The Subscription Creep Report

Nobody signs up for six subscriptions at once. They sign up one at a time, months apart, each for about the price of a sandwich. Meanwhile, the prices climb. For instance, prices for streaming services were at an all-time high in July 2026, and companies have made it clear that they will only continue to rise. Services that used to make Americans’ lives easier are now becoming a burden on their budgets.

DealSeek surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who pay for at least one recurring subscription to find out what that drift actually costs. The questions covered how many services people carry, what they believe they spend against what they report category by category, what they've forgotten they're paying for, and what happens when they finally try to get out. Ultimately, we found out that subscription creep affects most Americans, and very few of them know what to do about it.

Key Takeaways

• Nearly 1 in 3 Americans (29%) juggle six or more active subscriptions at once, and 69% say they've been surprised by how much they actually spend on subscriptions each month. Millennials carry the heaviest load of any generation, with 39% managing six or more subscriptions at once.
• More than 8 in 10 subscribers (81%) have paid for a forgotten, unused, or duplicate subscription in the past year, including 46% who are currently paying for something they rarely or never use. Gen Z feels this the most, nearly three times more likely than baby boomers to discover a forgotten subscription still charging their card (35% vs. 13%).
• Two in three subscribers (66%) have regretted keeping a subscription, and 81% have questioned whether one is still worth the money.
• Over a third of Americans (36%) have had a subscription payment overdraw their bank account, and 63% say they worry a service will renew before they can cancel it.
• Almost all subscribers (95%) tried to cancel at least one subscription in the past year, but 75% ran into friction getting it done, from hidden cancel buttons to forced phone calls and repeated retention offers.
• Two-thirds of subscribers (67%) canceled a subscription outright in the past year, and price increases, not lack of use, are the top frustration (34%), well ahead of difficulty canceling (17%) or automatic renewals (14%).
• Four in 10 subscribers (41%) say subscription costs have required noticeable cuts to other spending or made it harder to save money, pay down debt, or cover essential expenses. To keep paying for them, nearly 1 in 3 have cut back on dining out (29%) and entertainment (24%).
• Netflix is America's most regretted subscription, named by 16% of subscribers, with Amazon Prime (10%) the next closest service. The regret runs deepest among Gen Z, where 21% name Netflix as their top regret, the highest share of any generation.

How Many Subscriptions People Have

Subscriptions were meant to simplify your life: instead of having to buy a hundred DVDs, you could access streaming services for a low monthly cost. But when more services than ever utilize the subscription model, people can start to lose track. Subscription inflation – subscribing to multiple services without realizing – is more common than you may think.

Most subscribers are paying for more than a couple of services. Nearly three in five (59%) said they pay for four or more at once, and nearly one in three (29%) pay for six or more. That number rises with income: 46% of high-income subscribers pay for six or more, against 32% of middle-income and 18% of low-income subscribers. Those with more disposable income are able to spend it more freely.

Middle generations had the most subscriptions: 39% of millennials pay for six or more, ahead of 28% of Gen X, 25% of boomers, and 20% of Gen Z. Millennials are at the age where subscriptions add up fastest, having to not only keep up with their own streaming services, but anything their kid subscribes to, and possibly sharing a plan with their parents as well.

When asked what they spend on subscriptions each month, 32% said $100 or more while 35% said under $50. Income splits these numbers, too: 57% of high earners said $100 or more, against 30% of middle-income and 18% of low-income subscribers. Media subscriptions alone (video, music, cable) cost $50 or more a month for 42% of subscribers, and 72% pay for two or more video streaming services at once. AI is the newest charge on the bill, added on top of everything else rather than replacing anything — 28% now pay for at least one AI tool or AI-powered service. Gen Z is furthest ahead at 7% paying for four or more, against under 1% of boomers.

Nearly seven in 10 subscribers (69%) said they've been surprised by their monthly total. Gen Z said they feel it often or very often at 40%, double the rate of Gen X and boomers who said the same (20% each). Despite being subscribed to the fewest services on average, Gen Z can still lose track of what they’re paying for.

Paying for Things You Never Use

Finding a charge from a forgotten subscription is a bad feeling — made even worse when you realize you’ve been paying it for six months. CNET found that on average, people spend $250 a year on subscription services they forgot signing up for. Whether or not you use a service, they keep taking the money from your account. Forgetting a subscription is common, but it’s costing Americans real money.

More than eight in 10 subscribers (81%) said they had wasted money on a subscription in the past 12 months, and 46% paid for a service they rarely or never used. Free trials caused the most trouble: a quarter (25%) forgot to cancel their free trial and were charged full price for the service. Another 22% found a subscription still running that they forgot about, and 21% paid for two services that did the same thing. Similarly, 19% paid separately for services they could have bundled, and 17% got charged for a yearly renewal they no longer remembered signing up for.

This includes two people in the same household signing up for a service: 8% paid for a subscription someone else under the same roof was also paying for, and neither person noticed. The same share (8%) signed up for an AI tool and then stopped using it. Gen Z leads there, with 15% paying for AI compared to 1% of boomers.

