Start With a Deep Dive
The first step to regaining control is gathering your data. You can't stop a leak you can't find. Set aside an hour and collect the transaction histories from all your payment sources for the past 12 months. This includes your credit card statements,
bank account statements, and the transaction history within your UPI apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. Many banks now offer subscription-tracking features within their apps, which can be a good starting point. Don't forget to check your email archives for keywords like "subscription," "renewal," "welcome," or "receipt" to jog your memory about services you signed up for. The goal is to create a complete picture of where your money is automatically going each month or year.
Hunt for Recurring Charges
With your statements in hand, it's time to play detective. Scan through the documents line by line, looking for repeating charges. Pay close attention to familiar names like streaming services (Netflix, Hotstar), music apps (Spotify, Gaana), and any software or app store purchases. Some charges might be less obvious. Look for payments to merchants you don't recognise or transactions with vague descriptions. A helpful trick is to sort your statement transactions by merchant name, which groups all payments to a single company together, making recurring debits easy to spot. As you find each recurring payment, list it out on a spreadsheet or in a notebook. Note the service name, the amount, and the billing frequency (monthly, quarterly, or annually).
Control Mandates at the Source
In India, many auto-debits are managed through e-mandates on cards or via UPI AutoPay. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created a framework to give you more control. For UPI, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) offers a central portal (upihelp.npci.org.in) where you can view and revoke all active UPI mandates linked to your mobile number, regardless of which app you used to create them. Within your specific UPI app, you can also navigate to a section often labelled "AutoPay," "Mandates," or "Recurring Payments" to see and cancel mandates. Similarly, for card payments, many banks have a section in their net banking portal or app to manage e-mandates or standing instructions. Two major platforms that manage card mandates are MandateHQ (run by Razorpay) and SIHub (run by NPCI), where you may be able to log in with your card details to manage permissions.
The Two-Step Cancellation Process
Simply revoking a payment mandate might not be enough. While stopping the payment is crucial, it doesn't necessarily cancel your service agreement with the merchant. To properly end a subscription, you must follow a two-step process. First, cancel the service directly with the merchant. This usually involves logging into your account on their website or app, finding the "Subscription" or "Billing" section, and selecting the option to cancel. Keep a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation. Second, after cancelling with the merchant, revoke the corresponding auto-debit mandate through your UPI app, bank portal, or the NPCI website. This ensures the merchant cannot attempt to charge you again. For loan EMIs or insurance premiums, do not revoke the mandate without first clearing your obligations with the provider.
Build a Future-Proof System
Once your finances are clean, the key is to keep them that way. Make auditing your subscriptions a regular habit, perhaps every three to six months. To better manage new sign-ups, consider using a dedicated subscription tracker app that can help you monitor renewal dates and total spending. When signing up for free trials, immediately set a calendar reminder for two days before the trial ends so you have time to cancel. Thanks to RBI rules, your bank must send you a pre-transaction notification at least 24 hours before a recurring charge is processed, giving you a chance to act if you no longer want the service. Use this notification as your final safety net to catch unwanted debits before they happen.
