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SaaS subscriptions

SaaS Subscriptions: A Monthly Review to Find Unused Tools

Some employees have moved teams and nobody is sure which software accounts are still needed. A monthly review shows what the business uses and what should change.

Sabeer NelliUpdated 4 min read

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Man reviewing a spending dashboard on a laptop in a home office

Read summarized version with:

Your business pays for a design tool, a project tracker, and several apps added during busy projects. The charges still arrive, but some employees have moved teams and nobody is sure which accounts are needed.

Reviewing SaaS subscriptions each month gives the person approving payments a clearer picture of what the business uses and what should change.

Start with the services already being billed rather than trying to rebuild every purchase decision from memory.

The list

Build a simple subscription list

Record each tool’s name, business purpose, account owner, billing schedule, and next renewal date.

Include the current plan and number of paid users. Check invoices against the vendor account so an old spreadsheet does not become your only source.

Assign a person to maintain the list.

Keep secrets out of the list. Keep passwords and full payment card details out of the subscription list.

Owners

Ask the owner what is still needed

Send each account owner a short review request before the renewal or cancellation deadline.

Ask whether the team still uses the tool, whether all paid seats are needed, and whether another service already covers the same work.

Check usage records where available, but discuss low activity before removing access. A tool used only during quarterly reporting may still have a clear purpose.

When the owner is leaving the business, see how to cut off SaaS subscriptions when an employee leaves.

Person at a desk reviewing charts on a laptop with spreadsheets and a coffee mug
Check usage where you can, then ask the owner before removing access.
Billing terms

Check the billing terms before changing plans

Review whether the subscription is monthly or annual and when changes take effect.

Removing a user does not always reduce the next invoice. Confirm whether the vendor requires a separate seat reduction or plan change.

Ask the account owner to identify any data that needs exporting before closing an account. Record the agreed action and who will complete it.

Card controls

Match payment controls to the approved budget

Virtual Card Maker’s SaaS subscriptions page describes a separate virtual card per vendor, individual spending limits, and merchant restrictions where supported.

Use the approved plan and billing schedule when setting a card limit. Include known taxes or agreed charges rather than adding an unexplained allowance.

For the setup itself, see how to choose the right virtual card setup for SaaS subscriptions.

A limit is not a cancellation. A card limit helps control payment authorization. It does not reduce software usage, change a vendor agreement, or cancel the subscription.

Next invoice

Confirm that changes reached the next invoice

After a downgrade or cancellation, save the vendor’s confirmation and review the next bill.

Check that removed seats, canceled services, and revised plan prices match what was agreed. Follow up on any difference instead of assuming the account change was completed.

If a card is canceled, remember that previously authorized charges may still settle.

Routine

Give the review a regular owner

Choose a monthly review date and keep unresolved items visible until someone completes them.

To organize recurring software payments by vendor, explore the card controls described in Virtual Card Maker’s SaaS subscription guide. For a one-time clean-up of every tool, see how to audit your SaaS subscriptions with virtual cards.

Give every software vendor its own card

Issue a virtual Visa card per SaaS vendor, set its spending limit, and review every renewal in one dashboard.

FAQ
How often should we review SaaS subscriptions?
Monthly works for most businesses. Pick a fixed review date, check the services billed since the last review, and keep unresolved items on the list until someone completes them.
What should a subscription list include?
Each tool’s name, business purpose, account owner, billing schedule, next renewal date, current plan, and number of paid users. Leave out passwords and full payment card details.
Should we cancel a tool with low usage?
Not before talking to the owner. Some tools are used only for occasional work, such as quarterly reporting, and still have a clear purpose.
Why didn't removing a user reduce our invoice?
Some vendors bill by seat count or annual commitment, and removing a user does not reduce the seats you pay for. Check whether the vendor needs a separate seat reduction or plan change.
Why use a separate virtual card for each SaaS vendor?
Each vendor's charges land on its own card with its own label and spending limit, so you can see what each tool costs and change or cancel one card without affecting the others.
Does a lower card limit reduce what we owe the vendor?
No. A card limit controls which payments are authorized. It does not reduce seats, change the plan, or alter the agreement. Make those changes in the vendor account, then set the card limit to match the approved amount.
Does canceling a virtual card cancel the SaaS subscription?
No. Canceling the card stops future charges to it from clearing, but your agreement with the vendor continues. Cancel the subscription through the vendor's own process and keep the confirmation. Charges authorized before the card was canceled may still settle.
Try it

Issue a card with these rules on it.

Set the limit, restrict the merchant, choose the active window, and send the card. Every charge lands in one dashboard, already attributed.

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The next vendor gets its own Visa card.

Not the shared one. Its own number, its own ceiling, its own line in the ledger.

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