivint that they've received your cancellation request.
After you cancel, monitor your account to make sure you're not being charged for service you don't have.

Your written notice should include:

Date of letter
Your Vivint service number
A clear statement that you want to cancel your contract
A brief explanation of why you are canceling
Your signature

If you cancel Vivint, the only balance you owe is the equipment balance. If you have the equipment paid off, then you don't need to pay for anything extra. If you do have a balance on the equipment then you must pay off what is owed. You can't cancel the service, unless the equipment is paid off.

How To Cancel Vivint Online

The Vivint agreement gives you no way to cancel from the mobile app or from your online account. It requires you to submit written notice if you want to cancel. Write a short letter with the details listed above, send it where the rep tells you, and keep a copy.

Does Vivint Have A Contract?

Only if you choose to finance your equipment. If you pay up front for your equipment your service is month to month and you can cancel at any time without penalty. That's what I did when I bought my system.

If you owe a balance on the equipment then you are also obligated to pay for the monitoring service. You can pay off the equipment balance early, and then discontinue your service.

How Long Is A Vivint Contract?

If you choose to finance your equipment with Vivint you can get 0% APR financing for 42 or 60 months. You have to continue to have service from Vivint for as long as you have a balance on your equipment. You can't just cancel your monitoring service and continue to make payments on your equipment.

The Vivint agreement says "The initial term starts on the day this agreement is signed." After the initial term ends your service is month to month and "either party may terminate this agreement at any time after the initial term upon at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the other party."

Vivint agreement clause: the initial term starts on the day the agreement is signed, then continues month-to-month, and either party may terminate after the initial term with at least thirty days' prior written notice — The initial term starts the day you sign, whenever the installation happens.

Vivint contracts don't renew for another multi-year term the way some security systems contracts do. They roll over one month at a time.

Also be aware that after your initial term ends, Vivint can increase your monthly services fee. You have the right to cancel your service with 30 days notice if they do this.

Vivint agreement section 2.2, End of Term Increase in Services Fee: after the initial term Vivint has the right to increase the monthly services fee, subject to the customer's right to cancel on thirty days' notice — Section 2.2: the fee can go up once the initial term is over.

Does Vivint Have A Cancellation Fee?

There is no set cancellation fee with Vivint. If you financed your equipment you will owe whatever remaining balance is left. The exact amount you owe when you cancel will depend on the terms of the contract you signed. Some Vivint customers have said that they were required to pay Vivint the monthly monitoring fees for the remaining length of their contract when they cancelled. Ask Vivint for your payoff amount in writing.

Can You Cancel Vivint Before Paying Off Equipment?

No. If you want to cancel your Vivint service before you pay off your equipment you have to pay the remaining balance. The agreement says that once you've paid everything you owe on the equipment, you can terminate "without penalty or early termination fee" with 30 days' prior written notice, even if you're still inside the initial term.

Vivint agreement section 13, Suspension or Cancellation of this Agreement: if during the initial term the customer pays all amounts owing for the equipment, the customer may terminate without penalty or early termination fee with thirty days' prior written notice — Section 13: pay off the equipment and you can leave without a penalty.

How To Get Out Of A Vivint Contract Without Penalty

There are a few ways to get out of a Vivint contract without paying a penalty:

If you are in one of the following situations call Vivint and ask them to review your contract:
- Death of the account holder
- Bankruptcy
- Moving to an assisted living facility
- You are in the military

Vivint's Exceptions Review Team will review your request case by case. They will ask you for documentation. Calling Vivint to request an exception does not guarantee that they will release you from your contract.

Vivint's support site also says customers 65 or older who cancel because of a medical condition or a move to a care facility may be eligible to leave without the fee.

Vivint will waive any early termination or cancellation fees for active U.S. military personnel, or anyone who has been discharged in the last 12 months, who are:

Being deployed for 90 days or longer
Required to move locations, even on the same base
Retiring after 20 or more years of service
Being medically discharged and are moving residences

Other veterans and their dependents are not eligible. You will need to provide current orders or other official documents, such as deployment orders or medical discharge paperwork.

There is also a deferral program for service members who are on temporary assignment away from their permanent residence for less than 12 months. If you qualify for this program Vivint will suspend your agreement and the term of your contract will not run while it is suspended.

A regular, non-medical discharge is not grounds to cancel your contract. But if you want to move your system or transfer your agreement to a friend or family member Vivint will waive the fee.

