AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A subscription keeps charging because the merchant, or its payment processor, still holds a stored link to your card and has not ended the plan. Cancel again in the merchant's own account settings and keep the confirmation, then ask your bank to block further charges or replace the card, and request a refund from the merchant; if it refuses, your bank can raise a "cancelled recurring" dispute, such as Visa 13.2 or Mastercard 4841.
Why the charges keep coming
When you first pay for a subscription online, the merchant or its payment processor stores your card so it can bill you each month without asking for the number again. This stored link is often called a token or a card on file. Cancelling should end the plan that uses it. If the plan was not actually ended, or you cancelled the wrong thing, the token keeps being used.
- You deleted the app or logged out, but did not cancel. Netflix's help centre states that signing out or deleting the app does not cancel your membership.
- You subscribed through a third party, such as an app store, telco or a bundle, and cancelled in the wrong place.
- You have two accounts or two plans, and cancelled one.
- The cancellation did not go through and no confirmation email came.
- The charge is a different service you have forgotten, not the one you cancelled.
Read your statement carefully: the merchant name on the debit line tells you who to deal with. Paystack-processed debits, for example, show the business that billed you. Our guide to finding forgotten subscriptions helps if you are not sure what the charge is.
Step 1: cancel properly at the source
Cancel where you subscribed, and keep proof.
| How you subscribed | Where to cancel | What its help page says |
|---|---|---|
| Directly with a streaming service, such as Netflix | The service's own account page | Netflix: go to Manage your membership, Cancel, then Finish Cancellation; a confirmation email follows, and access continues to the end of the paid period |
| Through a Paystack-powered checkout | The "Manage subscription" link in the activation or reminder email | Paystack: search your inbox for "Your subscription is now active", click Manage subscription, cancel; if you cannot, contact the business, then support@paystack.com with a receipt |
| Through an app store, telco or bundle | That third party | Netflix says that where no cancel option shows, the Account page will tell you to contact your payment partner |
Screenshot the cancellation screen and save the confirmation email. That is your evidence if a charge appears later.
Step 2: stop the card being used
If charges continue after a confirmed cancellation, or you cannot reach the merchant, contact your bank. You can ask it to block the merchant, or block the card and issue a replacement. Some banks and apps let you disable online or web payments on a card, which stops all online charges, not just this one. Ask your bank which option it offers, and ask directly whether a replacement card will stop charges from this merchant, rather than assuming it will.
Step 3: ask for a refund
- Write to the merchant first, through its help centre or support email. Give the date you cancelled, attach the confirmation, list each charge after that date and ask for a refund.
- Give it a reasonable deadline, such as seven days, and keep the reply.
- If it refuses or does not reply, ask your bank to raise a card dispute for a cancelled recurring payment. Stripe's documentation of network reason codes lists Visa 13.2 "Canceled Recurring" and Mastercard 4841 "Canceled Recurring or Digital Goods Transactions" for this. Verve applies its own rules through your bank.
- Send your bank the cancellation proof, the merchant correspondence and the statement lines.
Merchants vary on refunds for the current period. Netflix's cancellation page says you keep access until the end of the paid period; it does not say partial months are refunded. A charge for a period that started after you cancelled is a stronger claim than one for the month you were already in.
Local services and the FCCPC
For a Nigerian business that keeps billing you after cancellation and refuses to refund, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission takes consumer complaints through complaints.fccpc.gov.ng. In an October 2025 release, the FCCPC highlighted court rulings that a "no refund" policy was void where a service was not rendered, and that a pay-TV operator was liable for disconnecting a paid subscription. Pay-TV renewals through bank transfer or vouchers do not use a stored card at all, so a repeat payment there is usually a duplicate, not a recurring charge; see renewing cable TV without paying twice.
Worked example
Example only. Chidi cancels a service on 3 March and saves the email. On 10 March and 10 April his card is charged ₦7,500 each time, ₦15,000 in all. He writes to the merchant on 11 April with the confirmation. With no reply by 18 April, he asks his bank to block the merchant and raise a dispute for both charges, and sends the email, the statement lines and his message to the merchant.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Personal Assistant can help you keep track of regular bills and remind you before renewals, and nothing is paid without your approval (assistant). For pay-TV, you can renew from the app with the amount shown before you confirm (cable TV).
Questions people ask
Why am I still being charged after cancelling Netflix?
The plan may not have been fully cancelled, or you subscribed through a third party. Netflix says deleting the app or signing out does not cancel; use Manage your membership and look for the confirmation email.
How do I stop a company from debiting my card?
Cancel with the merchant and keep proof, then ask your bank to block the merchant or the card. Ask your bank whether a replacement card will stop that merchant's charges.
Can I get a refund for a subscription I forgot to cancel?
You can ask, but a merchant is more likely to refund charges made after a proven cancellation. Without proof, refunds are at the merchant's discretion.
How do I cancel a Paystack subscription?
Paystack says to open the "Manage subscription" link in the activation or reminder email and cancel. If you cannot find it, contact the business, then support@paystack.com with a receipt.
Sources
- Netflix Help Center: How to cancel Netflix · accessed Oct 2026
- Paystack Support: Cancelling your subscription to a Paystack business (edited 22 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Stripe Docs: Dispute reason code categories (Visa and Mastercard codes) · accessed Oct 2026
- FCCPC: Lagos and Enugu judgments reinforce consumer protection under FCCPA (27 Oct 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.