Saved payment methods make it too easy to spend money without thinking. Deleting them from shopping apps and online marketplaces forces you to manually enter your credit card information each time, giving you a pause to reconsider impulse purchases.
Small purchases feel less consequential when you do not see the money leave your account or type in a card number. A $5 purchase seems minor, but many add up over time. The frictionless process also enables recurring charges that start as free trials, leading to multiple monthly subscriptions.
Buy-now-pay-later services compound the problem. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has tracked major growth in BNPL loans as more people stretch payments over time.
You do not need to delete saved payment methods everywhere. Focus on the shopping apps and online marketplaces where you spend the most and impulse buy most often. If you barely use a shopping site, you can keep your information saved there. Turn off one-click checkout when possible for the same reason.
Keep autopay on for essential, predictable bills to avoid late fees. Avoid using debit cards to limit spending, since debit cards do not have the same fraud protection that credit cards provide.