7 Subscriptions Most People Forget They're Paying For
Subscriptions are designed to be easy to start and easy to forget. A quiet charge here and there can slip by for months before anyone notices. Here's where forgotten subscriptions most often hide, and how to track them down.
1The free trial that quietly became a paid plan
Free trials are one of the most common ways people end up paying for something they never meant to keep. You sign up to watch a single show, test an app or get a discount on a first order, and the trial converts into a paid subscription automatically when it ends.
The easiest defense is to deal with the cancellation right away. Many services let you cancel during the trial and still keep access until it ends. If that's not an option, set a reminder on your phone a couple of days before the trial is scheduled to convert.
To catch trials that have already slipped through, look over your card statements for unfamiliar names or small charges you don't recognize. Merchant names on statements don't always match the name of the service, so a quick search of the charge description can help. If you find something you never used, it's worth contacting the company, since some will refund a recent charge if you ask politely.