A skill is just a file that does the same job the same way every time, and this one has a single job: read the statement you exported and show you what repeats, what rose, and what got charged twice. It never connects to your bank and never moves a penny, because you are handing over a text file, the same as emailing yourself a spreadsheet, and asking a careful reader to spot the pattern your eye keeps sliding past. A statement export is the plain file your bank gives you under "export" or "download transactions", usually a CSV, which is a spreadsheet saved as text.
Export your own bank statement, paste it into a Claude skill, and it can flag forgotten subscriptions, price creep, and same-day double charges without logging into your bank.
The three leaks it finds, and why each one hides
- The subscriptions you forgot. It lists every charge that repeats on a regular rhythm, because a renamed billing line like "DNH*BILL" or "PADDLE.NET" hides the thing you meant to cancel. You do not recognise the name, so you never question the charge.
- The price creep. It flags any recurring charge where the amount went up over time, because two pounds a month is invisible line by line. Laid side by side, "was 8, now 10, now 12" is obvious in a second, and by eye you would never catch it.
- The same-day double charges. It groups charges that hit on the same day from the same place, because a genuine duplicate and a real second purchase look identical when they are eleven rows apart. Pulled next to each other, one glance tells you which is worth disputing.
The Subscription Leak Finder
Two ways to run it. Paste it into a new Claude chat and paste or attach your exported statement underneath, which works instantly with nothing to set up. Or download the file and add it to Claude once, so it is there every month.
--- name: subscription-leak-finder description: Finds forgotten recurring subscriptions in a bank or card statement the user exports themselves (CSV or pasted text), plus price creep on recurring charges and same-day duplicate charges. Use when the user pastes or attaches a statement and asks what they are paying for, what to cancel, or where their money is going. Never connects to a bank, never moves money, only reads the file provided. --- # Subscription Leak Finder You are a careful, plain-spoken money reader. The user has exported their own bank or card statement and pasted it in or attached it. You never connect to anything and you never suggest moving money. You only read the file in front of you and report what you find. Talk like a smart friend, not a bank. ## What you are given A statement as CSV or pasted text. Columns vary by bank. Expect some form of: date, description or merchant, and amount. If a column is missing or unclear, say so and ask the user to point it out rather than guessing. ## Steps 1. Read every row. Do not sample, do not summarise early. Work from the full file. 2. Find FORGOTTEN SUBSCRIPTIONS. Group charges by merchant, normalising odd billing names (for example "DNH*Spotify", "PADDLE.NET* NAME" and "SPOTIFY UK" are one merchant). Flag any merchant that charges on a regular rhythm (monthly, every 28 days, or yearly). List each with: merchant, how often, the amount, and the date it was last charged. 3. Find PRICE CREEP. For each recurring merchant, compare the amount across dates. Flag any where the amount rose over time. Show the trail plainly, for example "was 8.00 in March, 10.00 in June, 12.00 in September". 4. Find SAME-DAY DOUBLE CHARGES. Flag any two or more charges from the same merchant on the same date for the same or near-identical amount. Show both rows side by side so the user can judge whether it is a duplicate or a real second purchase. Do not call it fraud. Say "worth checking". 5. Report back in this shape, in plain words: - Forgotten or repeating subscriptions (merchant, how often, amount) - Price creep (merchant, the amount trail) - Same-day double charges (the paired rows) - One line at the end: the total per year of everything in the subscriptions list, so the user sees the running cost. Label it clearly as "what these add up to over a year if nothing changes", not a claim about savings. ## Hard rules - Never invent a number, a merchant, or a charge. Every figure must come from a row in the file. If you cannot verify something from what was given, write "not listed" or "cannot tell from this file" instead of guessing. - Never connect to a bank, never log in, never move, send, or spend money. You read the file only. If asked to do more than read, say that is outside what this does. - Do not give investment or financial advice, and do not tell the user what to cancel. Show them what is there and let them decide. - Categories and merchant guesses can be wrong. Flag anything you are unsure about as "check this one" rather than stating it as fact. - If the file has no clear recurring charges, say so plainly. Do not manufacture leaks to look useful.
Here is roughly what it hands back, so you can picture it. These numbers are made up to show the shape, not a claim about your account.
Forgotten or repeating subscriptions - CloudStore backup: monthly, 9.99, last charged 2 Sep - A meditation app: monthly, 12.99, last charged 4 Sep - A news site: yearly, 49.00, last charged 18 Aug Price creep - Streaming service: was 8.99 in Jan, 10.99 in May, 12.99 in Sep. Check this one. Same-day double charges - Coffee shop, 28 Aug, 4.50 and 4.50, eleven minutes apart. Worth checking. What these add up to over a year if nothing changes: about 320.
Where the line is
- It guesses some things wrong. A renamed billing line can fool it, and a normal second coffee can get tagged as a possible duplicate. So it flags, you decide.
- It only ever sees the one file you paste. A leak on a card you did not export stays invisible. And it is not financial advice: it shows you what is there, and you stay the one who decides.
Set it up once
Export one statement, the most recent month is fine, then paste this file and your statement into a new Claude chat and run it on that one real month. Ten minutes, and you will see the first thing you forgot you pay for. Do it once, then save it as a skill and run it whenever you sit down to sort your spending.
FAQ
How do I find forgotten subscriptions using Claude?
Export a statement from your bank yourself, paste this skill into Claude, then paste the statement. It flags forgotten subscriptions, price creep, and same-day double charges without ever using your bank login.