Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
Surfshark VPN allows for account termination or service suspension without notice if they find a breach of terms or receive a complaint (risk_flags-0001). Users are entirely responsible for all account activity, authorized or not (risk_flags-0002). Refunds may also be withheld if terms are breached (risk_flags-0003). Additionally, your Dedicated IP can be traced back to your email unless an anonymous option is chosen (data_use-0001), and the service temporarily stores user ID, IP, and connection timestamps to prevent abuse (data_use-0002). Surfshark can use any feedback you provide irrevocably and without compensation (data_use-0003). Paid services auto-renew, and you agree to this by entering payment details (cancellation_renewal-0001). Recurring payments are non-refundable (cancellation_renewal-0002), and refunds are not available for specific payment methods, resellers, or certain features (cancellation_renewal-0003). If you delete your account, no refund will be given for unused service (cancellation_renewal-0004), nor after an extended free trial (cancellation_renewal-0005). Surfshark can change terms unilaterally, and your continued use implies acceptance (gotchas-0001). Finally, you are solely responsible for maintaining password confidentiality (gotchas-0002).
90% confidence
Ask Verbaterm
Follow up on findings with grounded answers from this review. Not legal advice.
Risks of Service
Critical issues that pose a material or hard-to-reverse harm, such as loss of funds, privacy exposure, or unenforcable rights. These are often non-standard terms within the sector.
Not clearly stated: No additional claims were made that lacked clear support from the provided text.
high95% confidence
Account Termination or Suspension Without Notice
Surfshark may terminate your account or suspend services without prior notice if they deem your usage to be in violation of their Terms or if they receive a complaint regarding your use of the Services.
Why it matters: Your service may be terminated or suspended at any time, without warning, if Surfshark determines you have breached their terms or if a complaint is received, potentially leading to immediate loss of access.
If Surfshark is contacted with a complaint regarding or arising from your use of the Services or independently detects a breach of these Terms, Surfshark may deem your usage in violation of these Terms and terminate your account or limit and/or suspend the provision of the Services without notice.
* Otherwise infringe or circumvent these Terms;, paragraph 11 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Account Holder Responsibility for All Usage
You are solely responsible for all usage and activity on your account, even if unauthorized, or if it occurs on a device accessible to others.
Why it matters: You are fully liable for any activity on your account, including unauthorized use or use by others, which could expose you to liability for actions you did not commit.
You are solely responsible for all usage or activity on your account including, but not limited to, use of the account by any person who uses your account, with or without authorization, or who has access to any computer on which your account resides or is accessible.
Practices concerning the collection, processing, and sharing of user data, and the associated risks. These often include broad permissions for data utilization.
Not clearly stated: No additional claims were made that lacked clear support from the provided text.
medium90% confidence
Dedicated IP Tied to Email Address
If you use the Dedicated IP service, your online activities could be traced back to your account information because this IP is tied to your email address, unless you choose an anonymous Dedicated IP option.
Why it matters: Your online activities using a Dedicated IP could be linked to your email and account, potentially compromising your privacy if the anonymous option is not chosen.
If you are using the Dedicated IP service, your online activities could be traced back to your account information as this IP is tied to your email address. However, you may choose using an anonymous Dedicated IP option which will result in a removal of all the information we have in our database about your Dedicated IP address.
Limited Log Retention for Service Abuse Prevention
To prevent service abuse, Surfshark's servers store your user ID, IP address, and connection time stamps, but this information is automatically deleted within 15 minutes after your session terminates.
Why it matters: Certain identifying data (user ID, IP, connection timestamps) is temporarily stored, which, although deleted quickly, means some logs exist for abuse prevention.
To prevent service abuse, our servers store your user ID and/or IP address, and connection time stamps, but this information is automatically deleted within 15 minutes after termination of your session.
You grant Surfshark and its affiliated companies a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license to use any feedback you provide without reimbursement, compensation, reporting obligations, or other restrictions.
Why it matters: Any ideas or suggestions you provide to Surfshark can be used by them globally, irrevocably, and without compensation or acknowledgment, limiting your control over your intellectual contributions.
You hereby grant Surfshark and/or its affiliated companies a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license to use Feedback (as defined below) you communicate to us without reimbursement or compensation, without any obligation to report on such use, and without any other restriction. You waive (or agree not to enforce) any and all rights that may now or in future exist (including moral and equivalent rights) in Feedback.
Conditions and processes for subscription renewal, cancellation, and refund policies. These often highlight potential financial liabilities or restrictive termination clauses.
Not clearly stated: No additional claims were made that lacked clear support from the provided text.
medium90% confidence
Automatic Renewal of Paid Services
Paid Surfshark Services automatically renew at the end of each service period, and your chosen payment method is charged again, unless you cancel automatic payments before renewal. By entering payment details, you agree to automatic renewal.
