How to find and cancel subscriptions you forgot about
Your statement shows some subscriptions, but not all. App store billing, PayPal and yearly plans hide the rest. Here's where to look, how to cancel each kind, and what to do when a company keeps charging.
By PennyWise AI Team · Updated · 3 min read
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Step 1: go through 12 months of statements
Download the last 12 months of statements for every card and bank account, and search for the same merchant charging on the same day each month or year. Twelve months matters because yearly plans only appear once. Write each one down with its price and next renewal date.
Step 2: check where statements don't show the name
App store subscriptions often show on your statement as one Apple or Google charge, and PayPal payments as PayPal. To see what's really behind them, open each account's own subscriptions list. That's where most forgotten subscriptions turn up.
iPhone or iPad
Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions.
Google Play
Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
PayPal
Settings, then Payments, then Manage pre-approved payments. The menu name varies by country.
Your email
Search for "subscription confirmed", "receipt" and "trial ends".
Step 3: cancel in the right place
Cancel where you subscribed: in the app store for app store plans, and in the company's own account settings for everything else. If there's no cancel button, contact support by email so you have it in writing. Keep the date and any confirmation number until the charges stop.
Free trials: Apple advises cancelling at least 24 hours before a trial ends, or it may renew.
If a company keeps charging you
If charges continue after you've cancelled, contact the company with your cancellation date and confirmation. If that fails, ask your bank or card issuer to stop the payments and dispute the charges. Your rights and the steps differ by country, so check with your bank.
In the US, the FTC's "click to cancel" rule was struck down by a federal appeals court in July 2025, before it took effect. Other US consumer protection laws still apply.
Find repeat charges before they renew
See every subscription, with its monthly total.
Ask the AI Coach what renews this month (Plus). PennyWise AI finds repeat charges in your payments, shows your subscriptions together, and reminds you three days before each one renews.
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Questions people ask
How do I see all my subscriptions in one place?
There isn't one list for everything. Check your app store subscriptions, PayPal's automatic payments and 12 months of statements, then put them in one list yourself or use an app that finds repeat charges.
Why can't I find a subscription on my statement?
It may be billed through Apple, Google or PayPal, so the statement shows their name instead. It may also be on a different card or a family member's account.
Does deleting an app cancel its subscription?
No. Deleting the app leaves the subscription active. Cancel it in your app store's subscriptions list.
Is the FTC click-to-cancel rule in effect?
No. A US federal appeals court struck it down in July 2025, before it took effect. Other US consumer protection laws still apply.
Sources
General information, not financial advice. Facts and prices checked on 2 Nov 2026; apps and fees change, so check before you act.