Subscription Spending Statistics: how much people really pay
How far off our own guesses about subscriptions are — from the survey most often quoted on the topic.
Consumers' quick guess at their monthly subscription spending averaged $86; itemised by category, the real figure averaged $219.
Source: C+R Research survey of 1,000 U.S. adults (Apr–May 2022), reported by CNBC
average underestimate — about $1,600 a year.
Source: C+R Research via CNBC
underestimated their monthly subscription spending by at least $100; 24% by $200 or more.
Source: C+R Research via CNBC
had forgotten they were still paying for a subscription they no longer used.
Source: C+R Research via CNBC
have at least some of their subscriptions on autopay.
Source: C+R Research via CNBC
What it means
The gap is not carelessness — autopay removes the moment you notice a charge. Listing every subscription once, with its yearly cost, closes most of it.
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