Question 1

How accurate is the statement scan?

Accepted Answer

Our on-device parser identifies recurring charges by matching merchant descriptors against a library of 3,000+ subscription services and detecting cadence patterns (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly). In testing it surfaces ~94% of subscriptions on a typical bank or credit card statement. One-off purchases from the same merchant (e.g. an Apple App Store one-time app) may still be flagged - you can swipe to dismiss them.

Question 2

Which statement formats are supported?

Accepted Answer

Photos and screenshots of bank or credit card statements (PNG, JPG, HEIC) as well as PDF statements from most US, UK, and EU banks. For best results, make sure the descriptor, date and amount columns are all visible in the same frame.

Question 3

Why didn't a subscription I know I have show up?

Accepted Answer

Three common reasons: (1) the charge falls outside the date range on the statement you uploaded, (2) the merchant uses a parent-company descriptor we haven't mapped yet (e.g. 'DRI*ACME' instead of 'Acme'), or (3) the charge is bundled inside an aggregator like Apple, Google, or PayPal. Tap Add → Manual entry to add it yourself and we'll learn the pattern.

Question 4

Can I use sample data without uploading anything?

Accepted Answer

Yes. From the Add tab, tap 'Use sample' to load a demo dataset of 8 subscriptions so you can explore the full app - including the Pro auto-cancel engine - without touching real statements.

Question 5

Which billing patterns does LeakGuard detect?

Accepted Answer

Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, every-other-month, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual. Trial-to-paid conversions are flagged when a $0.00 or $1.00 authorization is followed by a full charge within 7-30 days. Variable-amount subscriptions (e.g. metered cloud bills) are surfaced when the merchant cadence is regular even if the amount changes.

Question 6

How are free trials about to convert detected?

Accepted Answer

When we see a $0.00 or $1.00 authorization from a known subscription merchant, we estimate the trial end date based on that merchant's standard trial length (7, 14, or 30 days). These appear in High-Alert items with a 'TRIAL' badge and a 48h countdown.

Question 7

What about silent price hikes?

Accepted Answer

When a recurring charge increases by more than $1 versus the prior cycle, we flag it with a red '+$X' pill on the dashboard row and surface it in High-Alert items so you can decide whether the new price is still worth it.

Question 8

Does LeakGuard cancel charges directly?

Accepted Answer

No. We don't touch your bank, card, or merchant accounts. LeakGuard gives you the exact letter, channel, and steps to cancel - you stay in control of your money and your accounts at all times.

Question 9

How does the auto-cancel script work?

Accepted Answer

For each subscription, the engine matches the merchant to a company-specific template and generates: (1) a cancellation letter you can copy-paste or send via certified mail, (2) the exact cancellation channel (some merchants only accept chat, some require certified mail), (3) step-by-step instructions to navigate the cancellation flow, and (4) a list of retention traps to refuse.

Question 10

Are the letters legally enforceable?

Accepted Answer

The letters cite applicable consumer protection statutes (e.g. California's Automatic Renewal Law, Bus. & Prof. Code §17602; the FTC's Negative Option Rule) when they apply to the merchant. They're written to create a paper trail you can use in a chargeback dispute or attorney general complaint if the merchant refuses to cancel.

Question 11

What are 'retention traps' and why do they matter?

Accepted Answer

Retention traps are downsells and delays designed to make you give up before cancelling - 'try 3 months at 50% off', 'pause for 30 days', 'talk to a specialist in person'. Each silently re-enrolls you or runs out the clock on your cancellation window. We list the specific traps each merchant uses so you can refuse them on the first call.

Question 12

What if a merchant doesn't have a specific template?

Accepted Answer

Unknown merchants fall back to a universal cancellation letter and a generic step-by-step (Account → Billing → Cancel, decline all retention offers, screenshot confirmation). It still beats writing one from scratch.

Question 13

What does Pro unlock?

Accepted Answer

The auto-cancel engine (company-specific letters, step-by-step instructions, retention traps), unlimited dashboard syncing, and trial-conversion alerts. Free users keep the full dashboard diagnostics - Pro is only required to take action.

Question 14

Is Pro a subscription?

Accepted Answer

Yes - Pro is $4.97/month, billed by Stripe. Cancel anytime in Manage Billing on the Pro page; you keep access until the end of the current billing period. We picked a subscription because the cancellation merchant database, retention scripts, and trial-alert engine all need ongoing maintenance - and at $4.97/mo a single leak plugged covers an entire year.

Question 15

Do you store my bank statements?

Accepted Answer

Statements are parsed on-device. Only the extracted subscription metadata (merchant name, amount, frequency, next renewal date) is synced - never raw statement images or full account numbers. The last 4 digits of a card are stored only so you can tell which card a subscription is on.

Question 16

Do I need an account?

Accepted Answer

No. LeakGuard uses a per-device identifier so you can start scanning immediately. If you upgrade to Pro, we associate an email with the device for receipt purposes only.

How can we help?

What you get before & after each unlock

Merchant-specific playbooks