Negotiating fees and subscription charges from your service providers can be a great way to save money. But it can be hard to devote the time and energy required.
Fortunately, there are businesses offering bill negotiation services for a fee, typically a percentage of your total savings. They'll connect with your phone company, streaming service or other provider and work to save you a nice chunk of change on your monthly bills. Some companies will address medical bills, home security and more.
CNBC Select reviewed more than a dozen bill negotiation companies, focusing on cost, types of bills negotiated, customer satisfaction and other criteria in various categories. (Read our methodology for more on how we made our selections.)
Best bill negotiation services
Best for subscription services: Rocket Money
Rocket Money
Cost
The basic plan is free. Rocket Money Premium is $7 to $14 a month with a 7-day free trial. Bill negotiation services cost 35% to 60% of the first-year savings, if the negotiation is successful.
Standout features
Easily cancel unwanted subscriptions, track your spending and credit score, automate savings and get help lowering bills. Rocket Money Premium includes additional services like net-worth tracking, credit reports and a subscription cancellation concierge service
Security
Rocket Money accesses transaction data via an encrypted token, uses Plaid API so user credentials are never stored, provides bank-level 256-bit encryption and hosts servers on Amazon Web Services
Availability
Offered online and on both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)
Terms apply.
Pros
- Allows you to easily view and cancel unwanted subscriptions
- Offers a free version
- A+ from Better Business Bureau
Cons
- Nonrefundable bill negotiation fee can be up to 60% of savings
- Premium pricing varies
Who's this for? Rocket Money has made a name for itself with its popular subscription cancellation and bill negotiation services.
Standout features: The app also offers free budgeting tools to help you track spending and deposits, set spending goals and sort transactions into categories. With a paid membership, you can also track your net worth and get regular credit reports
Price: Premium membership with subscription cancellation services ranges from $7 to $14 a month after a seven-day free trial. Bill negotiation costs between 35% and 60% of your first year's savings. Basic budgeting tools are free, with custom and unlimited budget features available with Premium.
Best for medical bills: Trim
OneMain® MyMoney
Cost
Free. Bill negotiation service costs 33% of any savings you receive.
Standout features
OneMain® MyMoney finds and cancels subscriptions for free, suggests less expensive auto insurance and offers bill negotiation services for a fee.
Availability
OneMain® MyMoney is available to users via the OneMain Financial mobile app (available on Google Play) and through online account enrollment.
Pros
- Free service with a user-friendly interface
- Can identify and cancel streaming services, gym memberships and phone, internet and cable bills
- Uses 256-bit SSL encryption and two-factor authentication for added security.
Cons
- No mobile app
- Limited customer service options
Who's this for? If you sign up for Trim's premium service, the company will negotiate medical bills on your behalf. While the company typically charges 33% of any savings you receive, premium members get bill negotiation for free.
Standout features: Trim will cancel subscriptions for free. It also offers a high-yield savings account, Trim Simple Savings, with a 4% annualized bonus on your first $2,000 and .001% on any amount above that.
Price: 33% of savings for bill negotiation, $99 for annual premium membership (14-day free trial)
Best for phone and internet: Billshark
Billshark
Cost
40% of whatever savings you earn, $9 per canceled subscription
Standout features
"Sharks" negotiate with phone, internet, cable, security and other providers for lower rates. Subscription cancellation service, "No savings, no fee" policy
Categorizes your expenses
No
Links to accounts
Not required; you create an account and upload your bills (as opposed to linking bank accounts)
Availability
Available for iOS and Android
Security features
Encrypted with bank-level security (256-bit encryption), doesn't store credit card information or share data with third parties
Terms apply.
Pros
- Doesn't charge if agents aren't able to find savings
- Claims a 90% success rate
- Negotiates for service credits during outages
- Earn Reward Dollars to use on dining, shopping, and travel
Cons
- Won't negotiate credit cards, utilities or medical bills
- $9 fee per canceled subscription
- Mixed customer reviews
Who's this for? Negotiating phone, wireless, internet and other utilities, Billshark reports a 90% success rate and average annual savings of $300 per customer. If the name sounds familiar, that's because founders Brian Keaney and Steve McKean secured backing from Mark Cuban on a 2018 episode of Shark Tank.
Standout features: Billshark will cancel subscription services on your behalf and may be able to get you a refund for a subscription you haven't used.
Price: 40% of savings for bill negotiation, $9 per subscription cancellation
Best for versatility: Billcutterz
Billcutterz
Cost
Charges 50% on whatever savings you earn (can pay monthly or receive 10% discount for paying in full for the annual amount)
Standout features
Also aggregates quotes for car loans, car insurance and renters/home insurance
Categorizes your expenses
No
Links to accounts
Not required; you create an account and send your bills to Billcutterz (as opposed to linking bank accounts)
Availability
Sign up online for free (no app required)
Security features
Encrypted website with bank-level security, the savings experts undergo background checks and are extensively trained to ensure customer security
See our methodology, terms apply.
Pros
- Types of bills negotiated: cell phone, cable and satellite TV, internet, landline phones, cable/phone/internet bundles, alarm and security systems, satellite radio and electricity (only in eligible states)
- Customers only get charged when they save (for example, if you save $60 a month on your cell phone plan, you'll pay BillCutterz $30 each month or save 10% by paying annually; but if BillCutterz doesn't find any savings you won't get charged at all)
- Average savings turnaround time is two days (48 hours)
- Has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (average 4.5 star BBB rating with 24 reviews)
- Available to small businesses, nonprofits and individuals
Cons
- Does not include medical bill negotiation
- Electric bill negotiation only works if you live in a deregulated market
Who's this for? BillCutterz is the most versatile of the services we reviewed, with options for negotiating cable, internet, mobile phone, landlines, gym memberships and electric bills.
Standout features: The savings calculator estimates how much you could save before you complete enrollment. BillCutterz also provides free home, renters, auto, life and business insurance quotes from national and regional carriers.
Price: 50% of savings for bill negotiation or 40% for a one-time payment.
How does a bill negotiation service work?
Bill negotiation services allow customers to submit past bills for review. Usually, you only need to upload your invoice, although in some cases, you may need to authorize negotiations, too.
Then, an agent or secure software program will scan the bill for opportunities to negotiate lower costs or statement credits. That includes situations where you were overcharged, billed by mistake or lost service.
While these services are not free, they only charge if they're able to save you money. Typically, you'll pay a percentage of the savings (anywhere from 30% to 60%), so double-check the fee structure before signing up.
What bills can you negotiate?
Bill negotiation services typically work on utilities like mobile phone, cable, internet and even streaming services and medical bills.
Some may also address insurance premiums, credit card interest, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, gym memberships and other regular charges.
Are bill negotiation services worth it?
Bill negotiation services excel at areas where you're overpaying, lowering existing bills and canceling old subscriptions. But they're not free: Some, like BillCutterz, can take as much as 50% of any savings you receive from their efforts.
You only pay if they successfully lower your bill, though, so you're still saving money. So, if you don't think you have the time, energy or nerve to do it yourself, then it's a worthwhile endeavor.
Keep in mind, many companies have higher-priced premium tiers with additional services you may not want or need. To determine if a bill negotiation service is worth it, compare these fees to the savings you'll receive:
- Service fees: Can be one-time, monthly or annual
- Membership fees: Typically, an annual or monthly charge
- Bill negotiation fee: A percentage of the savings you enjoy
Bill negotiation FAQs
Can I negotiate bills myself?
Anyone can reach out to a service to negotiate their bill or lower their rate, but it takes time and determination. One useful strategy is to research competitors' rates and let your provider know you are considering cancelling.
What is the easiest bill to have negotiated?
Medical bills are considered the easiest to get lowered because they commonly have errors or discrepancies and typically don't accrue interest.
Are bill negotiation services legit?
All of the services we selected are legitimate companies with at least ten years in business and an A+ from the Better Business Bureau, the organization's highest grade.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit repair services. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics..
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Our methodology
CNBC Select analyzed more than a dozen bill negotiation services, focusing on cost, versatility, ease of use, years of operation and customer satisfaction based on Better Business Bureau scores and user reviews..
We only included services that offer free enrollment, provide transparent rates and only charge customers if they are able to save you money.
In addition, we narrowed our selections to bill negotiation services that have at least two security features, such as two-factor authentication and fraud detection.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
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