Many of us could live without having to pay our bills, so it’s no surprise that autopay is so popular. Bills that don’t change often, like a mortgage, aren’t usually a problem. But autopay isn’t always trouble-free.
Remembering to pay bills can help you stay on top of other responsibilities. An example of this could be overdrawing your bank account or paying more than you owe. In particular, you should think twice about setting up automatic payments for the following 10 invoices.
Phone
Putting your cell phone bill on autopay is convenient, but you should really be more involved. That is especially true if your plan does not provide limitless data. Your bank may charge you an overdraft fee if you are unprepared for a larger-than-expected bill because the amount is subject to change from month to month.
This is not to mention the possibility of overlooking billing mistakes or unforeseen price hikes. For those reasons, customers with unlimited plans may wish to avoid autopay. Reviewing your bill allows you to catch errors and know when to negotiate a reduced monthly payment. After all, nobody likes to shell out more cash than is strictly required.
Main Services
You should also consider not setting up automatic payments for utility bills. That’s because the amount of water, electricity, and gas that you use changes seasonally. In the summer, you likely water your grass more heavily, and in the winter, you likely turn up the heat.
In addition to overdraft costs and forgotten errors, there are warning signals for potential house problems that you can miss. For instance, a leak could be the cause of a sudden increase in your water bill, while an outdated device consuming excessive power could lead to an unexpected rise in your electricity bill.
Paying with credit cards
Unless you pay for fixed, regular spending with your credit card, you should expect your balance to fluctuate monthly. Therefore, review your statement before making a payment.
You’re more likely to spot errors or unusual activity that could indicate a compromised card and necessitate cancellation. That’s why it’s crucial—though tedious—to examine each line item on your credit card statement.
Video-Streaming Platforms
Another excellent reason to check your credit card statement is if you use streaming services like Spotify or Netflix. On your bill, you can find the credit cards you rarely use because they usually have an autopay option.
Paying for streaming services you haven’t utilized in a long time (or even forgot you had) is a simple matter. Avoid setting up automatic payments on credit cards unless absolutely necessary.
Communication via cable or satellite
The notoriously creepy monthly increases in cable and satellite prices are well known. Occasionally, these costs can increase by significant margins. A little money here and there can build up quickly. Because of this, autopay may not be the best option for you.
While the monthly process of writing a check or logging into your account to pay could be inconvenient, it serves as a useful tool for monitoring pricing increases. Then you have the option to negotiate the price, alter your plans, or cancel if it becomes too pricey.
Boxes for Subscription
Subscription boxes come in many forms, including beauty boxes and meal delivery kits. If you set up automatic payments for them, you may not check the value you’re receiving as often as you should.
Consider a beauty supply box. Even though many of them cost $10–$20 per month, that’s a steal if you use every single item. Spending $100 to $300 per year becomes costly when you seldom use the contents.
Premiums for auto insurance
There is a common practice of paying auto insurance premiums once or twice a year. This is a really rare invoice, anyhow. When invoices don’t come up very often, it’s easy to disregard them. If you set up automatic payments, you might get a notification when your account balance drops too low if you set them up for automatic payments.
Should that occur, you should be prepared to pay an overdraft fee. It may be more cost-effective to pay your auto insurance payment by hand when the due date arrives rather than using autopay because overdraft fees might build up. You can use it to notice when prices are going up and when it’s time to start looking.
Gym Subscription
Everyone joins a gym with the best of intentions. But, with a hectic schedule, it might be challenging to make consistent gym visits. USA Today reports that a staggering 67% of gym subscriptions remain completely underutilized.
As a result, many individuals fritter away their money on gym subscriptions. Making payments manually will force you to think about how often you use it and whether you really need to cancel.
Sign up for news alerts
One method to stay abreast of current events in many fields, including politics and entertainment, is to subscribe to online newspapers, periodicals, and newsletters. But you should probably give the autopay option some serious thought before you choose it.
It used to be easier to tell if someone wasn’t making use of their subscription because stacks of newspapers and magazines would appear. Now more than ever, online payments show when to cancel.
Worldwide Web
Your internet bill, like your phone or cable bill, has a habit of creeping up until you’re spending far more than you planned. Log into your account or write a check every month to monitor the pricing.
In the event that the price increases, you can steer clear of overdraft fees by doing so. Plus, you may monitor your increasing costs and determine whether you should try to negotiate a cheaper price or choose a different supplier that offers better deals.
