Subscription Price Increase: What to Do Before the New Price

When a subscription price increase email arrives, the one thing to find in it is the date of the first charge at the new price. Everything else can wait. Before that date you have four choices: keep the plan at the new price, move to a cheaper plan, switch how you pay, or cancel. After that date you have already paid at least one bill at the higher price. Most people read the email, mean to deal with it later, and find the new charge on their statement.

Read the email for one date

Price increase emails are written to be read quickly and forgotten. They usually open with what is new in the service and put the money part in the second or third paragraph. You are looking for one line:

"Starting with your next billing date on..." or "Your new price will take effect on..." That is your deadline.
Sometimes the email gives a general start date, like "from December 1," and says existing members will see the change on a later billing date. Then the date that matters is your own next billing date after it.
If there is no date at all, open the account page of the service. Most show the next billing date and amount.

Write down three things: the old price, the new price and the date. If you pay yearly, the date might be months away, and that is the one most likely to slip. A yearly plan also means a bigger single charge: a $2 monthly increase on a yearly plan shows up as $24 more on one day, often in a month when you were not thinking about it at all.

Four things you can do before the date

1. Keep it

If you use it every week, the new price may still be worth it. Do the math on a year, not a month: $3 more a month is $36 a year. If it still makes sense, do nothing and you are done.

2. Move to a cheaper plan

Many services keep a lower tier, sometimes with ads or fewer features. Check the plans page before you decide. A downgrade usually takes effect at the next billing date, so do it before the new price kicks in.

3. Change how you pay

Some services charge less per month on a yearly plan, and some let you keep the old price for a while if you switch now. Read the plans page; do not assume.

4. Cancel

If you have not used it in a month, cancel before the date. You usually keep access until the end of the period you already paid for. Our guide to canceling before the renewal date covers notice periods on yearly plans, which can be longer than you think.

If the subscription is billed by the App Store

Subscriptions you pay through Apple work in two different ways when a price goes up, and doing nothing means opposite things.

Apple's developer help on subscription pricing explains both:

When your consent is needed. Some increases require you to agree. Apple asks by email, push notification and in the app, roughly weekly. If you do not agree or take no action, the subscription expires at the end of the current billing period. So doing nothing here cancels it.
When consent is not needed. For other increases, Apple only notifies you, by email and push notification 27 or 7 days before your next renewal, depending on the plan length. If you do nothing, it renews at the new price.

Which one applies depends on how big the increase is, how often the price has gone up, and your country. The message itself tells you whether it is asking you to agree or just letting you know. Read which kind it is before you swipe it away.

What to do, in order

Find the date of the first charge at the new price.
Write down the old price, the new price and the date.
Check when you last used the service.
Look at the plans page for a cheaper tier or a yearly plan.
On the App Store, check whether the message asks you to agree.
Make the change a few days before the date.

If several price emails arrived this year, it may be time for a full subscription audit. Streaming services are the usual suspects; we keep a list of streaming price increases in 2026.

Let Tracy keep the date

The price email is easy to read and easy to lose under ten newer ones. Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, keeps the date for you.

Paste the email into Tracy, forward it, or send a screenshot from Telegram, Chrome or the web. She reads the service, the old and new price and the date, and keeps them together. Ask her to remind you three days before the new price, and she does. Ask her "which of my subscriptions went up this year?" and she answers from what you sent her.

Tracy does not see your bank or app store account and does not cancel anything for you. You make the decision; she makes sure you make it before the charge.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do when a subscription price goes up?

Find the date of the first charge at the new price, then decide before it: keep the plan, move to a cheaper one, switch how you pay, or cancel. If you do nothing, most subscriptions renew at the new price.

Can I keep the old price on a subscription?

Sometimes. Some services let existing members keep the old price for a while, or offer a yearly plan that costs less per month. Check the plans page before the date. Do not count on it.

Do I have to agree to a subscription price increase on iPhone?

Only for some increases. Apple asks for consent on certain increases, and if you do not agree, the subscription ends at the end of the billing period. For others it only sends a notice 27 or 7 days before renewal.

How much notice do companies give for a price increase?

It varies by service. Apple sends its notices 27 or 7 days before renewal when consent is not needed. Many services email a few weeks ahead. The email or account page has your date.

Will I be charged the new price if I cancel?

If you cancel before the date of the first new-price charge, usually not. You keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.

Subscription Price Increase: What to Do Before the New Price Hits