How do I see which subscriptions went up on my bank statement?

Match the periods

A subscription increase becomes visible when the same service charges a different amount for a comparable period. Put two statements side by side. Write their dates on paper and keep each currency separate. Monthly and annual charges cover different lengths of time, so group them separately before comparing amounts.

Worked example with made-up figures

Repeating

Fictional sample rent: A$270.97 / week
Telco One: A$11.06 / week
Fictional sample groceries: A$9.65 / week
Streamly: A$3.16 / week

Together A$294.84 a week.

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Copy each service

Scan outgoing payments and copy the date, description and amount of each possible subscription. Give each service a row with columns for earlier and later payments. Preserve the original wording beside any shorter name. Descriptions can change; receipts help establish whether differently named charges belong to the same service. Mark an uncertain match clearly.

Check what the payment covers

Beside each pair, note the billing period, plan and quantity from the receipts. A larger payment may reflect more seats, a changed plan, a promotion ending, a separate purchase or a currency conversion change. The statement shows the amount paid; the receipt gives detail about what it covers. Comparing matching quantities and periods helps distinguish these changes.

Example: made-up figures

Suppose a monthly music subscription costs 10 currency units in the earlier month and 12 in the later month. Both receipts cover one month on the same plan. Subtract 10 from 12: the increase is 2 per month. Divide 2 by 10 and multiply by 100: the increase is 20%. Over twelve months, that difference would total 24, assuming the price and plan stayed the same.

Total the matched differences

Repeat the subtraction for each matched service. Keep credits beside original payments, showing both amounts. A missed payment differs from a price change, so add a note when a period has a blank entry. Add differences only for matching billing periods. Your finished list shows the service, old amount, new amount, difference and evidence for each match. Future payments can be compared with this dated list when they appear.

Keep a record of your check

Write the document dates and page numbers beside your notes. Trace each copied amount back to its original row, then repeat the addition and subtraction once. Keep estimates visibly labelled and retain the original units. This leaves a clear record of which numbers came from documents and which came from your calculation, so another person can follow the same steps with the same papers.