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SubTrack: Track It Before It Subtracts

Posted by Rohit se24uari088 on September 17, 2025 at 2:59am

Problem Statement

Free trials auto renews to paid plans(e.g., ₹200/₹800 per month) unless you cancel, prices increases quietly, and we lose track of who’s charging what. “Subscription creep” drains student budgets because renewals are designed to be forgettable, especially tricks like “annual plan, billed monthly.”

Gaps Today

  • We forget: notes/spreadsheets go stale and reminders don’t work.

  • Emails/SMS get buried: real renewal alerts hide in the noise.

  • Cancelling becomes harder: confusing menus and sometimes a fee.

  • Small printing tricks: “annual, paid monthly” isn’t obvious at signup.

  • Family plans waste money: charging for family plans without using its full services.

Solution

SubTrack is a mobile app with an optional browser extension that allows the user to:

  • Auto-detect recurring charges from bank SMS/email.

  • Show a single dashboard with next billing dates, monthly spend, and price-hike alerts.

  • Start a trial/renewal timer at signup and sends a notice to you 48/24/3 hours before charging.

  • Offer one-tap cancel/keep: deep links to the exact cancellation page + a pause card shortcut for stubborn services.

  • Flag annual-billed-monthly commitments and shows the real cancel cost vs cost to keep it for 1 more month.

  • Shows shareable plans and unused seats among friends/family to cut costs.

Who Benefits?

it benefits Students, clubs, and even families juggling OTT, music, cloud, course sites, design tools, and other streaming services such as Netflix.

why this problem matters to me?

I had recently purchased a free trial from a adobe service for a project, i had unknowingly accepted the terms and conditions. After the project i had forgotten about the free trial and lost thousands and even after attempting to cancel they had requested additional fees, so to prevent such mishaps SubtTrack allows individuals to control their data without handing it to yet another cloud service.

Views: 111
Tags: personal finance, subscriptions, privacy, budgeting
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Votes: 15
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Comments

  • Abhishek Kumar Koduri October 15, 2025 at 2:02am
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    This is such a relatable and much-needed solution! Subscription creep is something almost every student and young professional has faced — those sneaky renewals and hidden “annual billed monthly” traps are so frustrating. I really like how SubTrack focuses on real-world pain points like buried emails, confusing cancellation steps, and unused family plans. The idea of automatic detection from SMS/email and one-tap cancel links is super practical. It feels like a true “financial hygiene” app for the digital age — simple, privacy-friendly, and genuinely helpful in saving both money and mental load.
  • Amaan khan October 14, 2025 at 6:42pm
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    SubTrack is a nice and relevant idea, but are you sure that users are comfortable enough to give permission to scan their emails or messages for subscription data, if not this can cause privacy concerns among people using it. So you need to make sure to help built trust for the users to feel safe when using SubTrack.
  • Anish Sandaka October 14, 2025 at 2:25am
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    OVerall its a decent idea, even I had trouble regarding managing subscriptions so the concept is there but there are rooms for improvements like most users rely on in app purchases summaries or credit card alerts, so convincing them to use a separate app could be difficult. To overcome this, SubTrack would need to highlight a unique advantage.
  • Jakshay dasi October 14, 2025 at 12:15am
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    SubTrack is a promising idea, but its success would depend heavily on user trust and accurate integration of the financial systems. If the app fails to detect even a few subscriptions or sends false alerts, users might lose confidence quickly, It also needs to ensure that the onboarding process is simple and if setup feels complicated or requires too many permissions, people may drop off before experiencing the true value of the app.
  • Deva Siva Kanth October 13, 2025 at 8:29pm
    SubTrack is a good idea, but it might struggle to keep users engaged in a long term because subscription tracking is something people usually set once and forget. Also, managing access to financial data for automatic tracking could create trust issues if users feel uneasy sharing sensitive information. Without a unique feature or strong incentive to stay active on the app, it risks blending in with existing tools.
  • Jaswanth R October 13, 2025 at 7:14pm
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    SubTrack is a really practical and user focused idea that addresses an everyday issue most people overlook . The concept of tracking renewals and alerting users before charges happen makes it very useful, especially for students and busy minded professionals. The added features such as one-tap cancellation and shared plans show thoughtful design , it feels like a product that could easily fit into daily life and genuinely save people money and stress.
  • Somesh Killada October 13, 2025 at 6:51pm
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    The idea behind SubTrack is strong and clearly solves a real issue with forgotten subscriptions . However , since similar apps already exist, it might face challenges standing out in the market. To make it more unique, you could emphasize data privacy, or even add AI-based spending insights or explore regional pricing detection so users see clear added value compared to existing solutions.
  • Mohit K October 13, 2025 at 6:37pm
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    It’s a well thought out idea that addresses a real life issue, but it could face challenges with privacy and data access, since detecting charges from bank messages or emails might raise security concerns. Finding a safe way to handle user data would make the concept stronger.
  • Nikunj rathi October 1, 2025 at 5:07am
    SubTrack tackles a very real and frustrating problem for students and families—subscription creep and hidden renewal costs—through a thoughtfully designed app that prioritizes transparency and proactive control over recurring charges. By auto-detecting payments from bank SMS/email and providing clear, actionable billing alerts, SubTrack helps users avoid unexpected charges that often slip by unnoticed, especially with trickily worded plans like "annual, billed monthly". The deep link to cancellation pages and reminders before renewal are standout features that significantly reduce cancellation friction—a major pain point with services like Adobe.
  • Gopala Anvith September 28, 2025 at 4:12am
    This is a super relatable problem—almost everyone has been burned by a forgotten trial at some point. SubTrack tackles it in a smart, practical way by combining auto-detection with real-time alerts and easy cancellation. I especially like the transparency features like flagging “annual billed monthly” traps. The idea feels both timely and genuinely helpful for students and families. Just make sure the app stays lightweight and respects user privacy, as that’s a big trust factor here.
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