How do I get rid of unwanted subscriptions?

To get rid of unwanted subscriptions, you’ll need to cancel them though each subscription provider’s website or contact each company’s customer service department to request the cancellation. Alternatively, you can use apps like Experian or Rockey Money to cancel the subscriptions for you.

Unwanted subscriptions can drain your bank account, causing you to overspend on products and services you don’t use. In fact, consumers spend almost $400 a year on unused subscriptions, according to Self. If you want to save money on unwanted subscriptions, follow the steps below to get rid of them.

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Subscriptions

Identify your unwanted subscriptions.

Review your bank and credit card statements to find recurring transactions you are not familiar with. You may also want to check Google Play or the App Store for any subscriptions you’ve purchased through those platforms. In addition, you can use an app, like WalletHub, which can detect all your subscriptions, making it easier for you to spot those you don’t want.

Cancel through the subscription provider.

Some companies allow you to cancel your subscription through their website or app. Others may require you to contact customer service either by phone or email to cancel your subscription. Once you cancel, you should get an email confirming the cancellation.

Consider a third-party cancellation service.

If you cannot cancel your unwanted subscription online and you’d rather not deal with customer service, there are third-party companies, such as Rocket Money, Experian, Billshark, and Trim by OneMain, that will cancel subscriptions you don’t want for you.

These companies will not cancel your subscriptions for free. You may need to sign up for a membership. For example, Rocket Money and Experian require you to have a premium membership, which could cost you $6 to $25 a month. Trim by OneMain, on the other hand, will only cancel subscriptions for customers with a OneMain or Brightway loan or credit card. Then there are companies like Billshark, which charges a flat fee for every subscription it cancels for you.

Keep track of free trial periods.

You may sign up for a free trial to test out a service that you realize you don’t need but then end up becoming a paying member when you forget to cancel the free trial. Setting up calendar reminders to cancel a trial can help prevent you from paying for an unwanted subscription. 

Sign up for a subscription manager app.

There are apps that will help you keep track of all your subscriptions and make it easier for you to spot the ones you no longer need. WalletHub, for example, has a subscription manager feature that uses an algorithm to automatically detect your subscriptions and places them all in a list for you.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s picks for the best subscription manager apps.