Short answer
CostLoop Email Scanner is a discovery tool, not a guaranteed complete financial record. It surfaces likely subscriptions from Gmail and Outlook billing emails, then asks you to review each candidate before import.
What the scanner is good at
The scanner is useful for finding services that send receipts, invoices, renewal notices, trial-ending notices, and payment confirmations. It can group related emails and suggest subscription details when the receipt contains enough information.
What the scanner can miss
- Subscriptions whose receipts were sent to another email address.
- Annual renewals outside the scan window.
- Deleted or archived receipts that are not returned by the provider API.
- Receipts with unusual wording or unsupported templates.
- Subscriptions billed only through an app store, PayPal, bank transfer, or another payment account.
Why false positives happen
Some non-subscription emails use subscription-like language. Quotes, refunds, one-time purchases, credits, and account notices can look similar to billing emails. CostLoop therefore treats results as candidates and requires review before import.
How to troubleshoot scan results
If nothing appears, confirm the right Gmail or Outlook account is connected, scan any older inboxes you still use, and cross-check app stores, PayPal, and bank statements. If a result looks wrong, open the review editor, correct the currency, price, or billing cycle, or leave it unselected.
Best audit workflow
Use email scanning first to get receipt context, then check at least 14 months of bank or card statements, Apple subscriptions, Google Play subscriptions, and PayPal automatic payments. After review, import confirmed subscriptions into CostLoop so renewal dates, owners, documents, and cancellation links stay organized.
For the full walkthrough, read How to Find All Your Subscriptions by Email.