You’re not imagining it. Your credit card is bleeding out in $7.99 increments. Substack. Notion. Netflix. Figma. That obscure meditation app you used twice in 2022. Monthly charges are stacking up like unread newsletters-and your patience is finally thinning.
Welcome to the era of subscription fatigue.
It’s real. It’s widespread. And it’s making businesses rethink everything from pricing to product value. The “subscribe-and-forget” model that once felt frictionless now feels like digital quicksand.
As Henry Ford (yes, that Ford) once said:
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Which is great unless what you’ve always got is twelve recurring charges and no idea which one was for cloud storage.
Why We’re Tired of Subscriptions
- The Accumulation Effect
No single subscription breaks the bank, but together? It’s like death by a thousand drip charges. - Lack of Usage Transparency
You signed up because you were excited. Now you’re paying for “premium features” you didn’t know existed. Sound familiar? - Choice Paralysis
Every platform is fragmented. Every feature set is split into tiers. You’re forced to commit to a monthly plan just to remove a watermark.
What This Means for Businesses
Startups that once banked on SaaS subscriptions for predictable revenue are suddenly noticing something strange: people are cancelling. Not out of anger-but out of apathy.
This shift is sparking a wave of new pricing strategies:
- One-time payments (the old-school model is back, baby)
- Usage-based pricing (only pay for what you use)
- Lifetime deals (for founders desperate to stay in your good graces)
- Bundling (hello, Apple One clone #87)
Table: Subscription Response Strategies
| Strategy | Who’s Doing It | Why It Works |
| Usage-based Pricing | Postman, Twilio | Feels fair, scales with value |
| Lifetime Deals | AppSumo products | Upfront cash, user loyalty |
| Bundling | Microsoft, Apple | Locks you in, feels like a deal |
| Freemium + Add-ons | Notion, Canva | Lets you ease in, then upgrade |
Tip for Founders
If you’re still pushing the “$9.99/month forever” model, make sure you’re earning that recurring charge-monthly. Customers no longer tolerate passive value. You have to show up. Constantly.
A Joke Because We Need It
What’s the fastest way to find out if you’re subscribed to too many things?
Change your credit card. Sit back. Watch the emails pour in.
The Bigger Shift
People are shifting from owning things to accessing them. But even access has limits when mental bandwidth gets maxed out.
So here’s the real question:
If everyone is tired of subscribing-what comes after access?