Unused subscriptions
Find and cancel the subscriptions you forgot about.
Streaming services, apps, memberships, free trials that quietly became paid plans. Subscriptions are easy to start and easy to forget. Here's how to track down every one and cut the ones you don't use.
Step by step
How to do it yourself
- 01
Pull three months of statements
Go through every card and bank account you use, not just your main one. Most subscriptions bill monthly, so three months shows the pattern. Look for the same merchant and amount repeating.
- 02
Check the app stores and PayPal
Subscriptions bought on your phone show up as a single line from Apple or Google. On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. On Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile, then Payments & subscriptions. In PayPal, check your automatic payments.
- 03
Search your inbox for receipts
Search your email for "receipt", "your subscription", "trial ends" and "renews". This catches annual plans that only charge once a year and are easy to miss on a statement.
- 04
Decide: keep, downgrade or cancel
For each one, ask when you last used it. Many services have cheaper tiers, ad-supported plans or annual pricing. Streaming services are easy to rotate: keep one at a time and switch when you've watched what you wanted.
- 05
Cancel before the next billing date
Cancel through the same place you signed up, and save the confirmation email. In some states, including California, a company that let you sign up online has to let you cancel online too.
- 06
Ask for a refund on recent unused charges
If you were just renewed and haven't used the service, contact support and ask for a refund. Not every company says yes, but many will for a recent charge.
Or let Stu do it
How Stu will help
Stu is in development. Here’s what it will do, and it always asks before acting.
- Spots every recurring charge across the accounts you link, including the ones hidden in app store bills.
- Shows what each subscription costs you per year, so the forgotten ones stand out.
- Cancels the ones you pick, or walks you through it when a company makes that hard.
- Warns you before a free trial turns into a paid plan.
FAQ
Common questions.
How do I find subscriptions I forgot about?
Check three months of statements for every card and bank account, the subscriptions list in your phone's app store settings, your PayPal automatic payments and your inbox for receipts and renewal notices.
Can I get a refund after cancelling a subscription?
It depends on the company. Many don't refund partial months, but it's worth asking, especially if you were just renewed and haven't used the service.
Why does my bank statement only say Apple or Google?
Subscriptions bought through the App Store or Google Play are billed by Apple or Google, so your statement shows them instead of the app. Check the subscriptions list in your phone settings to see what each charge is for.
Related reading
How to cancel Amazon Prime (and when you can get a refund)
Cancel Amazon Prime in a few steps, learn when Amazon gives a full refund, and see if you're owed a payment from the FTC's Prime settlement.
5 min readSubscriptionsHow to cancel subscriptions on Android (Google Play)
Cancel a Google Play subscription on Android in a few taps, plus what happens after you cancel, how refunds work, and why uninstalling won't stop charges.
4 min readSubscriptionsHow to cancel your Planet Fitness membership in 2026
Cancel Planet Fitness online through the member portal, in person at your home club, or by mail. Here's how each works and the billing deadlines to know.
4 min readSubscriptionsHow to dispute a subscription charge
Ask the merchant for a refund first, then dispute the charge with your card issuer. Here's how it works and your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act.
5 min readSubscriptionsHow to see all your subscriptions on iPhone (and cancel them)
See every Apple subscription on your iPhone in Settings, cancel the ones you don't use, and track down subscriptions that don't show up in the list.
4 min readSubscriptionsHow to stop free trials from charging you
Stop free trials from turning into charges: read the terms, set a reminder, cancel where you signed up, and know what to do if you get charged anyway.
5 min readMore ways Stu saves you money
Keep more of your money. Let Stu do the chasing.
Join the waitlist and be first in line when Stu opens its doors.