10 subscription costs people forget they're paying for
An article from Quartz brings attention to ten often-overlooked subscription fees that can silently deplete bank accounts via automatic renewals and forgotten trial periods. Among these are free trials on Apple and Google app stores that transition into paid subscriptions; automatic upgrades for cloud storage services like iCloud, Google One, and Dropbox; streaming add-ons available on Amazon Prime Video and Roku; and antivirus or VPN services such as Norton and McAfee. Additionally, it covers connected fitness subscriptions like Peloton and Strava, recurring delivery boxes for razors and meal kits, digital news and magazine subscriptions, software services like Adobe Creative Cloud, domain registration, website hosting, and overlapping music streaming subscriptions. The article recommends reviewing account settings rather than depending on unclear bank statements.
Key facts
- Free trials on Apple App Store and Google Play auto-convert to paid plans unless canceled manually.
- Cloud storage subscriptions from Apple iCloud, Google One, and Dropbox upgrade automatically as storage needs grow.
- Streaming add-on channels on Amazon Prime Video and Roku bill inside a single combined charge.
- Antivirus and VPN services often use introductory first-year prices that jump significantly at renewal.
- Connected fitness subscriptions like Peloton, Strava, and Fitbit Premium bill regardless of hardware use.
- Recurring subscription boxes for razors, meal kits, and beauty products continue by default.
- Digital news and magazine subscriptions started for a single article renew at full price after introductory period.
- Software subscriptions like Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft 365 often outlast the job or project that justified them.
- Domain registration and website hosting renew automatically every year even if the site is abandoned.
- Overlapping music streaming subscriptions, such as Spotify and Apple Music, are common during platform transitions.
Entities
Institutions
- Quartz Media, Inc.
- Apple
- Dropbox
- Amazon
- Paramount+
- Starz
- Max
- Roku
- Norton
- McAfee
- NordVPN
- Peloton
- Strava
- Fitbit
- Dollar Shave Club
- Harry's
- HelloFresh
- Blue Apron
- Birchbox
- Adobe
- Microsoft
- LastPass
- GoDaddy
- Namecheap
- Squarespace
- Bluehost
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- YouTube Music
- Amazon Music
- Audible
Sources
- Quartz —