Streaming services, apps, delivery memberships and free trials add up, and many renew on their own every month or year. A quick audit shows what you really pay, and a few steps help you cancel the ones you do not use. This guide also explains where the federal "click-to-cancel" rule stands. General information only, not legal advice. Facts checked November 11, 2026.
Step 1: find every subscription
- Go through the last two or three months of credit card, debit card and bank statements, and look for repeating charges.
- Check the subscriptions list in your phone's app store account and in your payment apps.
- Search your email for words like "receipt", "renewal", "membership" and "trial".
- Write each one down with its price and how often it renews. Our subscription tracker adds them up per month and per year and keeps the list in your browser.
Step 2: decide what to keep
- A $15.99 monthly service costs $191.88 a year. Looking at the yearly total makes it easier to decide.
- Look for overlap: two video services, two music services or two cloud storage plans.
- Many services can be paused or switched to a cheaper plan with ads, or rotated: keep one at a time and switch every few months.
Step 3: cancel the right way
- Cancel where you signed up: in the service's account settings, or in your phone's app store if you subscribed through it.
- For free trials, cancel before the trial ends; set a reminder for a few days before the date.
- Keep the cancellation confirmation (email or screenshot).
- Check your next statement. If you are still charged after canceling, contact the company and ask for a refund.
- If the company keeps charging you, ask your bank or card issuer for help. For automatic debits from a bank account, federal Regulation E lets you stop a preauthorized payment by telling your bank at least three business days before the scheduled date (12 CFR 1005.10(c)). On a credit card, you can dispute a charge for something you canceled (FTC).
Where the "click-to-cancel" rule stands
In November 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published amendments to its Negative Option Rule, known as "click-to-cancel". They required, among other things, sellers to get clear consent before charging and to provide simple ways to cancel recurring charges. Businesses challenged the amendments in court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated them in 2025. On February 12, 2026, the FTC restored the rule's text as it was before the 2024 amendments, and in March 2026 it asked for public comments on possible new rules for subscription and other negative option marketing (Federal Register, February 12, 2026; FTC: Negative Option Rule). Some states have their own automatic renewal laws. If a company makes it hard to cancel or charges you without consent, you can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find all my subscriptions?
Look for repeating charges on your card and bank statements, check your phone's app store subscriptions list, and search your email for receipts and renewal notices.
Is the FTC click-to-cancel rule in effect?
No. A federal appeals court vacated the 2024 amendments in 2025, and in February 2026 the FTC restored the earlier version of the rule. In March 2026 it asked for public comments on possible new rules.
What if a company keeps charging me after I cancel?
Contact the company with your cancellation confirmation. If that fails, dispute the charge with your card issuer, or tell your bank to stop automatic debits from your account.
How do I avoid being charged after a free trial?
Write down the date the trial ends, set a reminder a few days earlier, and cancel before that date. Keep the confirmation.
Where do I report a subscription that is hard to cancel?
At ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also contact your state attorney general.