How-to· 1 min
Auditing your AI subscriptions
Two sources are always missed: annual billing and charges bundled into other services.
AI Tools Hub Editorial · published · updated
Gather every billing source
- Corporate card statements
- Expense claims where individuals paid
- Cloud provider invoices for API usage
- Annual invoices
- Charges bundled into another service
Annual billing hides for eleven months at a time, which is exactly why it survives audits.
What to record
| Field | Note |
|---|---|
| Service | Billing name and common name if different |
| Monthly equivalent | Divide annual by twelve |
| Account holder | Whose account it is |
| Actual users | Not the licensed count |
| Last used | From the admin console where available |
| Renewal date | The cancellation deadline |
Cancellation criteria
- No login in 90 days — cancel
- Fewer than half the seats in use — downgrade
- Functionality duplicated elsewhere — consolidate
- Used monthly or less with an alternative — cancel
- Nobody knows who uses it — find out, do not leave it
Before you cancel
Export accumulated data, and check whether any automation depends on the account. An API integration will stop silently.
Cadence
Twice a year. Annually lets waste run for twelve months; quarterly costs more effort than it recovers. Put it in the calendar as a recurring event or it will not happen.
FAQ
Who should run it?
Finance and whoever knows the tools, together. Alone, each sees only half the picture.