Pitt Street in Sydney
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While Australians struggle with the financial burden due to prolonged high inflation and interest rates, many end up losing hundreds of dollars annually on unused subscription services. A significant number even forget that they’ve subscribed in the first place.

Research released by Westpac this week revealed three in every 10 Aussies lose $600 a year on duplicate apps and services they don’t use.

The average consumer unknowingly spends about 20% more on subscriptions than they think, which amounts to roughly $14 monthly or $168 a year.

Pitt Street in Sydney
Three in every 10 Australians waste $600 a year on apps they don’t use.(Dominic Lorrimer)

The study highlights that a primary reason for overspending is failing to cancel a service after a trial period. Additionally, nearly one-third of consumers reported paying for subscriptions they no longer remembered.

A similar proportion (31 per cent) said they found it too difficult to cancel certain services.

Westpac also found Australians are spending $141 extra a year on subscriptions, an increase of 11.3 per cent from 2024.

That comes as a number of popular streaming providers, including Spotify and Netflix, have increased their prices in consecutive years.

Gaming subscriptions are particularly costly for Australians, averaging $55.50 each month ($666 annually). Following closely are video streaming services, costing $21.63 per month ($260 annually), and music streaming at $16.98 monthly ($204 a year).

At the same time, Westpac also found its customers are spending a whopping $2200 a year on takeaway food.

“Our data suggests customers are willing to spend on what makes life easier, with a significant uplift in spend on food services,” McCann said.

“But there’s also growing awareness around value.

Although expenses on home and utility subscriptions have seen the second-highest increase, customers reported they received the least value from these services.

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