The Silent Drain of Subscription Creep
From music and movie streaming to online courses and productivity tools, the subscription economy has become an integral part of modern life in India. The convenience is undeniable: sign up once, and enjoy uninterrupted service. However, this convenience comes
with a hidden risk known as 'subscription creep'. This happens when small, recurring payments, often set up via UPI Auto Pay, start to accumulate without you noticing. A free trial for an app you forgot about, a service you no longer use, or an introductory offer that has since increased in price can all contribute to a silent drain on your bank account. These small amounts, often less than a few hundred rupees, can add up to a significant sum over the year.
What is UPI AutoPay?
Launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI AutoPay is a feature that allows users to set up recurring payment instructions, or 'mandates', for merchants. Once you authorise a mandate using your UPI PIN, the merchant can automatically debit the agreed-upon amount from your bank account at a set frequency—be it daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. This system is widely used for everything from OTT subscriptions and mobile recharges to loan EMIs and SIP investments. While it eliminates the hassle of manual payments and helps avoid late fees, it also makes it easy to forget about active mandates.
Your 5-Minute Financial Health Check
Think of reviewing your UPI AutoPay mandates as a quick financial health check-up. It's a simple, proactive step that can save you money and prevent unwanted deductions. Most UPI apps provide a dedicated section where you can view all your active, pending, and completed mandates. Making it a habit to review this section once every few months can help you stay on top of your recurring expenses. The process is straightforward and can be done directly from the UPI app you use most often, such as Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm.
How to Find and Cancel Active Mandates
The exact steps to find your active subscriptions can vary slightly between apps, but the general process is similar. You will typically find the AutoPay or Mandates section within your profile or payment settings. Here’s a general guide for the most popular apps. On Google Pay: Tap your profile picture at the top right, then select 'Autopay'. You will see tabs for 'Live', 'Pending', and 'Completed' mandates. The 'Live' tab shows all your active subscriptions. On PhonePe: Tap your profile picture, go to the 'Payment Management' section, and select 'AutoPay'. This will display a list of all your active mandates. On Paytm: Tap your profile picture or the menu icon, select 'UPI & Payment Settings', and then find 'Automatic Payments' or 'UPI Mandates'. This section will show all your active recurring payments. Once you've located the list of mandates, take a moment to review each one. Look for services you don't recognise or no longer use.
Revoking Unwanted Subscriptions
If you find a mandate for a service you no longer need, cancelling it is just a few taps away. Select the mandate you wish to cancel from the active list. The app will display details like the merchant name, mandate amount, and payment frequency. Look for an option that says 'Cancel AutoPay', 'Revoke Mandate', or 'Disable'. The app will ask you to confirm your decision, and you will need to enter your UPI PIN to authorise the cancellation. Once confirmed, the mandate status will change to 'Cancelled' or 'Revoked', and the merchant will no longer be able to debit your account automatically. For good measure, it is also wise to visit the merchant's app or website and cancel the subscription from their end as well to ensure all billing is stopped.
