Category: SUBSCRIPTIONS

Found 20 verified guides

How to stop kids from making in-app purchases

👁️ 38.1k views•7 min read

How to stop kids from making in-app purchases

In 2024 alone, parents lost hundreds of millions of dollars to children's in-app purchases. The typical scenario: kid is playing a 'free' game, taps through some screens, gets a pop-up asking to confirm a $99.99 purchase, taps 'OK' because they don't understand money or pop-ups, gets charged. This is so common that some game companies have made the 'confirm purchase' pop-up deliberately confusing to maximize accidental purchases. They're designed to look like 'continue' or 'play now' buttons when they're actually 'spend $99.99' buttons. This is by design. The game companies know kids play these games. They know kids can't evaluate $99.99 in context. They profit anyway. The good news: there are technical fixes that work, and there's a clear refund process for what already happened.

By David Kim≡ 6 steps

How to cancel Grammarly Premium

👁️ 37.0k views•5 min read

How to cancel Grammarly Premium

Grammarly Premium costs around $12-$30/month depending on the plan, or $144-$360/year if paid annually. If you signed up for the free version, used it for a while, then 'upgraded to Premium' through a tempting popup, you might be paying $144-$360/year for something you barely use. Grammarly's cancellation is straightforward if you know where to look. The trick is doing it before your renewal date — annual plans auto-renew at full price. Here's how to actually do it.

By Priya Sharma≡ 6 steps

How to stop Google from charging your card

👁️ 35.9k views•6 min read

How to stop Google from charging your card

Google services have a lot of subscription products — Google One, YouTube Premium, Google Workspace, Google Play subscriptions, Google Fi, and various others. When you have multiple Google subscriptions, it can be hard to track which is charging you. If you're seeing charges from Google that you don't recognize or that you've already canceled: 1. The charge might be from a different Google service than you think 2. The subscription might not have actually canceled 3. It might be from a Family Sharing group you're part of 4. It might be fraudulent (your card was used) Here's how to investigate and stop the charges.

By Tomás Rivera≡ 6 steps

How to cancel Audible without losing credits

👁️ 34.9k views•6 min read

How to cancel Audible without losing credits

Audible is one of those services that creates real value if you actually listen, but is wasteful if you don't. Audible knows this, so they've made the cancellation process annoying on purpose. You'll see offers for reduced rates, free months, all kinds of retention gimmicks. You can cancel Audible without losing your books. This is important: your Audible library stays accessible even after you cancel. You can re-download books you've purchased forever (they're in your library, not a rental). You just lose access to the Audible Plus catalog and new credits. Here's how to do it the right way.

By Aisha Okonkwo≡ 6 steps

How to turn off in-app purchases on iPhone

👁️ 30.2k views•6 min read

How to turn off in-app purchases on iPhone

In-app purchases are the #1 source of unexpected iPhone charges. Kids tap buttons. Free games become $99.99 nightmares. Accidental clicks during gameplay lead to credit card bills. Apple provides multiple layers of protection. You can: - Require password/biometrics for every purchase - Set a spending limit - Disable in-app purchases entirely - Use Screen Time restrictions The right setup depends on whether the phone is for an adult who occasionally makes purchases, a teen who needs limits, or a child who needs maximum protection. Here's how to set up each level.

By Lena Johansson≡ 7 steps

How to cancel Dropbox without losing files

👁️ 29.1k views•6 min read

How to cancel Dropbox without losing files

Dropbox is one of those services that's so ubiquitous that people forget they're paying for it. The basic plan is free (2GB), but most people have paid for Plus ($11.99/month), Family ($19.99/month), Professional ($19.99/month), Standard ($15/month for teams), or one of the various business tiers. If you're paying for a personal Dropbox account you barely use, that's $144-$240/year you could be saving. The good news: canceling Dropbox doesn't delete your files (at least not immediately). You keep access to your existing files, just lose the extra storage above the free tier. Here's how to actually do it without losing anything you care about.

By Marcus Chen≡ 5 steps

How to get a refund on a digital purchase

👁️ 28.0k views•7 min read

How to get a refund on a digital purchase

Getting refunds on digital purchases is harder than physical goods, but it's not impossible. The key is knowing what to ask for, where to ask, and what documentation helps. The general pattern: - Direct from seller (developer, course creator, ebook publisher): usually most flexible - Through the platform you bought from (App Store, Google Play, Steam, Amazon Kindle): platform-specific process - Through your credit card (chargeback): last resort, can have consequences The sooner you act, the better your chances. Most platforms have specific windows for refunds (14-30 days for most digital goods). After that, you're at the seller's discretion. Here's the actual approach for each major category.

