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    Turn off all auto-renewals and renew by hand when a subscription expires

    • High value
    • Evidence C
    • Saves money
    • Free
    • Takes minutes
    • No willpower

    In plain words

    What you save is the subscriptions you stopped using long ago but that still charge you every month. Going through the auto-debit lists in Alipay, WeChat, Apple and Android takes less than 20 minutes. By regulation, a merchant must give you a clear reminder before charging you, and must also give you a way to cancel at any time that is easy to find and easy to use.

    Cost

    Free. Go through the auto-debit lists in Alipay, WeChat, Apple and Android, which takes 10 to 20 minutes once. After that, each renewal takes one extra tap from you.

    What you get

    The money you save equals the subscriptions you no longer use but are still being charged for, added together. It differs for everyone, and there is no single figure. Regulators require merchants to give you a clear reminder before renewal and a "simple cancel-anytime" option, and canceling must not cost extra (China, in effect since 2021)

    Notes

    For services you really do use often, the yearly price is usually cheaper than paying monthly, so keeping auto-renewal on can pay off. What you want to switch off are the ones you forgot about long ago but that are still charging you. For how a business that sells memberships on a website must give the reminder, see ยง26.13 (those who sell auto-renewing memberships).

    Evidence grade
    C : The author's experience or common practice, without direct literature.
    Sources
    1. State Administration for Market Regulation (2021, amended 2025). Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Online Transactions [in Chinese] (SAMR Order No. 37, Article 18). https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2025/art_4b47c79b8d994a42bba4835997688faa.html

    This tip also appears in

    Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 5, tip 1. This section is about money and spending. It is general information, not financial or investment advice. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer