🚀 Getting started

Setting up BillSensor takes under two minutes

The steps depend on whether you use Gmail or Outlook / Microsoft 365. Pick your inbox below, everything else takes care of itself.

Add BillSensor to Chrome, free →

No credit card. Free account required, no Gmail connection needed.

Walkthrough video coming soon

Billing email arrives

BillSensor detects it locally

Subscription saved

Alert, 7 days before renewal

Setting up Gmail detection

Gmail detection has no Gmail connection step and nothing to approve in Google. You create a free BillSensor account once, and BillSensor starts working the moment you open a billing email.

STEP 1

Install BillSensor from the Chrome Web Store

Installing takes a few seconds. BillSensor needs a free account to work, so you create it next.

STEP 2

Create your free BillSensor account

BillSensor needs a free account to work. It takes an email address and a password, with no Google sign-in. It also gives you email alerts on your 5 lowest-cost subscriptions, on top of the Chrome notifications every plan gets.

STEP 3

Open Gmail and browse as you normally would

Nothing runs in the background. BillSensor only activates when you're actually looking at an email.

STEP 4

Open a billing or receipt email

BillSensor checks the sender and subject against a list of 90 known SaaS tools and saves the subscription automatically, tool name, amount, and next charge date.

STEP 5

Get notified 7 days before renewal

A Chrome notification fires automatically. No further setup needed. For a free trial of seven days or less, the warning comes closer to the first charge so it still arrives in time.

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Don't want to wait for the next billing email?

Use "+ Add Subscription Manually" in the popup to add any subscription right away, up to 5 on the free plan.

Setting up Outlook / Microsoft 365 detection

Outlook works differently from Gmail. Instead of reading emails as you open them, BillSensor connects once through a read-only Microsoft Graph API scope and scans your last 12 months of billing history in one pass.

STEP 1

Install BillSensor from the Chrome Web Store

Same first step as Gmail.

STEP 2

Create your free BillSensor account

BillSensor needs a free account to work, so create it before you connect Outlook. It takes an email address and a password.

STEP 3

Click "Connect Outlook / Microsoft 365" in the popup

This starts Microsoft's own consent flow, not BillSensor's.

STEP 4

Approve the read-only permission screen

The scope requested is Mail.Read only, the same standard consent screen you'd see connecting any calendar tool. BillSensor cannot send, delete, or modify anything with this access.

STEP 5

BillSensor scans your last 12 months automatically

Every billing email from the past year gets detected in one pass, no need to open each one individually the way Gmail requires.

STEP 6

Get your alerts by email

Outlook alerts are sent by email only, there's no Chrome notification trigger for Outlook the way there is for Gmail.

STEP 7

Re-scan manually anytime, or upgrade for daily auto re-scan

Free users can click "Scan Now" in the popup whenever they want an update. Pro and Business accounts re-scan automatically every day in the background.

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First scan takes a moment

Scanning 12 months of email history isn't instant. Give it a minute or two after connecting before checking your subscriptions list.

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Want the technical details on why Outlook needs this and Gmail doesn't?

Read how BillSensor reads Gmail without OAuth for the full explanation.

Related resources

See all 90 supported tools

Browse every tool BillSensor detects, with its dark pattern score and direct cancel link.

How Gmail detection works without OAuth

The technical breakdown of what BillSensor reads in Gmail and Outlook, and where it goes.

62 SaaS Tools Ranked by How Hard They Make It to Cancel

The full scorecard behind every dark pattern rating, with sources for each tool.

Why Mailchimp keeps charging after cancellation

A real example of the post-cancellation monitoring problem BillSensor catches.

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Ready to stop guessing when you'll be charged next?

Install BillSensor and follow the steps above, whichever inbox you use, you'll be protected in under two minutes.

Add BillSensor to Chrome, free →

7-day free trial on Pro and Business. 14-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to create an account to use BillSensor?

Yes. BillSensor needs a free account to work. It requires an email address and password, with no Google sign-in or inbox access, and you create it right after installation. The account is also what lets email alerts reach you whether or not your browser is open. A Chrome notification fires 7 days before a charge on every Gmail subscription, but only while Chrome is running, so if your laptop is off at that moment, you would miss it. The email alert does not depend on your browser. On the Free plan, email alerts cover your 5 lowest-cost subscriptions, and paid plans cover all of them.

Does BillSensor work if I use multiple Gmail accounts?

Yes. Gmail detection works across multiple Google accounts open in the same browser (u/0, u/1, u/2), no extra setup required for each one.

Can I use both Gmail and Outlook detection at the same time?

Yes. They run independently, connecting Outlook doesn't affect Gmail detection, and vice versa. Many freelancers and small teams end up using both if they manage more than one inbox.

What happens to my data if I uninstall the extension?

Any subscriptions stored locally in your browser are removed with the extension. If you had a Pro or Business account, your synced data stays in your account and picks back up if you reinstall and log in again.

Do I need to reconnect Outlook after upgrading to Pro?

No. Upgrading doesn't break your existing connection; it just removes the 5-subscription alert cap and switches you from manual re-scan to automatic daily re-scan. Common questions are answered in the BillSensor support hub.