How to Cancel Vivint: Contract Buyout, Transfer, and Penalty-Free Exits

By the Home Security Systems & Alarms editorial team · Research-based (no hands-on testing) - see how we evaluate · Last updated July 15, 2026

Cancelling Vivint has two distinct parts, and most of the frustration comes from mixing them up. The first part is the service contract: you cancel by calling 1-800-216-5232, ext. 5020, after which Vivint sends you a Notice of Cancellation to sign and return, with at least 30 days' notice before your cancellation date. The second part is the money: Vivint does not charge a named "early termination fee" the way ADT does, but if you are still inside your term you generally owe the remaining balance on your agreement - and at minimum the remaining balance on any financed equipment. On a 42-to-60-month contract, that number can be substantial. This guide walks through the exact steps, what you will actually owe, and every documented way to leave without paying it.

Why Vivint cancellation works differently

Most Vivint customers do not just buy monitoring; they finance $1,000 or more of equipment through a payment plan that runs 42 to 60 months, longer than the roughly 36-month industry norm. The monthly bill bundles two things: the equipment loan and the monitoring service. That structure is why there is no simple percentage-based termination fee. When you cancel, Vivint's position is that the equipment loan still has to be paid, and depending on your contract version, some or all of the remaining monitoring charges may be owed too.

One consequence worth knowing before you sign anything new: if you pay for equipment upfront, Vivint does not require a long-term contract at all. And paying off your equipment early does not necessarily end a service term you already agreed to - the contract can still run to its end date. For how these bundled contracts compare across the industry, start with our cornerstone guide to security system costs, contracts, and cancellation.

How to cancel Vivint, step by step

1. Find your agreement first. You want your service number, contract start date, term length, monthly rate, and remaining equipment balance (visible in the Vivint app or your online account). This lets you check Vivint's payoff math instead of taking a number on faith.
2. Call 1-800-216-5232, ext. 5020. This reaches Vivint's cancellation department, which is the route Vivint itself recommends. Say plainly: "I want to cancel my service. Please confirm my remaining balance and email my Notice of Cancellation." Expect a retention pitch - a lower rate, free equipment, or a promotion in exchange for staying (sometimes in exchange for a new term; ask before accepting).
3. Ask for the exact payoff figure, itemized. Have the agent separate the remaining equipment balance from any remaining monitoring charges, and state which of the two you are being asked to pay. Get it in writing.
4. Sign and return the Notice of Cancellation. Vivint processes cancellations on a signed written notice, which the agent typically emails. Include (or verify it includes) the date, your service number, your intent to cancel, a brief reason, and your signature. Written notice can also go by mail or fax.
5. Give 30 days' notice. Vivint asks for at least 30 days before your cancellation date, so expect one more billing cycle rather than same-day shutoff.
6. Watch your next two statements to confirm billing stopped, and keep the signed notice and any confirmation emails until it does.

What you will actually owe

There is no single published number, and reports from documented customer cases differ, so treat this as the honest range rather than a quote:

Because the answer genuinely varies by the contract generation you signed, the single most useful thing you can do is make the agent read your own agreement's cancellation clause back to you, then confirm the itemized figure in writing before you decide between paying it, transferring, or waiting out the term. To compare what staying versus switching really costs over time, run both scenarios through our five-year cost calculator.

The documented penalty-free exits

Vivint's contract and public statements recognize several situations where the payoff is waived. All of them go through Vivint's Exceptions Review Team, all are case-by-case, and all require documentation - so gather the paperwork before you call.

1. The three-day rescission window (right after installation)

Vivint's agreement includes a three-day right to cancel after installation. This mirrors the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, which gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel most sales of $25 or more made at your home (Saturday counts as a business day; Sunday and federal holidays do not). The seller is required to tell you about this right and give you two copies of a cancellation form at signing. It is strictly a buyer's-remorse window - it does not help months later.

2. Vivint's listed extenuating circumstances

Vivint publicly lists circumstances it will consider for a fee-free release:

• Death of the account holder (family members can request the waiver).
• Bankruptcy, with records to show the Exceptions Review Team.
• Transition to an assisted living or retirement home.
• Military circumstances: deployment of six months or more, permanent change of station (PCS) orders, medical discharge, or military retirement. Active-duty service members also have Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) protections; Vivint's dedicated Military Support line is 1-855-368-8568, and its military program allows payment deferral of up to 12 months during a temporary assignment.

