Tech
Finding and cancelling subscriptions you forgot
Recurring charges accumulate quietly, and the ones that are hardest to find are the ones charged annually.
Bank and card statements are the reliable source, and a full year has to be reviewed rather than a month, because annual renewals are exactly the ones that escape notice. Many banking apps now list recurring payments directly.
Subscriptions bought through an app store are managed in the store rather than with the company, which is why cancelling in the app sometimes appears not to work. Checking both places is necessary.
Free trials that convert are the common trap. Noting the conversion date at sign-up, and cancelling immediately while retaining access for the remainder, avoids nearly all of it.
Where cancellation is deliberately difficult, rules now require it to be at least as easy as signing up in a growing number of jurisdictions. A card dispute is a last resort rather than a first move, since the underlying contract may continue.
What to do next. Review a full year of statements rather than one month, and check both the app store and the company directly.
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