The subscription trap: how €10 can eat your budget
Marie-Catherine Motingea, Eva Zastawnik, Claire Pegel et Eva Brakonier (Left to right) Montage: Paperjam
I think most of us have fallen into the same trap: signing up for a free trial, like Uber One, promising ourselves we’ll cancel before the billing date. Then life gets busy, we forget and suddenly a monthly charge quietly appears on our bank statement. Sometimes we don’t even notice it.
If that hasn’t happened to you yet, let me tell you about my experience.
While browsing Skyscanner to book a flight, I was redirected to eDreams to complete the booking. At the checkout page, I fell for the tempting free eDreams Prime trial to save about 30 euros on this flight. It felt like an obvious choice. Why not save the money?
Thirty days later, I got my answer: a 120-euro charge for a yearly subscription.
Technically, nothing illegal happened. I had agreed to the famous “terms and conditions” that almost no one reads. As a student, experiences like this make one thing clear: when small subscription fees pile up, living on a budget can quickly become far more expensive than expected.
The Psychology
The first important thing to talk about is the psychology of small payments. Sellers have long known how to make prices seem more attractive by using the 99 cents method. When you see 99.99€ instead of 100€, you are more likely to buy the item because the price looks lower than it really is.
However, the trend that has risen nowadays takes this logic to a different level, as it now works on a subscription basis. At first, you are attracted by the small price or even by the free trial of the subscription, just as you are with the 99 cents method. The difference is that the consequences can be much worse, because once you subscribe to a service, you have to cancel it yourself in order to avoid future charges.
Why is it that we fall into this trap? We live in an overconsumption society, and with the rise of influencers on social media, the need to have everything and follow every trend has become even stronger. For instance, you may first see a TikTok review of a famous series and want to watch it, but you only have Netflix while the series is streamed on Disney+. So you decide to sign up, and later forget that it is a monthly charge. Sometimes you notice it too late, when you have already been charged, or even worse, you do not check your bank account and keep paying for a service you no longer use. According to CNET’s 2025 annual subscription survey, the average US adult spends $1,080 per year on subscriptions, including about $200 on subscriptions they do not use.
Free Trials
Another important aspect is free trials, which are a very strategic tool businesses use to get you into their subscription cycle. Free trials seem harmless because at first they cost nothing, so people subscribe without thinking too much. But in most cases, you still have to enter your card details, and if you do not cancel on time, you are automatically charged when the trial ends.
A 2024 survey cited by Stateline also found that 48% of respondents had already forgotten to cancel a paid subscription after a free trial. In the UK, the government estimated in 2024 that around 3.6 million unwanted subscriptions came directly from people being rolled over from a free or discounted trial, contributing to a wider problem of 9.7 million unwanted subscriptions costing consumers about £1.6 billion a year.
This shows that free trials are effective not only for consumers but also for companies because they create a steady and predictable stream of revenue. Instead of convincing you to buy something once, they get you to pay again and again, every single month. It might only be 10€ here and there, but for companies, that adds up to a super stable and predictable income. This is what’s called monthly recurring revenue.
Think about it: if you subscribe to Spotify or Netflix you probably don’t actively decide every month if it’s “worth it”, it just continues. And that’s exactly the point. Subscriptions turn a one-time decision into an ongoing habit. The longer you stay, the more valuable you become as a customer, and companies can even upsell you with premium versions, bundles, or add-ons over time. In that sense, subscriptions are not just about selling a product, but about building an ongoing relationship that generates continuous revenue.
However, this model strongly depends on keeping users subscribed for as long as possible. That’s why many companies use subtle “tricks” to reduce cancellations. Free trials are a classic: you sign up thinking “I’ll cancel later,” but then forget, and suddenly you’re paying. In other cases, cancelling is possible but slightly inconvenient, requiring several steps or being less visible than the sign-up button. Discounts for annual plans or bundles can also make users commit for longer than they initially intended. So while subscriptions are often marketed as flexible and convenient, they are also carefully designed systems that make it easy to stay and harder to leave.
The legal situation
In European Union law, consumers benefit from a statutory right of withdrawal when concluding distance contracts, including subscription-based services entered online or by telephone. Pursuant to the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU), this withdrawal period generally extends to fourteen days from the date of contract conclusion, during which the consumer is not required to provide any justification or incur penalties. However, where the performance of a service begins before the end of this period with the consumer’s explicit consent and acknowledgment, the right of withdrawal may be limited or lost proportionally to the service already provided.
To exercise this right, the consumer must clearly communicate their decision to withdraw to the trader, typically through a written statement, such as an email or a standardized withdrawal form. Following this notification, the consumer must refrain from further use of the service. The trader is then obligated to reimburse all payments received within fourteen days from the date on which they are informed of the withdrawal, subject to deductions where partial performance has occurred with the consumer’s prior consent.
In the event of a dispute, consumers within the European Union may seek assistance from mediation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services. Key platforms include the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution platform (ODR), as well as national mediation bodies accessible through the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net). These services provide structured mechanisms to resolve disputes without recourse to judicial proceedings.
In the end, the real cost isn’t just money but control. Control over what you spend, what you pay attention to and what you actually choose. Awareness helps but action matters more: questioning every “free” offer and every “just 10€” charge before it becomes routine. Because in a subscription-driven world, staying in control means deciding when enough is enough.
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