Subscription Audit: Find & Review Recurring Payments

1. Collect a full year of payment records

Review every bank and card account you use, including an old card kept for online purchases. Include twelve months so you have a chance to catch annual renewals. A short statement window cannot tell you whether an annual plan exists outside that window.

Check Apple and Google Play subscription lists, PayPal automatic payments, Amazon memberships and email receipts. Keep the sources together locally. You only need the transaction and plan details for this exercise, not a shared document containing full account numbers.

2. Match each payment to a service

Create a row for the service name, account email, biller, amount, currency, billing cycle, last payment and source. Start an unknown-merchant row when a descriptor is unclear, then use receipts or the billing account to resolve it.

A repeated transaction is a candidate for review, not proof of a subscription. Separate ordinary repeat purchases, expired plans, refunds and payments made on someone else’s behalf. Mark uncertain amounts or dates as unknown rather than inventing them.

3. Compare costs without counting them twice

For a monthly comparison, divide an annual payment by twelve. Keep the original annual amount and renewal month beside it so a large upcoming payment remains visible. Track different currencies separately unless you deliberately apply an exchange rate.

Match the same purchase across receipts, PayPal and bank statements before summing it. Those can be three records of one payment. Conversely, two accounts at the same service may be two real subscriptions; compare account emails before merging them.

4. Give each service a next action

1. Keep: confirm the amount and renewal date, then schedule a review before the next charge.
2. Review: resolve a missing amount, unfamiliar merchant or uncertain account before making a decision.
3. Cancel: follow the actual biller’s process, save confirmation and record the end date.
4. Check again: compare the next statement with the confirmation and update your list if the provider reports a different outcome.

5. Keep the list useful

Add a quick review whenever you start a trial, change plans or receive a renewal email. A completed audit is a snapshot; your list stays useful when it changes with your accounts.

Paid Submo membership can help bring recurring charges and renewal dates into one place through supported discovery methods and manual entries. Review its pricing before paying or connecting an account. You still review findings and complete cancellations with your providers.