MILLIONS of mobile users could be quietly paying for subscriptions they don’t even know they’re signed up for.
It’s easy to sign up to free subscriptions and then forget to cancel once the free trial is up, leaving users with a dent in their bank balance.
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Sometimes apps will also trick you into signing up for subscriptions.
Whatever the reason, it’s easy to check and cancel app subscriptions on both iPhone and Android devices.
But remember, you can only cancel subscriptions this way that you have signed up for through your mobile’s official app stores.
You can’t cancel subscriptions this way if you have signed up elsewhere, like on Netflix or Amazon.
And simply deleting an app won’t cancel your subscription.
Scott Mowbray, cofounder of money-saving app Snoop, says forgotten or unused subscriptions can be a “significant blight to your budget”.
He added: “Smart phones make it so easy to set up subscriptions with recurring payments that you can very quickly lose track of how much cash you’re paying out each month.
“People have an average of four subscriptions with Apple and shell out £310 per year.
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“The thing that trips most people up is free trials you sign up to only to forget to cancel before the first payment.”
How to check for iPhone subscriptions
Apple subscriptions can easily be viewed in the settings app.
All you need to do is tap your name at the top of the menu and this will bring up a tab for subscriptions.
In there, you will be able to see all of the subscriptions you activated through the app store.
You will also be able to see the date when you were charged.
Clicking on an individual subscription will also show you how much it’s costing you.
It will also bring up whether you were charged weekly, monthly or yearly.
And if you decide you want to cancel your subscription altogether, there is a cancel subscription button at the bottom.
You will still be able to access the service until the current bill cycle runs out, but this will be different for each app.
How to cancel a Google Play subscription
Sign in to your Google Play Store – and be sure to make sure you have signed in with the correct account.
Then tap menu and go to subscriptions.
This will then let you choose the payment plan that you want to cancel and then hit cancel subscription.
You will then have to follow some simple instructions, and once it’s cancelled, the plan will no longer renew.
How to keep track of subscriptions
It’s easy to lose track of your subscriptions, but there are many simple ways to make sure you aren’t quietly losing your hard-earned cash.
It may sound simple, but putting a date in your diary to remind you to cancel a subscription could stop you from going over your free trial.
Another easy way to save money is by cancelling your subscription immediately after signing up to a free trial.
Most iPhone apps will allow you to cancel your app subscription while still getting a free trial.
Android users can also do this by going to the Google Play store.
There are also many useful apps with features to help you keep track of subscriptions.
Money management app Emma will help you to find wasteful subscriptions.
By linking your bank accounts to the app, Emma will give you a list of all your outgoing subscriptions.
You can then decide which ones you would like to keep.
Revolut also helps you to organise your subscriptions in one place and track where you could be saving.
It will also tell you when free trials are ending and alert you ahead of time so you can decide if you want to cancel.
Snoop can also help you spot subscriptions you don’t want, or need, by keeping an overview of all your bank accounts.
You can also link services to products with contract end dates and set up spending alerts.
How to stop in-app purchases
In-app purchases can also leave you out of pocket, particularly if you are sharing devices with your family.
These are purchases that are made from inside a mobile app, such as an on a smartphone or a tablet.
But there are restrictions you can put in place to stop these pesky purchases.
Scott said: “Even if you don’t have your kids playing on your phone, this will help to prevent accidentally spending more than you intended to inside an app.”
On Apple devices, go to settlings > screen time and content and privacy restrictions.
Can I get a refund for an app I haven’t used?
Some apps bought from the Apple App Store could be refundable, but the rule aren’t clear on what exactly qualifies.
To find out, just sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com and tap or click “I’d like to” then choose “request a refund”.
Choose the reason you would like a refund, and then chose next.
This will bring up a menu that will let you chose the subscription you want to cancel, and then click submit.
Google may give refunds for some Google Play purchases made on Android.
You could get a refund if you bought the subscription accidentally or if someone made a payment with your details and without permission.
Google says all refund requests must be made within 48 hours and a decision will be made within one working day.
You will then need to enable restrictions.
Go to iTunes > app store purchases > in-app purchases, and selected don’t allow.
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