A subscription you cancelled is still charging you. Or a "free trial" quietly converted and now bills every month. Stopping a recurring card charge is straightforward — but only if you do it in the right order. Here is the order that actually makes the charge stop, and the law that backs you up if the merchant ignores you.
The cleanest stop is cancelling the subscription itself. Log into the service, open Account → Billing or Subscription, and turn off auto-renew or cancel the plan. Always save the confirmation email or screenshot — that proof matters if a charge slips through later. Cancelling at the source also stops the merchant from simply re-billing under a new descriptor.
Many companies bill under a parent or "doing business as" name you will not recognize. Copy the full charge text and search it with the word "charge" or "subscription" so you cancel the right account — not the wrong one. If you cannot tell what it is, treat it as a forgotten subscription before assuming fraud.
If the merchant will not cancel or keeps charging, contact your bank. Under Regulation E, your bank generally must stop a pre-authorized recurring debit if you request it — ideally in writing — at least three business days before the next scheduled charge. Ask for it in writing and keep the request on file.
For a charge you did not authorize, file a dispute with your bank. The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you about 60 days from the statement date on credit cards. Search the merchant name first — a dispute that turns out to be a legitimate forgotten subscription can be denied.
If a stubborn merchant keeps re-billing, asking your bank for a new card number instantly breaks recurring payments tied to the old one. The trade-off: it also breaks the recurring payments you want to keep, so update those afterward.
Most people who find one surprise charge are paying for two or three more they forgot about. SubScan adds up every recurring charge, flags the ones you have stopped using, and ranks your fastest savings — so you stop the right ones and they do not creep back. Everything stays on your device: no bank login, no account, no upload.
Find your hidden recurring charges →Yes. Under Regulation E, your bank generally must stop a pre-authorized recurring debit when you ask, ideally in writing and at least three business days before the next scheduled charge. Cancelling with the merchant first is still best, because it stops them from re-billing under a different descriptor.
No. Deleting an app, logging out, or changing a password does not cancel billing. You have to complete the cancellation flow in your account, then verify the charge stops on your next statement.
A stop payment blocks a future charge before it happens. A dispute (chargeback) reverses a charge that already posted and that you believe is wrong or unauthorized. Use a stop payment to prevent the next charge, and a dispute to recover one that already hit.
Usually, yes — a new card number breaks recurring payments tied to the old number. The downside is that it also breaks the subscriptions you want to keep, so you will need to re-enter your card with those after.
List every recurring charge from your last two or three statements, note when you last used each, and total them. SubScan does this for you on-device, flagging unused charges and showing your true monthly and yearly total — no bank login required.
For informational purposes only — not financial or legal advice. Consumer-protection rules such as Regulation E and the Fair Credit Billing Act apply in the United States and timelines can vary; confirm the current process with your own bank or card issuer. Brand and service names are used for identification only.