Gen Z found an active but forgotten subscription at nearly three times the rate of boomers (35% against 13%). Paying twice in the same house is a young-household problem too, with 10% of Gen Z and 12% of millennials having duplicated a subscription with someone in their household, compared to 7% of Gen X and 2% of boomers.

Boomers mostly avoid all of it: 36% said none of these things happened to them. Yearly renewals are the exception, catching Gen Z (21%) and boomers (19%) more often than millennials and Gen X (14% each). Paying for something you never use is the one habit nearly everyone under retirement age shares. Gen X leads at 49%, with millennials at 47% and Gen Z at 46%. High earners match Gen X at 49%. Boomers are the only group that stands apart, at 37%. What separates the generations isn't discipline so much as exposure: the more services you carry, the more places there are to lose track.

The Emotional Bill

The appeal of signing up for a subscription service is that the company makes something easier to access, whether it’s media, AI tools, or curated children’s toys. But when the subscriptions pile up, so do the regrets. People feel a range of emotions about their subscriptions, but many of them fall on the negative side of that range.

Two in three subscribers (66%) said they regretted keeping a subscription, and 81% have wondered whether one was still worth the money. Nearly two-thirds (63%) felt stressed by the recurring charges at least sometimes, and 57% felt overwhelmed by how many they have to keep track of. Age drives most of that. Gen Z felt overwhelmed often or very often at 42%, with millennials at 38%, Gen X at 20%, and boomers at 11%. Doubt ran highest among Gen Z (48%) and lowest among boomers (35%), though high earners question the value more than anyone, at 50%.

Canceling these services can feel like a chore. More than half (52%) put off reviewing their subscriptions because it feels like too much work. Almost everyone tries something — 96% took at least one step to cut their subscription spending in the past year — but the steps that would actually catch the waste are the rarest. Only 14% set a reminder before a trial or renewal date, and just 6% use a budgeting or tracking tool. Another 17% rotate between services instead of running them all at once. Gen X sets reminders more than any other generation (20%) but is among the least likely to use a tracking tool (3%), compared with 9% of Gen Z. Money helps too: 19% of high earners set reminders, and 8% use a tool, versus 11% and 4% of low earners.

Men are also more worried about subscriptions. While 71% of men said they regretted keeping a subscription, 60% of women said the same. Men also reported more stress from the charges (64% against 62%), more overwhelm at the number they manage (59% against 56%), and more doubt about whether any of it is worth paying for (84% against 78%). However, men were also procrastinators: 32% of men often or very often delay reviewing what they're paying for, against 21% of women. Perhaps this inability to quickly cancel subscriptions is what’s leading to their stress.

What It Takes to Actually Cancel

There’s a reason so many people put off cancelling their subscriptions. Signing up takes a few clicks and a credit card. Canceling requires phone calls, hidden menus, and chatbots that offer a discount if only you stay subscribed. Companies have made it harder than ever to step away from their subscriptions, and Americans are noticing.

More than a third of subscribers (36%) said a subscription payment overdrew their account, and 63% worried a service would renew before they could cancel it. Those fees are landing mostly on the young. Over half (53%) of Gen Z have been overdrawn by a subscription charge, as have 48% of millennials, but only 25% of Gen X and 12% of boomers said the same.

Nearly everyone is trying to get out — 95% attempted to cancel at least one subscription in the past year, and 65% tried to cancel more than one. Getting out is the hard part. Only 39% of those who tried were able to cancel on the first attempt, and 75% ran into something that slowed them down. A quarter (25%) had to call, email, or chat with customer support to finish the job, and 24% couldn't find the cancel option at all. Providers push back hard: 15% were offered discounts or alternative plans more than once, and 14% took the discount offer and kept paying. Another 6% thought the subscription was canceled but got charged anyway.

Younger generations are trying the hardest to get out of their subscriptions. Gen Z attempted to cancel more than any other group (98%, against 92% of boomers). However, only 26% of Zoomers succeeded on the first try, compared to 51% of boomers. Income splits it more sharply. Only 29% of low-income earners were able to cancel on the first attempt, compared to 46% of middle-income and 44% of high earners. Subscription services purposely make it difficult to cancel, and the most vulnerable Americans are the ones being targeted.

What Finally Makes People Quit

Price increases arrive a dollar or two at a time. That's what makes them work — no single bump is worth the trouble of canceling. But they keep coming, and eventually the service you signed up for costs twice as much as it used to. For most people, this is frustrating enough that they cancel on the spot.

Two-thirds of subscribers (67%) canceled at least one subscription in the past year, and price is what pushed them out. When asked what frustrates them most, 34% named price increases — double the share who named difficulty canceling (17%) or automatic renewals (14%). Paying more money for the same service isn’t something most Americans are open to. Price increases top the list for 40% of high earners, against 36% of middle-income and 28% of low-income subscribers. Boomers are the one group that breaks the pattern, splitting almost evenly between automatic renewals (28%) and price increases (27%).

