LowScoutGet started

Find subscriptions

How to find recurring charges on a credit card

Credit cards are where most subscriptions end up, because they’re the default for recurring billing. That concentration is good news: audit one card statement carefully and you’ll catch most of what quietly recurs.

Read your statement in five passes

  1. 1

    Download the transactions, not the summary

    A statement PDF summary hides individual charges. Export the full transaction list (CSV where your card offers it) so every line is visible.

  2. 2

    Pull at least twelve months

    Annual subscriptions bill once a year, so a single month can’t reveal them. A full year surfaces every renewal at least once.

  3. 3

    Sort by amount to cluster the repeats

    Recurring charges hit the same amount each cycle. Sorting by amount groups them, making a subscription obvious next to one-off purchases.

  4. 4

    Watch the statement-close date

    Annual renewals and “anniversary” charges cluster around the date you first subscribed — flag anything that recurs on that cadence.

  5. 5

    Decode the descriptors

    The merchant name is often a billing entity. Strip payment-rail prefixes and check Apple, Google, and PayPal subscriptions for anything you can’t place.

Don’t stop at one card

Subscriptions spread across whichever card was handy at signup, plus any debit card or checking account with automatic payments. Once you’ve done one card, repeat for the others — each exports separately.

Keep going

Find all your subscriptionsThe full method across every card and account, not just this one.What is this charge?Decode a cryptic credit card descriptor.Export from your bankStep-by-step help getting a readable file from common card issuers.Cancel a subscriptionFound one to drop? Here’s how to cancel common services.

Bank websites and merchant flows change. If something here has drifted, email lowscoutsupport@gmail.com — we reply within 2 business days.