HIDDEN subscription fees may be burning a hole in your wallet, tacking on an extra $276 to your bills.
With inflation and tariffs already weighing down on consumers, it’s as crucial as ever to save every dollar you can – and one simple way to slash your bills is by cancelling unused subscriptions.
Unwanted subscriptions could be costing you hundreds of dollars[/caption]
Subscription services are becoming increasingly popular in the US across many industries, with Americans using these services for everything from streaming movies and music to ordering food with a few clicks of a button.
The average US adult spends $1,080 annually on subscriptions, or $90 per month, according to CNET’s second annual subscription survey.
The popularity of subscription services is driven by the convenience and value they offer consumers – at least, when they are being used.
A substantial portion of households pay for subscriptions they no longer use, with a major culprit being free trials, leading to unwanted recurring charges.
A phenomenon called “subscription creep” describes the slow uptick in one’s subscription costs due to forgetting to cancel unwanted or unused services.
Americans spend $204 on average for subscriptions they do not use, per CNET, which comes out to $17 per month.
Younger generations such as Gen Z potentially shell out even more cash on unused subscriptions, at $23 per month or $276 per year.
There are a number of steps you can take to get rid of these unwanted subscription fees and slash your monthly bills.
HOW TO FIND HIDDEN SUBSCRIPTION FEES
The first step in trimming your monthly bills from unused subscriptions is to identify them.
Check your bank and credit card statements for recurring charges, even small ones, such as $4.99 or $9.99.
Consumers can also take advantage of subscription tracking apps to scan their bank accounts and point out the subscriptions, such as:
- Rocket Money
- Bobby
- Trim
- Simplifi
- PocketGuard
- Subby
- Hiatus
Another practical way to spot your hidden subscriptions is to check your emails, typing key words such as “subscription,” “renewal,” “receipt,” or “trial” in the search bar to find signup emails.
Consumers can also check the App Store or the Google Play Store for subscriptions linked to their accounts.
Subscription Types
The following are the subscription types that Americans have paid for since April 2025:
- Streaming/video: 61%
- E-commerce: 37%
- Music: 33%
- Big box retailers: 29%
- Gaming subscriptions: 17%
- News/media: 15%
- Health/fitness: 14%
- Meal kit/food delivery services: 12%
- Security apps: 11%
- Software management: 9%
- Financial apps: 6%
- Other: 3%
Source: CNET
HOW TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS
There are several methods you can use to cancel your unwanted subscriptions today.
For example, you can cancel directly in the app or website by looking for a “Manage Subscription” or “Billing” tab in your account settings.
Using app store subscriptions management can also be handy, as both the App Store and Google Play Store have dashboards where users can cancel their active subscriptions.
Apps such as Rocket Money can also help negotiate and cancel unwanted subscriptions for you.
For subscription services without clear cancellation options, consumers can call the company’s customer service line and ask to end their subscription.
One helpful tip to avoid paying for unwanted subscription services is to set a reminder in your calendar to alert you before a free trial expires.
Saving money on your subscriptions can help relieve your wallet of some unnecessary strain, especially as prices rise.
One TV streaming giant, for example, hiked prices for subscribers by 40% – and viewers will now pay up to $16.99 a month for shows.
Plus, your cable bills are rising again – see the step-by-step tactics to cut $240 fast.
