Shutdown news · Updated September 20, 2026 · remove.bg has not published a credits policy for the shutdown — this page says exactly what is known and what isn't.
What Happens to Your remove.bg Credits After the Shutdown?
The honest answer up front: remove.bg has not said what happens to unused credits or subscriptions when the standalone site shuts down on December 1, 2026. We checked their FAQ and help center in September 2026 — credits aren't addressed anywhere in the shutdown announcement. Below is what their pages do say about credits generally, the three ways this could go, and the safe moves to make before the deadline.
What remove.bg has actually said
Their shutdown FAQ — "remove.bg is moving to Canva" — covers where background removal goes (Canva for website users, Leonardo.Ai for API users). It says nothing about credits, subscriptions, or refunds. Their help center's Credits & Plans section, meanwhile, describes how credits work today:
- Pay-as-you-go credits are sold as a backup pool: they're only consumed after your subscription credits for the month are used up.
- Subscription credits: if you cancel, remaining credits stay usable until the end of your current billing period — then they're invalidated. Downgrading to the Free plan has the same effect.
- Preview images on the remove.bg website are always free and don't consume credits.
None of this was written with a shutdown in mind. It tells you how credits behave in normal operation, not what happens when the service itself ends.
The three possible outcomes
Speculation — labeled as such. Logically, there are three ways unused credits could be handled:
- They expire worthless. The simplest outcome for Canva, and consistent with how subscription credits already behave on cancellation (invalidated at period end).
- They transfer to Canva or Leonardo.Ai. Possible but complicated — Canva and Leonardo.Ai have their own credit/subscription systems, and remove.bg hasn't announced any conversion.
- They're refunded. The most consumer-friendly outcome, and the least likely without regulatory pressure — unused digital credits are rarely refunded voluntarily.
Outcome 1 is the one to plan for. If anything better happens, it's a bonus.
What to do before December 1
- Spend down pay-as-you-go credits on real work. Run every cutout you've been postponing — product shots, archives, client backlogs. Credits you spend are credits that can't strand you.
- Time subscription cancellations deliberately. Remember: cancelling invalidates remaining credits at the end of the billing period. Don't cancel early if you still need the tool — but don't let a subscription renew into December either. Check your next billing date in your dashboard now.
- Export your records. Download invoices and usage history from your dashboard. If there's ever a dispute or a surprise refund program, you'll want proof of what you paid for.
- Screenshot your credit balance today. Dated evidence of what you held, in case it matters later.
- Don't buy more credits between now and December unless you're certain you'll spend them. Every credit purchased now is a bet on outcome 2 or 3 above.
- Pick your replacement now and test it while remove.bg still works, so you can compare edge quality on your real images. Our honest alternatives comparison covers free tiers, pricing, and privacy side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Will remove.bg refund my unused credits?
Unknown. remove.bg has not announced any refund policy for the shutdown. Their help center only describes normal-operation rules, where cancelled subscription credits are invalidated at the end of the billing period. Plan as if unused credits expire; treat anything better as a bonus.
Do my pay-as-you-go credits transfer to Canva or Leonardo.Ai?
Not announced. No conversion of remove.bg credits into Canva or Leonardo.Ai credit has been published as of September 2026.
Should I cancel my remove.bg subscription now?
Check your billing date first. Cancelling now invalidates remaining credits at the end of your current period — so if you still need cutouts, use the credits first, then cancel before the next renewal. Just don't let it renew into December.
What happens to the free website tier?
The standalone website — including its free preview tier — stops being available on December 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. CET. Background removal for casual users moves into Canva, where it's a Canva Pro (paid) feature.
Is there a free alternative that doesn't use credits at all?
Yes — Deback has no credit system, no account, and no per-image fees: unlimited basic background removal with full-resolution downloads, processed on your device.
Is Deback affiliated with remove.bg or Canva?
No. Deback is independent — not affiliated with remove.bg, Canva, or Leonardo.Ai.
Done with credits entirely?
Deback has no credits, no countdown, no expiry date — free background removal that runs on your device.
A note on trademark use
remove.bg, Canva, and Leonardo.Ai are trademarks of their respective owners. Product names appear here only to describe the shutdown factually. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.