You can also transfer your Vivint contract to another person. You'll need to get approval from Vivint first.

Vivint agreement section 14, Assignees and Subcontractors: the customer may not transfer the agreement to someone else, including someone who purchases or rents the premises, unless Vivint approves the transfer in writing — Section 14: a transfer needs Vivint's approval in writing.

If you're selling the house, the buyer doesn't inherit the Vivint contract automatically.

How To Cancel Vivint Within 3 Days

Vivint has what is called a "buyer's right to cancel" clause. This allows you to cancel within three business days of signing by giving written notice in person, by telegram, or by mail. The notice has to say that you don't want the goods or services.

Vivint agreement section 5, Buyer's Right to Cancel: written notice must be delivered or postmarked before midnight on the third business day after signing, and the seller may not keep any cash down payment — Section 5: deliver or postmark the notice by midnight on the third business day.

Keep in mind that the three day count begins when you sign the contract. It doesn't wait for your system to be installed.

If you cancel in this window, Vivint may not keep any part of a cash down payment. You already have the form: at signing you confirm that you received two copies of it.

Vivint agreement section 3, Receipt of Copy: the customer states they received a copy of the agreement and, for residential systems, two copies of the Notice of Cancellation form — Section 3: you get two copies of the Notice of Cancellation form.

The same clause has a medical exit: you can cancel if a doctor's order means you physically can't receive the services, and Vivint keeps only a pro rata share for what you used. My clause cites Florida's rules, so read the wording in yours.

If I Cancel Vivint Will My Equipment Still Work?

If you cancel your service with Vivint here is what will happen:

You lose access to the Vivint app. You can no longer watch your cameras or download video clips from your phone. Your cameras will continue to record locally to the Vivint panel. Your alarm system will still arm and disarm and you will get a siren if there is an alarm. But the system no longer has professional monitoring, so no one will call the police, fire department or ambulance. The keypad on your door lock and thermostat will work, as will the controls on the Vivint panel, but you can no longer control them from the app and you lose any smart home "automations" that you had set up.

Vivint smart panel on the wall showing the Events screen with recorded doorbell camera clips — Without the app, the panel is where you watch your camera recordings.

Section 13 of the agreement also authorizes Vivint to remotely disconnect the system software once service ends, so don't count on the panel features lasting forever.

Vivint cameras are proprietary. You can't take them and hook them up to other security systems. If you are moving houses Vivint has a program where they will move your system.

I walk through exactly what still works, device by device, in my article on what your Vivint gear can still do once the monthly plan ends.

What To Switch To After You Cancel Vivint

If you still want a security system after Vivint, I'd look at ADT or Cove. I compare both in my guide to the systems worth switching to from Vivint, but here's the short version.

ADT is the closest match if you liked Vivint's professional installation, cameras and smart home features. Its cameras are Google Nest, so they keep working in the Google Home app even if you cancel ADT down the road. Vivint's cameras don't.

Cove is the pick if the monthly bill is why you're leaving. Monitoring runs $23 to $33 a month with no contract, so you'll never have to read a cancellation clause like the ones above again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cancel Vivint anytime?

If you paid up front for your equipment yes, you can cancel anytime. If you are financing your equipment you can cancel at any time but you will have to pay the remaining balance on your equipment.

Can I cancel Vivint if I'm still under contract?

Yes, but you will have to pay the remaining balance on your equipment. Vivint reviews military and medical exceptions case by case.

What happens if I cancel Vivint?

When you sign the Vivint agreement you authorize them to remotely disconnect your communicator from the monitoring center and disconnect the system software.

If I cancel Vivint will I lose everything?

It depends on what you are trying to do. The siren and the panel keep working, but the Vivint agreement says the system may not work with equipment used by other alarm companies or monitoring centers.

Can you cancel Vivint after paying off equipment?

Yes. The Vivint agreement says you may terminate without penalty with thirty (30) days prior written notice after you pay off your equipment.

Does Vivint require a contract?

If you choose to finance your equipment with Vivint then yes. But you can also pay up front for your equipment in which case you are month to month and can cancel at any time.

About the author

Ben Smith

Ben is the owner of SecureLiving.com. With more than five years of experience in the home security space, he's passionate about helping people feel safer at home. Through in-depth reviews and practical advice, Ben makes it easier for homeowners to choose reliable security systems that actually work.