3. A qualified takeover (often the cleanest mid-term exit)

If a friend, family member, or the buyer of your home qualifies and agrees to take over your agreement, Vivint will transfer it into their name, and you stop owing anything going forward. Expect a transfer fee of about $99, and note that any equipment financing must be paid off before the transfer - but the remaining monitoring term moves to the new person rather than being owed by you. Vivint's Customer Loyalty team handles this at 1-800-216-5232, ext. 5025. If you are selling your house, an installed smart-home system the buyer takes over can be a genuine selling perk.

Moving? That is a transfer, not a cancellation

Moving does not end a Vivint contract, and Vivint services most of the United States, so "I'm moving" alone will not qualify for a waiver. The standard path is Vivint's moving program: Move Specialists coordinate taking your system to the new address, with a moving fee that starts around $149 and options ranging from full technician reinstallation to moving the equipment yourself. Contact them about two weeks before the move. Vivint does not offer service outside the country, which is worth raising with the Exceptions Review Team if an international move is forcing your hand.

What happens to your equipment after cancelling

Once paid off, the hardware is yours. What it can still do without Vivint service surprises people in both directions:

• Still works: the panel arms and disarms locally, and the siren still sounds. Basic local operation does not require a subscription.
• Stops working: app control, remote access, camera cloud features, and of course professional monitoring - nobody is called when the alarm goes off.
• Mostly locked in: Vivint's panel and cameras generally cannot be monitored by other companies. Some standard wireless door and window sensors can be reused with compatible systems, so do not bin everything on day one.

If self-monitoring your paid-off hardware sounds like enough protection, read our honest breakdown of security systems with no monthly fee and what you give up before you decide - the gaps (no cellular backup, nobody calling 911) matter more for some households than others.

One piece of history worth knowing

If you are researching a cancellation because you suspect your original signup was not entirely above board, you are not imagining that this has happened. In 2021 Vivint paid $20 million to settle FTC charges that some sales representatives misused consumer credit reports to qualify customers for financing, including using an unrelated person's credit history or adding cosigners without permission; the FTC sent redress checks to affected consumers in 2024. That case involved specific practices and does not describe your contract, but it is a good reminder to pull your own credit report if anything about your financing paperwork looks unfamiliar, and to dispute anything you did not authorize.

Before you call: a short checklist

• Know your numbers: service number, start date, term length, monthly rate, and remaining equipment balance from your Vivint account.
• Check the exits first: within three business days of an at-home signing, a qualifying military situation, bankruptcy, an assisted-living move, or someone willing to take over the agreement.
• Decide your goal in advance: a cheaper bill (retention will offer one) or fully out. Ask whether any retention offer restarts or extends your term before accepting.
• Get the payoff itemized in writing: equipment balance versus remaining service charges, stated separately.
• Line up your replacement before the 30-day notice period ends so you are not without coverage. Whatever you choose next, our free home security checklist covers the low-cost basics that protect your home regardless of which system, or no system, you run.

The bottom line: a valid in-term Vivint agreement usually costs real money to exit early, and the amount depends on paperwork most people have not looked at since installation day. Read your agreement's cancellation clause, make Vivint itemize the payoff, check whether one of the documented waivers fits your situation, and compare the payoff against simply riding out the remaining months. An informed call beats an angry one, and it is frequently several hundred dollars cheaper.

Sources

• Vivint Support - Cancellation Policy (official policy page) (accessed 2026-07-15)
• SafeWise - How to Cancel Your Vivint Contract: cancellation phone extension, remaining-balance payoff, extenuating circumstances, transfer fee, military deferral (accessed 2026-07-15)
• SafeHome.org - Vivint Contract Length, Cancellation Policy, Terms & Renewals (updated July 7, 2026): 42-60 month terms, Notice of Cancellation contents, 30-day notice, penalty-free exceptions, moving fee (accessed 2026-07-15)
• YourHomeSecurityExpert - How to Cancel Vivint: NOC signing process, equipment payoff, local operation after cancellation (accessed 2026-07-15)
• FTC - Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR Part 429 (three-business-day cancellation right for at-home sales) (accessed 2026-07-15)
• FTC - Vivint to Pay $20 Million to Settle Charges It Misused Consumer Credit Reports (April 2021) (accessed 2026-07-15)
• FTC - Payments Sent to Consumers Harmed by Vivint's Misuse of Credit Reports (December 2024) (accessed 2026-07-15)