Vocal+ memberships can't be paused. The two options are keeping your membership active or canceling it.
What canceling actually means
Canceling is less permanent than it sounds. When you cancel Vocal+:
Your membership stays active until the end of your current billing period - you don't lose access immediately
Your account and all your published stories stay exactly as they are
Your Wallet balance stays intact and can be withdrawn
You can rejoin Vocal+ at any time with no penalty
You won't lose your content, your readers, or your subscriber count. Canceling just means you stop being billed and lose the Vocal+ benefits when the billing period ends.
What you lose when you cancel
Read earnings stop (read-based income is Vocal+ only)
Exclusive Stories and paid subscriptions end - existing subscribers won't be charged again
Tip fee goes back to 7%
Withdrawal minimum goes back to $35
Access to Vocal+-exclusive Challenges ends
If you're thinking about pausing to save money
If cost is the concern, the annual plan at $99/year works out to $8.25/month - about $1.75/month less than the monthly plan. That might be worth considering before canceling entirely.
How to cancel if you've decided
Go to your Settings page, find the Vocal+ section, click Manage Vocal+, then Cancel plan. Your membership stays active through the end of the billing period.