After an increase, 44% canceled the subscription outright. Another 19% downgraded to a cheaper plan, and 17% moved to an ad-supported tier, trading their attention instead of their money. Others redraw their budgets: 13% switched to a competing service, and 7% cut spending elsewhere in their budget just to keep paying for something that got more expensive. Younger subscribers are the most willing to walk, with 19% of millennials and 17% of Gen Z switching to a competitor after a hike, against 4% of boomers.

When asked what matters most in deciding whether to keep or cancel, 73% called how often they use it very important, just ahead of quality at 71% and total price at 70%. Whether the price recently went up sits further back, at 60%. High earners reported the most frustration with price increases of any income group (40%), and 30% of them also said subscriptions haven't strained their finances at all. Being able to afford something is not the same as being willing to keep paying for it. Subscription services often draw in customers with the amount of savings they can help with, instead of delivering discounts and coupons that most customers actually want.

America's Most Regretted Subscriptions

There's a point where a subscription stops being a small monthly convenience and becomes a line item in the budget. Paying indefinitely for a service gives you a lot of time to consider whether or not the service is actually worth the money. While many will cancel outright, others just find ways to make it work – even if they’re not happy about it.

Subscription costs have pushed 41% of subscribers into financial trade-offs – such as making noticeable cuts to other spending, or having a harder time saving, paying down debt, or covering essentials. The strain doesn't fall evenly. Gen Z says subscriptions have made it harder to save at 19%, against 8% of boomers. Low-income subscribers say the same at 20%, more than three times the 6% of high earners who do.

People go without ordinary things and experiences to keep up with their subscriptions. Dining out goes first, cut by 29% of subscribers, followed by entertainment and social plans at 24% and travel at 22%. Some of it turns inward — 13% cut one subscription specifically to afford another, and 8% put a subscription payment on a credit card. Groceries are the line most people protect, but not evenly: 16% of low-income subscribers cut back on food and household essentials to keep their subscriptions, against 13% of high earners and 8% of the middle-income group.

Ask which subscription people regret most, and one name leads. Netflix, named by 16% of subscribers, with Amazon Prime behind it at 10% and Disney+ at 7% — three services carrying a third (33%) of all the regret in the survey. Netflix tops the list in every income bracket and among Gen Z (21%), millennials (19%) and Gen X (13%). Boomers are the exception, naming Amazon Prime (12%) ahead of Netflix (7%).

The more telling number may be who goes without regrets: nearly a quarter of subscribers (23%) said they don't regret paying for any of it, and that share climbs steadily with age and income, from 13% of Gen Z to 33% of boomers, and from 19% of low earners to 26% of high earners. Regret tracks with how much room a budget has. The people with the least of it remember every charge.

When the Bill Outgrows the Convenience

Subscription creep isn't a discipline problem. It's an arithmetic one. Individually reasonable decisions, made months apart, that nobody ever adds up. The model works precisely because each charge is too small to argue with on its own, and because the friction all runs one direction: easy to sign up, difficult to cancel. That asymmetry isn't an accident of bad design, and it won't correct itself.

Who it lands on matters more than how big the numbers get. A household with slack in the budget absorbs a forgotten charge and never notices. A household with a tighter budget absorbs it out of the grocery budget. The same forgotten subscription, the same cancellation maze, the same retention offer — and two completely different consequences depending on how much room the person has. Any conversation about subscription fatigue that treats it as a uniform annoyance misses the part that actually hurts.

What's coming makes this harder rather than easier. More categories move to recurring billing every year, AI tools are arriving as an additional line rather than a replacement for anything, and the regulatory answer to cancellation friction remains genuinely unsettled. None of that requires anyone to give up the services they use and value. It just means the deciding can't stop at sign-up — because a bill you've actually read is a bill you can argue with.

Methodology

DealSeek surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who currently pay for at least one recurring subscription service. The survey examined subscription volume and spend, wasteful or forgotten charges, cancellation behavior and friction, price sensitivity, emotional and financial strain, and the specific subscriptions subscribers regret most. Results were analyzed and stratified across demographic segments including generation (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers) and income level. Income figures were unweighted due to sample size. Low-income figures were made up of those who have annual household earnings of less than $50,000 per year. Middle-income earners have annual household earnings between $50,000 and $100,000. High-income earners have annual household earnings above $100,000. Percentages reflect self-reported data and may sum to more than 100% when multiple selections were allowed.

About DealSeek

DealSeek is a deal discovery platform that curates verified promo codes, coupons, and price drops so shoppers can spend less time hunting for savings and find real discounts instead of expired or inflated ones. Its editorial team reviews offers before they publish and timestamps when each code was last verified. For households watching where every recurring dollar goes, that same scrutiny applies to everything else in the budget.

Fair Use Statement

The findings and graphics in this study may be shared freely for noncommercial purposes. If you use this research, please credit DealSeek and include a link back to this page so readers can review the full methodology and results.