Start With a Digital Audit
The first step to stopping forgotten payments is finding them. Begin by reviewing your last three months of bank and credit card statements. Look for recurring charges, especially those with the same merchant name or for identical amounts that appear
each month. Many banking apps now have a dedicated section for "Recurring Payments" or "Automatic Payments" that can give you a clear list. Pay close attention to small, unfamiliar charges, as these are often for app subscriptions you no longer use. Don't forget to scan a full 12-month period to catch those annual renewals that are easy to forget.
Check Your Smartphone's Subscription Hubs
Your phone is the command centre for most app-based subscriptions. For iPhone users, go to Settings, tap your name, and then select "Subscriptions." This screen will show every service billed through your Apple account, with an option to cancel directly. For Android users, the process is similar. Open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon, and navigate to "Payments & subscriptions," then "Subscriptions." Here you can view and manage all active subscriptions tied to your Google account. Remember, simply deleting an app from your phone does not cancel the recurring payment.
Tame Your UPI AutoPay Mandates
In India, UPI AutoPay is a common source of recurring debits for everything from OTT platforms to utility bills. While individual apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm show mandates created within them, it's easy to lose track. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) offers a centralized portal called UPI Help (upihelp.npci.org.in) where you can view every active UPI mandate linked to your mobile number, regardless of which app you used to set it up. You can review all active debits and revoke any you no longer need directly from this dashboard. You will typically receive a notification 24 hours before a UPI AutoPay debit, which also provides an opportunity to pause or cancel.
Consider a Subscription Manager App
If manually tracking expenses feels overwhelming, a subscription manager app can automate the process. Apps like Rocket Money, Monarch Money, and others link to your bank accounts to automatically find and list all your recurring charges in one place. Many of these services send you alerts before a payment is due, helping you decide whether to keep or cancel a service. Some premium versions even offer concierge services that will cancel the subscriptions on your behalf. While incredibly useful, always research the security and privacy policies of any third-party app before giving it access to your financial data.
The Cancellation Process and Prevention
Once you've identified an unwanted subscription, cancelling it is the next step. For app store subscriptions, the cancellation is handled directly within the App Store or Google Play settings. For others, you may need to visit the service's website and log into your account. Always look for a confirmation email as proof of cancellation and keep it until the billing cycle officially ends. To prevent future subscription creep, get into the habit of setting calendar reminders for when free trials end. You can also enable transaction alerts from your bank or UPI app, which will notify you every time a payment is processed, ensuring no charge goes unnoticed again.
