The subscription economy is here to stay. According to Forbes, by the end of 2025 it will be a $1.5 TRILLION market.
Many appreciate its convenience, and the choice it gives them as consumers. The subscription should be praised for its democratisation of information, entertainment, even dog food. It has done as much to change the way people consume as the printing press did in the 1400s.
Unfortunately, not all subscription businesses play fair. Subscriptions can be easy to access, but can soon become a financial and administrative burden. Hidden price hikes, difficult unsubscribe journeys, constant spamming of emails – sound familiar at all?
The Financial Times suggests that only 55-59% of adults in the UK and US know how much they are spending on subscriptions. This is a frightening statistic.
We call for change
Subscriptions should be easy. Easy to sign up to. Easy to manage. Easy to understand. Easy to live with. The product you subscribe to should be the draw, not the hidden tricks that are too often used to keep you tied in.
We believe that all subscription services should adhere to a set of principles, and to be assessed against these principles. A quality ranking which covers pricing practices, spamming, administrative burden and simplicity of cancellation.
We are building a set of principles that we (as consumers, and sometimes builders of subscription services) expect subscription services to adhere to. An Open Banking for subscriptions if you will. A new way.
Who are we
We are a collective of technologists, media experts and product developers who have been heavily involved in building and improving some of the worlds best known subscription services. We have seen the good, the bad, AND the ugly. We want change. We are here to make it happen.
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