Whether your contract is up, the service hasn't lived up to the price, or you've simply found a better deal, cancelling a car tracker isn't always as simple as calling and hanging up. Most providers sign you onto a fixed-term agreement with its own notice period, cancellation terms, and rules about the device itself. Here's a general, honest walkthrough of what to check and how the process usually works — plus how to compare and move to a new provider without a gap in cover.
A quick note before you start: Tracker Prices SA is an independent comparison service, not any single tracker provider, so we can't process a cancellation on your behalf or quote you an exact fee for a specific company. What we can do is explain, in general terms, how cancellation typically works across the industry so you know what to check in your own agreement and what questions to ask before you give notice.
The exact process differs by provider, but almost every cancellation follows the same basic shape.
Find the original contract or welcome email and check three things: the minimum term (commonly around 36 months on many plans), the required notice period, and whether an early-cancellation or early-termination fee applies if you're still inside that minimum term.
Even if a provider allows a phone cancellation, follow it up by email to their official cancellations or customer-service address. A written, dated request gives you a paper trail — useful if there's ever a dispute about when you actually cancelled or what you were told.
Get the provider to confirm, in writing, your cancellation date, any final invoice or early-termination amount owing, and what happens next with the device. Keep that confirmation until your final statement reflects a zero balance.
Ask specifically what they need from you — some arrange collection or deinstallation of a hardwired unit, some ask you to courier a portable unit back, and some charge a fee if the device isn't returned. Get this in writing too, before you assume it's handled.
If your insurer required an approved tracker or gave you a premium discount for having one, let them know your cover situation is changing — either that the tracker is being removed, or that you're moving to a new (also approved) device, so there's no gap that could affect a future claim.
Cancelling one provider doesn't mean going without cover. If you're switching rather than stopping altogether, compare current plans and request a quote from a new provider so the new device can be scheduled in around when the old one comes out.
None of the figures below are fixed industry rules — they're the kinds of terms that commonly appear in tracker contracts. Your own agreement is the only source that matters for your situation.
Most providers offer a lower monthly price in exchange for locking you into a fixed term, often around 36 months, similar to a cellphone contract. Shorter or month-to-month options usually exist too, typically at a somewhat higher monthly rate. Check which one you actually signed — it's easy to assume you're on a flexible plan when you're not.
Ending a fixed-term contract before it's run its course is where a fee is most likely to apply. Providers structure this differently — some charge a portion of the remaining monthly instalments, some charge a flat administration fee, and some waive it under certain conditions (like the vehicle being written off or stolen). Ask your provider for the exact figure in your case; don't rely on a number you've seen quoted for a different company.
A hardwired tracker is wired into the vehicle and usually needs a technician to remove it; a portable OBD tracker just unplugs. Some providers include deinstallation or collection in the cancellation process at no extra cost, others bill for it or for a device that isn't returned. Confirm which applies before you cancel, not after you get an unexpected line item on your final invoice.
Many agreements require a set amount of written notice — commonly somewhere in the region of 20 to 30 days, though this is not universal — before a cancellation takes effect, meaning you may be billed for part of that notice period even after you've asked to cancel. Check your contract for the exact wording rather than assuming cancellation is instant.
If a tracker was ever part of the deal you struck with your insurer, cancelling it is worth a phone call before you go ahead.
Some insurers make an approved, working tracker a condition of cover on higher-risk or higher-value vehicles. If you cancel the tracker and don't tell your insurer, and something happens to the car, a claim could potentially be queried or delayed on the basis that a policy condition wasn't met. Always confirm with your insurer, not just your tracker provider, before you cancel.
Many insurers offer a discount, often somewhere in the 15–30% range, for an approved tracker. Cancel the tracker without updating your insurer and that discount is likely to fall away at your next renewal — or your policy may need to be adjusted immediately, depending on your insurer's terms.
Moving to a different tracker provider is usually fine for insurance purposes, provided the new device is also on your insurer's approved list. Confirm that before you sign with a new provider, ideally so there's no gap where neither tracker is active.
Your insurer, not your tracker provider, is the only party who can tell you exactly how your specific policy is affected. If you're unsure, the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance is a useful independent resource for questions about how a policy condition like this is meant to work.
If you're cancelling because the price, features, or service no longer suit you, the good news is switching is usually straightforward once your current contract is settled. Compare current plans from the providers we track — Tracker, Cartrack, Netstar, Matrix Vehicle Tracking, Fidelity Tracking, Ctrack — side by side, then request a quote so a new device can be installed around when your old one comes out.
Common questions about ending or switching a car tracker contract in South Africa.
Start by checking your signed agreement for the minimum term, notice period, and any early-cancellation fee. Then give notice in writing (email is usually best, so you have a dated paper trail) to your current provider's cancellations department, ask for written confirmation of the cancellation date and any final amount owing, and follow their instructions for the device itself — some providers collect it, others require you to return it or pay a non-return charge.
It depends entirely on your specific contract. Most South African tracker providers sign customers onto a fixed minimum term, commonly around 36 months, and cancelling before that term ends often carries an early-termination charge — sometimes the remaining months on the contract, sometimes a set fee. The exact figure and how it's calculated varies by provider and by the plan you're on, so check your agreement or ask your provider directly rather than assuming a number you've seen elsewhere applies to you.
This also varies by provider and by whether the unit was hardwired or portable. Some providers arrange to have a hardwired unit deinstalled and collected at no extra charge once your contract has run its course, others charge a deinstallation or non-return fee, and portable OBD trackers are often simply mailed back. Ask your provider what their specific process is before you give notice, so there are no surprises on your final invoice.
It can, if your insurer required an approved tracker as a condition of cover or in exchange for a premium discount. Removing the tracker without telling your insurer can put that discount or, in some cases, the validity of a claim at risk. Tell your insurer before or as soon as you cancel, and if you're moving to a new tracker provider, confirm the new device is also insurance-approved so your cover isn't interrupted.
Some providers accept a phone request, but it's worth following up in writing regardless — an email creates a dated record of exactly what you asked for and when, which matters if there's ever a disagreement about your cancellation date or a fee charged after the fact.
It depends on your contract's notice period, which is commonly somewhere in the region of a few weeks rather than immediate. You may see one or more further debit orders go through during that notice period — check your agreement for the exact terms so the final invoice doesn't come as a surprise.
Lining up your new provider before your old contract ends is usually the safer order — it avoids a gap where your vehicle has no active tracking or insurance-approved device fitted. Compare providers, get a quote, and schedule the new installation around your existing contract's end date rather than leaving a gap between the two.
Tell us a bit about your current contract and what's not working, and we'll help point you toward the right comparison.
We compare tracker quotes for drivers in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and the Northern Cape. See our full areas we cover page for details.
Compare current plans from the providers we track, or send us your details and we'll help you time the switch so you're never left without cover.