Find every subscription, without hunting for it yourself
You can't cancel or budget for a subscription you don't know exists. CostLoop finds them for you - by scanning Gmail or Outlook, reading a bank or card statement you upload, or letting you add tools manually - and you confirm what's real before anything lands in your dashboard.
Why "just write it down" doesn't work
Forgotten trials become paid subscriptions
A free trial converts to a paid plan weeks or months after anyone was paying attention. Nobody adds it to a list because nobody remembers signing up in the first place.
Tools live on different cards and accounts
One subscription is on a personal card, another on the team card, another billed annually and easy to forget. A single memory can't reliably hold the full list.
Manual entry only works until it doesn't
Typing in every subscription by hand is fine for three tools. It stops being realistic once the list grows, and it never catches something nobody remembered to type in.
Three ways CostLoop finds your subscriptions
You don't have to pick one. Use whichever combination fits how your billing already happens.
- Email scanner: connect Gmail or Outlook and CostLoop surfaces billing emails as subscription suggestions - free discovers up to 5, Pro and Business are unlimited
- Bank or card statement import: upload a CSV or PDF export from your bank or card provider - no live bank connection or banking credentials required
- Manual entry: add any tool directly if you already know the details
- Every suggestion from the scanner or a statement import is reviewed and confirmed by you before it's saved - nothing is added automatically
- Once a subscription is found, it's immediately part of your renewal reminders, cost dashboard, and health-score review - discovery isn't a separate step from tracking
Looking for setup steps? See the Email Scanner Guide. Looking for exactly what data is read and stored? See Scanner Privacy and Permissions.
CostLoop discovery vs typing it all in yourself
Manual entry works for a handful of tools. Here's what changes once discovery does the finding for you.
| Factor | CostLoop discovery | Manual entry only |
|---|---|---|
| Finds subscriptions you forgot about | Yes | Only what you remember |
| Requires a bank connection or credentials | No, ever | N/A |
| Adds anything without your confirmation | No - you review every suggestion | N/A |
| Setup effort per subscription | One scan or import covers many | One at a time, by hand |
| Works from a bank/card statement you already have | Yes (CSV or PDF) | No |
When to use each discovery method
Most people end up combining more than one.
Use the scanner or statement import if...
- You suspect there are subscriptions you've forgotten about
- You want a fast starting point instead of typing in every tool
- Billing happens across more than one card or account
- You're comfortable reviewing suggestions before confirming them
Manual entry is enough if...
- You already know your full subscription list from memory
- You have only a handful of tools to add
You can always add the scanner or a statement import later - discovery methods aren't exclusive.
Frequently asked questions
How does CostLoop find my subscriptions automatically?
CostLoop offers three ways to find subscriptions: a Chrome extension that scans your Gmail or Outlook inbox for billing emails, a bank or card statement import (CSV or PDF), and manual entry. You review and confirm every suggestion before it's added to your dashboard.
How many subscriptions can the scanner find on the free plan?
The Free plan's email scanner discovers up to 5 subscriptions, matching the Free plan's overall 5-subscription limit. The Pro and Business plans include unlimited scanner discovery.
Does CostLoop need my bank login to find subscriptions?
No. CostLoop never connects to your bank account or requests banking credentials. Instead, you can upload a bank or card statement file (CSV or PDF) that you've already downloaded from your bank, and CostLoop reads that file to suggest subscriptions.
What's the difference between this page and the scanner setup guide?
This page explains why subscription discovery matters and what CostLoop can find. For step-by-step setup instructions, see the Email Scanner Guide. For a full breakdown of exactly what data is read, processed, and stored, see the Scanner Privacy and Permissions page.
Will CostLoop import subscriptions without my confirmation?
No. Every subscription found by the scanner or a statement import appears as a suggestion. Nothing is added to your dashboard until you review and confirm it.
Related pages
Setup guides and privacy details for subscription discovery:
Find what you're actually paying for.
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