Why it matters: Your subscription will automatically renew and charge your payment method unless you proactively cancel, leading to continued payments if you are not careful.
Paid Surfshark Services renew automatically at the end of each service period and your chosen payment method is charged again, unless you decide to cancel your automatic payments before the automatic renewal. By entering your payment details you agree with the automatic renewal. We will inform you in advance by email about the automatic renewal of your subscription (if it is longer than one month).
While the 30-day money-back guarantee applies to the initial purchase, all recurring payments are non-refundable.
Why it matters: You cannot receive a refund for any automatic renewal payments, meaning you could lose money if you forget to cancel before a recurring charge.
Please note that for all subscription plans, the 30-day money-back guarantee applies only to the initial purchase; all recurring payments are non-refundable.
Refund Exceptions for Certain Payment Methods and Features
Refunds are not available if you signed up via resellers other than Paddle, Google Play, or Cleverbridge, used a prepaid/gift card, or used an anonymous Dedicated IP option.
Why it matters: You may be unable to get a refund if you purchased through specific channels or payment methods, or if you opted for certain features like an anonymous Dedicated IP, leaving you without recourse for unsatisfactory service.
We can refund you on the basis of our 30-day money-back guarantee. Except if you signed up via resellers other than Paddle, Google Play, or Cleverbridge, with a prepaid card/gift card or decided to use an anonymous Dedicated IP option, or have made any purchases associated with our Alternative ID service, such as the purchase of the Alternative Number feature.
Users who have benefited from a free trial of 30 days or longer are excluded from the right to a refund.
Why it matters: If you use a long free trial, you lose your right to a refund, meaning you cannot receive money back even if the service doesn't meet your expectations after the trial.
The refunds are also not applicable if you have been granted a free trial to use our Services for 30 days or longer. Users who have benefited from such extended trial periods are deemed to have had sufficient opportunity to evaluate the Services, and therefore, are excluded from exercising the right to refund.
Less obvious terms that might surprise users, such as changes to terms, specific technical requirements, limitations of liability, or dispute resolution processes.
Not clearly stated: No additional claims were made that lacked clear support from the provided text.
medium90% confidence
Unilateral Changes to Terms of Service
Surfshark may change these Terms of Service at any time, and it is your responsibility to review them periodically. Continuing to use the Services after changes take effect means you accept the new terms.
Why it matters: Your rights and obligations can change without your explicit agreement, requiring you to constantly monitor the terms to avoid unknowingly agreeing to unfavorable conditions.
We may change these Terms of Service from time to time. We will post a notice on the Surfshark Site any time these Terms of Service have been amended or updated. It is your responsibility to review these Terms of Service periodically, and if at any time you find these Terms of Service unacceptable, you must immediately leave the Surfshark Site and cease all use of our Services.
You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password.
Why it matters: You are fully liable if your password is compromised, which could lead to unauthorized access to your account and personal information.
**You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password**.
Terms that are favorable to the user, such as strong data privacy commitments, clear refund policies, or explicit controls over personal data.
Not clearly stated: No additional claims were made that lacked clear support from the provided text.
Protection95% confidence
Strict No-logs Policy
Surfshark has a 'No-logs Policy' which means your online activities, including visited IP addresses, browsing history, session information, and network traffic, are not logged, retained, or transferred to third parties when using their VPN service.
Why it helps: This policy helps protect your privacy by ensuring that your online activities are not recorded or shared, giving you greater anonymity and control over your data.
**No-logs Policy** is one of the most important features of our VPN service. It means your activities are not in any way logged, retained, or transferred to third parties when you connect to our VPN service. We do not collect any information about what you do online (your visited IP addresses, browsing history, session information, used bandwidth, connection time stamps, network traffic or any other similar data).
Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for your initial purchase of their Services, allowing you to try the service risk-free.
Why it helps: This guarantee provides an opportunity to evaluate the service and request a refund if you are not satisfied within the first 30 days, minimizing financial risk for new users.
Your satisfaction with our Services is our main goal. If you choose not to use our paid Services anymore, except for any services related to the Alternative ID, such as the purchase of the Alternative Number feature, and/or anonymous Dedicated IP which are non-refundable, we guarantee you a right to claim a refund within 30 days following your initial purchase of our Services.
You can cancel your automatic payments (turn off auto-renewals) at any time from your Surfshark account if you purchased services directly from them, or by contacting their support team.
Why it helps: This allows you to easily control your subscription and prevent unwanted recurring charges, providing flexibility and avoiding accidental renewals.
If you purchased the Services directly from us you can cancel your automatic payments (i.e., turn off auto-renewals for the upcoming Service period) at any time from your Surfshark account. If you purchased the Services from a third party your possibilities to cancel automatic payments are subject to its terms. You can also contact us at any time at [support@surfshark.com](mailto:support@surfshark.com) and your automatic payments will be canceled by our support team.