By Zara Patel≡ 5 steps

How to find all your subscriptions in one place

👁️ 26.9k views•6 min read

How to find all your subscriptions in one place

Most people have more subscriptions than they realize. The average adult in the US has 12+ active subscriptions and forgets about 3-5 of them at any given time. That's hundreds of dollars per year going to services you might not even use. The subscription economy has gotten aggressive. Free trials convert silently. Annual renewals sneak up. Bundles hide individual services. Companies make it easy to sign up and hard to remember you signed up. The fix isn't complicated: do an audit. Find every subscription, decide what you actually use, cancel what you don't. Takes about an hour the first time. Saves hundreds of dollars per year ongoing. Here's the actual process.

By David Kim≡ 7 steps

How to get your money back from a scam website

👁️ 22.3k views•7 min read

How to get your money back from a scam website

If you've been scammed by a fake or fraudulent website, your chances of getting money back depend on: 1. How you paid (credit card > debit card > PayPal > bank transfer > gift cards / wire transfers — the first is best) 2. How recently it happened (the faster you act, the better) 3. The specific scam type (some are more recoverable than others) 4. Whether the merchant can be located (many scam operations are overseas) If you paid by credit card, you have the strongest protections (Fair Credit Billing Act). If you paid by wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, recovery is very difficult but not impossible. Here's what to actually do, in order, the moment you realize you've been scammed.

By Tomás Rivera≡ 5 steps

How to stop PayPal from renewing subscriptions

👁️ 21.2k views•6 min read

How to stop PayPal from renewing subscriptions

PayPal has two types of recurring payments, and people confuse them constantly: 1. Subscriptions: You explicitly signed up for a recurring service through PayPal (like a streaming service, software subscription, or subscription box). These are easy to find and cancel in PayPal settings. 2. Billing agreements: The merchant has permission to charge your PayPal account on a recurring basis, often without a specific subscription plan. These are harder to find and easier to overlook. If you've ever paid for something with PayPal and got charged again without realizing it, it's probably a billing agreement. These are sneaky because the merchant stores your permission to charge — they don't need you to actively pay each time. Here's how to find and cancel both types.

By Aisha Okonkwo≡ 7 steps

How to cancel a free trial before it charges

👁️ 20.1k views•7 min read

How to cancel a free trial before it charges

Free trials convert to paid subscriptions at the end of the trial period — usually automatically, unless you cancel first. This is the single most common source of 'wait, why am I being charged for this?' credit card statements. The subscription economy runs on this. Companies give you a free trial, you forget to cancel, you get charged for a month (or year), you don't notice for a couple months, and by then it's too late to get a refund. The good news: there are specific strategies to prevent this, and if you already got charged, there are ways to get your money back. Here's the actual approach.

By James O'Brien≡ 6 steps

How to stop being charged for something you did not sign up for

👁️ 19.0k views•6 min read

How to stop being charged for something you did not sign up for

If you're seeing a charge on your bank statement for a service you don't recognize and never signed up for, you have two possibilities: 1. You actually did sign up (or someone in your household did) and forgot 2. It's fraud — your card or identity was used without permission Option 1 is more common than you'd think. Most people have 3-5 forgotten subscriptions they don't recognize at first glance. But option 2 is real and serious. Either way, you need to act quickly. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get money back and the more damage can be done if it's fraud. Here's what to do, in order, the moment you notice an unrecognized charge.

By Lena Johansson≡ 6 steps

How to dispute an unauthorized charge on PayPal

👁️ 14.4k views•7 min read

How to dispute an unauthorized charge on PayPal

If you see a charge on your PayPal account that you didn't authorize — meaning you didn't make the purchase, didn't sign up for the subscription, or didn't give anyone permission to use your account — PayPal's dispute process is designed for exactly this situation. PayPal's dispute process: - 180-day window from the transaction - Resolution Center at paypal.com/disputes - Several dispute types depending on the situation - Refunds often issued within a few days for clear cases The key to a successful dispute: clear documentation and the right dispute type. Here's the actual process.

