What Wix told a US court

In 2026 a Wix customer in California sued over renewal charges. In July, Wix's lawyers filed their answer to the claims in federal court. It is the clearest statement I've found of how Wix sees its own renewals. Here it is, in Wix's words, and what it means if your experience was different.

The short version

  • Wix's defence is that its customers are warned and in control. It told the court that customers get an email 30 days before every renewal and can stop the charge by turning off auto-renew.
  • So, Wix says, anyone charged has only themselves to blame. In its words, the customer's harm "was caused by his decision not to act."
  • That defence only works if those two things are true. If you turned off auto-renew and were charged anyway, or never got the reminder, what happened to you is what Wix's defence says doesn't happen.
  • On refunds, Wix's position is firm: "cancel at any time" means you can stop future renewals, not get money back.

The case

Mahallati v. Wix.com Ltd., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 3:26-cv-01134. A Wix customer bought a business plan in December 2021 and was charged more at each renewal. He sued on behalf of California customers. He said Wix raised prices without consent and that "cancel at any time" is misleading when refunds only cover the first 14 days.

On July 14, 2026, Wix filed a motion asking the court to throw the case out. The customer opposed it on August 28. As of October 18, 2026, the court's ruling is not in the free public record. I'll add it when it is.

Source: Wix's motion to dismiss, filed July 14, 2026 (full PDF, 32 pages; docket). Page numbers below are the motion's own. These are Wix's arguments, not findings by the court.

Wix's position, in its own words

1. Turning off auto-renew stops the charge

"Plaintiff could have cancelled at any time prior to being charged on December 13, 2022 and he would not have been charged the increased price for renewal. Accordingly, because the alleged harm was caused by his decision not to act, Plaintiff has not plausibly alleged a cognizable injury..."

Wix motion, page 19

What it means: Wix's case rests on the idea that the off switch works. The customer could have avoided the charge, so the charge is on him.

2. You get a reminder 30 days before every renewal

"Wix provides users 'notice prior to the renewal of such Paid Service at least thirty (30) days in advance of the renewal date' to allow users to cancel their subscription prior to being charged for the next renewal term."

Wix motion, page 6

"Plaintiff ... after receiving a full 30 days to decide whether to renew or not renew and pay or not pay the stated renewal price ... never sought a refund. ... He was not misled; he just does not like the policy."

Wix motion, page 17

What it means: the reminder is central to Wix's defence. Wix told the court it emailed this customer a reminder every November, four years running.

3. "Cancel at any time" doesn't mean a refund

"A cancellation clause is an exit right, not a refund right. Put simply, cancel 'at any time' means stop at any time ... not obtain a refund at any time."

Wix motion, page 1

What it means: if a renewal goes through, Wix's position is that you're not owed the money back, because refunds only cover the first 14 days of a first purchase. Its Terms say the refund "is not applicable to any ... renewals."

4. Business customers aren't protected by California's auto-renewal law

"Plaintiff purchased the 'Premium Plan Business Unlimited' to build a website for his business ... not 'for personal, family, or household purposes.' ... Accordingly, Plaintiff does not qualify as a 'consumer' under California's ARL."

Wix motion, page 1, footnote 1

What it means: most people pay for Wix to run a business. Wix argued that California's auto-renewal law doesn't cover them. The customer dropped that claim after Wix's first motion.

5. Wix kept arbitration in reserve

"Wix does not waive, and expressly reserves, the right to compel arbitration at a later stage of these proceedings."

Wix motion, page 4, footnote 2

What it means: Wix's Terms now require individual arbitration and waive class actions where the law allows. Even if a group case survives, Wix may try to move each customer into private arbitration.

Two details worth noticing

What Wix told the court

"Wix provides users 'notice prior to the renewal ... at least thirty (30) days in advance.'" (page 6)

What Wix's Terms say

"Wix will endeavor to provide [users] notice prior to the renewal ... at least thirty (30) days in advance." (quoted by Wix itself, page 7)

In court, the reminder is something Wix provides. In the Terms, it's something Wix tries to provide.

The 2021 Terms

Wix "will attempt to automatically charge you ... within up-to two (2) weeks before such renewal period commences." (quoted by Wix, page 7)

The current Terms

Wix may charge "up to three (3) weeks before" the renewal date (Terms of Use, section 6.3, revised July 9, 2026).

Since 2021, the window in which Wix can charge you before your renewal date has grown from two weeks to three. If the 30-day reminder comes, it can now arrive as little as nine days before the charge, down from sixteen.

Why this matters if Wix charged you

The customer in this case got his reminders, kept paying for four years, and never asked for a refund. Wix built its defence on those facts. They aren't the facts many other customers describe:

  • I turned auto-renew off. Wix confirmed it in writing on September 21, 2025. Wix charged me CA$379.68 anyway, with no reminder, 19 days before the new term began, and refused a refund. My story.
  • In 1,992 recent one-star Trustpilot reviews of Wix, 183 people say they were charged after cancelling or turning off auto-renew, 202 say they got no renewal notice, and 106 say they were charged before the renewal date. The numbers.

If this happened to you, keep the evidence. Screenshot your auto-renew setting and save any cancellation email from Wix. Search your inbox and spam for the reminder Wix says it sends, and note if it isn't there. Then tell me what happened and file a complaint. Move your site, domain and email off Wix before you dispute a charge with your bank.

I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice. Quotes are from Wix's motion to dismiss in Mahallati v. Wix.com Ltd., filed July 14, 2026, and are Wix's arguments, not findings by the court. I'm not affiliated with Wix or with either side in the case. Updated October 18, 2026.