Subscription Spending Statistics 2026
Last updated: February 2026 · Sources: C+R Research, West Monroe, Bankrate, Chase, JustCancel internal data
Key finding: The average American spends $219/month on subscriptions — but 74% underestimate their spending by $100+/month. That's $384/year wasted on forgotten subscriptions alone.
The Big Numbers
How Hard Is It to Cancel?
We analyzed 1189 subscription services and rated their cancellation difficulty. The results aren't pretty.
Subscription Spending by Category
| Category | Avg Monthly Cost | % of Americans | Annual Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Video | $55/mo | 82% | $660 |
| Streaming Music | $14/mo | 68% | $168 |
| Cloud Storage | $8/mo | 54% | $96 |
| Gym/Fitness | $45/mo | 39% | $540 |
| News/Magazines | $18/mo | 31% | $216 |
| Food Delivery | $25/mo | 28% | $300 |
| Gaming | $22/mo | 27% | $264 |
| Software/Apps | $32/mo | 45% | $384 |
| Dating Apps | $30/mo | 16% | $360 |
| Subscription Boxes | $35/mo | 22% | $420 |
The Psychology of Subscription Waste
Why do people keep paying for things they don't use?
- Status quo bias: 72% say they've kept a subscription "just in case" they might use it later (Bankrate 2024)
- Free trial traps: 48% have been charged after forgetting to cancel a free trial (C+R Research)
- Dark patterns: 143 of the 1189 services we analyzed make cancellation deliberately difficult
- Subscription creep: The average household added 2.5 new subscriptions in 2024 while only cancelling 1.2 (West Monroe)
- Anchoring: "$9.99/month" sounds small, but 12 subscriptions at $9.99 = $1,439/year
Generation Gap
FTC "Click to Cancel" Rule (2025)
In October 2024, the FTC finalized the "Click to Cancel" rule, requiring companies to make cancellation as easy as sign-up. Key provisions:
- Companies must offer the same cancellation method as sign-up (signed up online → cancel online)
- No more mandatory "retention calls" before allowing cancellation
- Clear disclosure of all material terms before charging
- Express informed consent required before any negative option
- Effective date: May 2025 (some provisions delayed to July 2025)
Despite this, our data shows 143 services still make cancellation unnecessarily difficult. Enforcement is ongoing.
Methodology
JustCancel's proprietary data comes from analyzing 1189+ subscription services, rating each on cancellation difficulty based on number of steps, time required, dark patterns used, and user reports. External statistics are sourced from C+R Research (2024 Subscription Survey, n=1,004), West Monroe (2024 Consumer Pulse Survey), Bankrate (2024 Subscription Survey), Chase (2024 Consumer Banking Survey), and PIRG (2024 Consumer Protection Report). All figures represent US consumers unless otherwise noted.
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