By Zara Patel≡ 6 steps

How to remove a credit card from Apple Pay

👁️ 13.3k views•6 min read

How to remove a credit card from Apple Pay

If you're on iOS, you store cards in Apple Wallet (formerly Apple Pay and Passbook). Removing a card from Apple Wallet is straightforward, but the steps depend on whether you're using an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Common reasons to remove a card: - Lost or stolen physical card - Closing a bank account - Privacy / security concerns - Switching to a different card - Card expired - Don't want recurring charges through that card The card removal takes effect immediately. Any Apple Pay transactions using that card will be declined. Existing recurring subscriptions need to be updated separately.

By David Kim≡ 5 steps

How to cancel Adobe Creative Cloud subscription

👁️ 12.2k views•6 min read

How to cancel Adobe Creative Cloud subscription

Adobe Creative Cloud costs $54.99/month for the Photography Plan or $59.99/month for the Single App plan. The All Apps plan runs $82.49/month. Annual plans billed monthly at those rates, with an annual commitment. If you're paying this for software you don't actively use, you're burning $600-$1,000+ a year. Adobe's cancellation process is straightforward but the cancellation fee can be steep if you're mid-annual-plan. Here's what to know before you click cancel.

By Priya Sharma≡ 5 steps

How to get a refund from an app store

👁️ 11.1k views•6 min read

How to get a refund from an app store

App store refunds used to be a nightmare. Now they're relatively straightforward if you know the process. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon all have refund systems — they're not generous, but they work in legitimate cases. What gets refunded: - Accidental purchases (especially kids buying things) - Apps that don't work as advertised - Subscriptions that auto-renewed and you meant to cancel - Defective apps or in-app purchases - Content you never received What doesn't get refunded: - Apps you bought and used and just changed your mind - Most in-app purchases that you knowingly made - Subscriptions you've used for a billing cycle (sometimes) - Purchases outside the standard refund window (varies) The key is acting quickly and being specific about why you're requesting the refund. 'I changed my mind' rarely works. 'My child bought this without permission' or 'This app doesn't do what the description says' usually does. Here's how to actually do it.

By Tomás Rivera≡ 7 steps

How to cancel Duolingo Plus

👁️ 6.5k views•5 min read

How to cancel Duolingo Plus

Duolingo Plus was renamed to Duolingo Super a couple of years ago, but the cancellation process is essentially the same. The plan costs $6.99/month or $83.88/year. If you signed up for the free version and clicked through to Plus/Super to remove ads or get offline access, you might be paying $84/year for a language learning tool you're barely using. Cancellation is straightforward if you know where to look. The catch: annual plans auto-renew, and if you let it lapse you'll be charged for another year. Here's how to actually do it.

By James O'Brien≡ 6 steps

How to remove a credit card from Google Pay

👁️ 5.4k views•6 min read

How to remove a credit card from Google Pay

Removing a credit or debit card from Google Pay is one of those things most people don't think about until they need to. Then they panic because they can't find the right setting. Why you might want to: - You lost your card or it was stolen - You're returning a card to your bank (closing account) - You don't want Google storing this card for future purchases - You're switching to a different card - Privacy / security concerns - You want to clear old expired cards The process is fast and reversible. You can always add the card back later. Here's exactly where to find the option.

By Lena Johansson≡ 6 steps

How to cancel LinkedIn Premium easily

👁️ 4.3k views•6 min read

How to cancel LinkedIn Premium easily

LinkedIn Premium has four tiers (Premium Career, Premium Business, Sales Navigator, Recruiter Lite), and they're priced for businesses with expense accounts: $29.99 to $99.95 per month. If you're paying out of pocket for a Premium subscription you're not actively using, you're spending $360-$1,200 a year for nothing. The good news: canceling LinkedIn Premium is straightforward if you know where to look. The bad news: it auto-renews by default, and if you cancel after the renewal date, you don't get a refund. Here's how to actually do it without paying for another month you don't want.

By Marcus Chen≡ 6 steps

How to cancel gym membership without going in

👁️ 3.2k views•6 min read

How to cancel gym membership without going in

Gym cancellations are the perfect example of how subscription businesses make it hard to leave on purpose. They'll bury the cancellation process in fine print. They'll require in-person visits during business hours. They'll transfer you between departments. They'll lose paperwork. This isn't because cancellation is complicated. It's because most people give up. The gym counts on it. They keep billing you every month, hoping you don't notice, hoping you won't fight it. The good news: you can cancel. It might take persistence, but you can do it. Here's the actual approach.

By Zara Patel≡ 6 steps