Recurring charges hide in plain sight
Streaming subscriptions, cloud storage, app-store purchases, gym memberships, news subscriptions – most of them renew automatically, in the background, without a paper bill landing on the doormat. Unlike a mortgage or a mobile contract, nobody's likely to chase you for cancelling late, but they'll keep charging the card until someone actively stops them.
How to find every subscription
Go through bank and card statements
Look back at least 12 months – annual subscriptions only show up once a year. Small, regular amounts to unfamiliar-looking company names are usually the sign of a subscription.
Check the email inbox
Search for words like "receipt", "renewal" or "your subscription" – most services send an email every time they take payment, even if nobody reads it.
Look at the phone and computer
App-store purchase history (Apple ID / Google Account) will list active subscriptions directly, which is often the fastest way to find mobile app subscriptions specifically.
What to expect, by category
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Streaming & entertainment
Most providers will close an account and stop billing once shown a death certificate, usually by phone or via their support contact form – refunds for the unused part of a billing period aren't guaranteed but are worth asking about. -
Cloud storage & email
Photos, documents and messages may hold real sentimental or practical value. Providers usually offer either account access requests or full closure for next of kin – check the provider's own "legacy" or "inactive account" settings first, since the deceased may have already nominated a contact. -
Social media
Most major platforms let you request either a memorialised profile (visible but locked) or permanent deletion, generally with a death certificate and proof of your relationship to the person who died. -
Gym & other memberships
Often require written notice with a death certificate rather than a simple online cancellation – check the specific terms, and ask about refunding any prepaid period.
Common questions about the digital estate
How do I find out what someone was subscribed to?
The most reliable way is going through several months of bank and card statements line by line – recurring charges from streaming services, app stores, cloud storage and memberships tend to stand out once you're looking for them. Checking their email inbox for renewal receipts helps too.
What do I need to cancel a subscription?
Most providers will ask for a copy of the death certificate before they'll close an account or discuss it with you, since account details are otherwise protected by data protection rules. Some let you do this online; others require a phone call or letter.
What happens to social media accounts?
Most major platforms let a close family member either memorialise the account (keeping it visible but marked, and preventing login) or request its permanent removal, usually with a death certificate and proof of your relationship to the person who died.