Monzo is encouraging customers to carry out a straightforward spring review of their subscriptions, after research suggested many people are paying for services they have forgotten about. The bank's findings indicate that UK adults spend an average of £38.18 per month on subscriptions, equating to £458.16 per year.
The bank surveyed 2,000 UK adults and found that around one in five people do not know how many services they currently subscribe to. Forgetful subscribers were most common in Yorkshire and the Humber at 23%, followed by the West Midlands and Greater London at 22%.
Monzo also highlighted that the number of people with subscriptions increased by 24% between January 2025 and 2026, from 1.25 million to 1.54 million. It noted that 38% of people have been hit with an unexpected charge, often due to forgotten free trials, equivalent to around 21 million people across the UK.
The bank suggests that spring cleaning subscriptions is not about cancelling everything, but about keeping the services you actually use and cutting the ones you have forgotten about. It advises that if you have not used a service in the last month, or forgot you even had it, it may be time to let it go.
Monzo also recommends setting money aside specifically for subscriptions you want to keep, using tools like Pots to separate funds, in order to stay organised and avoid surprises. With millions caught out by unexpected charges, the bank says now is the perfect time to review where your money is going.
