If you’re looking for an easy way to keep track of your monthly or yearly subscriptions and save money, the ScribePay app could offer the ideal solution.
What is ScribePay?
ScribePay is a subscription management app designed to make it quick and convenient to manage your subscription payments and prevent you from wasting money on apps and features you don’t use.
You’ll have complete visibility over what you’ve subscribed to, what you’re spending and when you’re due to pay each subscription. The app can help you cancel subscriptions you no longer need or before any free trials end. ScribePay says its aim is to help consumers save £400 a year or more from unwanted subscriptions.
If you also set up an e-money account, you’ll receive an instant virtual card that you can top up with funds and start using to pay for subscriptions.
How does ScribePay work?
When you download the ScribePay app on iOS or Android, you can choose between 2 plans – Basic and Premium.
ScribePay Basic has no monthly charge, and you only need an email address and password to get set up. Through the app, you can then manually track all your subscriptions in one place and get reminder alerts before subscriptions are due. Budgeting tools within the app show you how much you spend on monthly subscriptions so you can easily work out whether you need to cut back.
With ScribePay Premium, the process of managing and tracking subscriptions is automated, but you will be charged a £4.99 monthly fee. ScribePay Premium also gives you access to an e-money wallet and a virtual prepaid card. You can use your card for all your recurring subscriptions and quickly stop unwanted auto-renewals or price increases. You’ll be alerted when any free trials you’ve signed up for are due to end, and you can approve or decline auto-renewals in real time.
To sign up to ScribePay Premium, you’ll need to answer a few additional security questions, but the process takes less than 3 minutes, and no credit checks are carried out.
Is ScribePay safe?
The funds in a ScribePay e-money account are held in safeguarded accounts separate from the money used to run ScribePay. That means that if ScribePay were to cease trading, you would still get your money back. However, your funds won’t be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Pros and cons of ScribePay
Pros
Easy to apply
Can help you manage subscriptions and save money
Free option available
Cons
For the most benefit, you’ll need to pay £4.99 a month
Card fees apply
No FSCS protection
Our verdict: Is ScribePay worth it?
If you regularly forget to cancel free trials or end up paying for services you no longer use, ScribePay is an easy way to help you better manage your subscriptions and potentially save money.
However, the free Basic option still requires you to do a lot of the work yourself. You’ll need to keep a close eye on the app to know what’s due out and when, although you will get sent payment reminders. If you’d prefer to have everything automated and easily stop unwanted subscriptions, the Premium option is likely to be more suitable. But you’ll also need to cough up £4.99 a month, which could outweigh any savings you make by using the app.
Frequently asked questions
No credit checks are carried out for the ScribePay prepaid card, but your identity and address will need to be verified. If you don’t pass the automated checks, you’ll need to provide proof of ID, such as a passport, and proof of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement.
No, cash withdrawals are not permitted.
Anyone who is over the age of 18 and a UK resident can apply for the Premium card.
No, as your card is a prepaid card, you can only spend the funds available on the card. If there are not enough funds, your card will be declined for the purchase you are attempting. If, for any reason, a transaction is processed that exceeds your available funds, your card might be blocked, and you will be required to repay the owed amount immediately.
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Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time. See full bio
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