# The Money-Back Agent: find the money you're losing every month (and get it back in 30 minutes) **One free tool, one AI agent, 20 ready-to-send letters. Works in any country, inside the Claude or ChatGPT account you already have, and you don't hand your bank login to anyone.** *By Dan Shipped (@danshipped) · Last verified: October 2026* --- Open your banking app and scroll back three months. Somewhere in there is a $9.99 you forgot about. A $14.95 from a free trial that quietly stopped being free. A streaming price that went from $15.49 to $17.99 without anyone asking you. A $3.50 ATM fee, five times. An internet bill that's $10 higher than last spring. None of these is big on its own. That's why they survive. Added up over a year they usually are big, and every one of them can be found with a simple rule and fixed with a short message. This guide gives you both: the rules, built into a tool that finds the leaks for you, and the messages, already written. ### Why now On September 8, 2026, Meta launched **Muse**, a personal AI agent that can, among other things, negotiate bills for you. It got about **2.8 million installs in its first 12 days** in the US and Canada (Apptopia data, reported by TechCrunch). People clearly want an AI that gets their money back. But Muse launched in North America only (Meta's launch terms: US adults 18+), it works by connecting your accounts and services to Meta's agent, and according to launch coverage, signing up asks for a payment card even on the free tier. Here's the other way to do it: - **Works everywhere.** US, UK, EU, Italy, anywhere you have a bank statement. - **Runs in your own AI.** Claude or ChatGPT, the account you already pay for or use for free. - **No new company holding your bank data.** The leak finder runs offline in your browser. The agent only sees what you paste, and you can mask account numbers first. - **You stay in control.** It finds and writes. You decide and send. And it works. In October 2025, Tom's Hardware reported on a family who were billed about **$195,000** for four hours of intensive care after a relative's death. They used Claude to go through the itemized bill, found duplicate charges and wrong billing codes, and **settled for about $33,000**. That's one story, not a promise. It shows what happens when someone actually reads the bill line by line, which is exactly what an AI is good at and what most of us never do. ### Why this is free I'm building the automatic version: an app that connects to your accounts, finds leaks every month and handles the cancellations and negotiations for you. Before I build it, I want to know if you'd use it. So the do-it-yourself version is free. If it saves you money, tell me (details at the end). --- ## What's inside | File | What it does | Time | |---|---|---| | `tools/money-leak-finder.html` | Offline tool. Paste a bank CSV and see every recurring charge, price hike, duplicate and fee, with a yearly total and a "you'd save" counter | 5 min | | `skill/money-back-agent/` | Claude skill: reads statements (CSV, text, PDF text), ranks your leaks and writes every cancel / negotiate / dispute / refund message | 15 min | | `money-back-agent.zip` | The same skill, zipped and ready to upload to Claude | 1 min | | `PROMPT.md` | Same agent as a paste-in prompt for ChatGPT, Gemini or any AI | 2 min | | `templates/` | 20 ready-to-send letters and call scripts with [BRACKETS] to fill | 3–10 min each | | `samples/sample-statement-us.csv` | Realistic 4-month sample so you can test everything right away | — | --- ## Start here: your 5-minute win ### Minute 0–1 · See it work 1. Open `tools/money-leak-finder.html` (double-click it; it opens in your browser). 2. Click **"Try it with sample data"**. You'll see a fictional person's last 4 months: **$6,385/year** in recurring charges, **$322/year** in bank fees, 3 price increases, 2 possible duplicates and 4 streaming services at once. Click **"Auto-pick obvious cuts"** and the "You'd save" number jumps to **$1,149/year**, without touching rent, insurance or the phone bill. That's the whole idea. Now do it with your own numbers. ### Minute 1–4 · Get your statements From **every** checking account and credit card, download the last **3 months** of transactions (more is better: 6–12 months catches yearly charges). - **Bank app or website:** look for *Statements*, *Activity*, *Transactions* or *Download*. Choose **CSV** (sometimes called "Excel" or "spreadsheet"). Pick the date range. - **Only have PDFs?** Open the PDF, select the transaction rows, copy, paste. The tool reads most copied statement text. - **No export at all?** Use the "Type them in" tab and add charges from your app by hand. Also check your phone's subscription list: on iPhone, *Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions*. On Android, *Play Store → profile → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions*. ### Minute 4–5 · Get your number Paste everything into the tool (all accounts at once is fine) and click **"Find my leaks"**. You'll get: - **The big number:** what you spend per year on recurring charges, plus bank fees and interest. - **The ranked table:** every recurring charge, how often it hits, what it costs per year, and what's wrong with it (price up, duplicate, trial that converted, overlap, fee). - **A "Cut" checkbox on each row.** Tick what you'll cancel and the **"You'd save"** number updates live. - **The next move for each row,** with the template number to use. **Is my data safe?** The tool is a single file with no internet connection. It blocks all network requests, so nothing you paste can leave the page. Close the tab and it's gone. **If the numbers look off:** use the options under the text box. "Charges appear as" fixes files where spending is positive (common on credit cards). "Date format" fixes day/month vs month/day. --- ## Chapter 1 · The 7 money leaks (and what they look like on your statement) Every leak below is something the tool and the agent detect automatically. Knowing what they look like helps you spot what software can't. ### Leak 1 · Forgotten subscriptions **On your statement:** the same merchant, the same amount, every month. `SPOTIFY USA 877-7781161 NY -11.99`. **Why it survives:** it's small, it's automatic, and you stopped noticing it after the second month. **Fix:** cancel (template 01), or keep it on purpose. The goal isn't to cancel everything. It's to pay only for what you'd sign up for again today. ### Leak 2 · Free trials that converted **On your statement:** a subscription that *starts* in the middle of your data. `AUDIBLE*2K4LM0RT1 AMZN.COM/BILL -14.95` first appears in late July and repeats. **Why it survives:** the trial ended while you were busy. Many trials ask for a card up front for exactly this reason. **Fix:** cancel and ask for a refund of the charges you didn't use (template 08). Recent conversions with zero usage often get refunded just for asking. ### Leak 3 · Silent price increases **On your statement:** same merchant, the amount steps up. `NETFLIX.COM -15.49, -15.49, -17.99, -17.99`. **Why it survives:** you were told by email, maybe, in paragraph four. **Fix:** for subscriptions, push back or downgrade (template 18). For phone, internet and TV, negotiate (templates 04, 05). For insurance, re-quote (template 11). ### Leak 4 · Duplicate charges **On your statement:** same merchant, same amount, within a few days. `DOORDASH DASHPASS -9.99` on Aug 10 **and** Aug 11. **Why it survives:** nobody checks every line. **Fix:** ask the merchant, then dispute with your card if needed (template 06). In the US, a credit-card billing-error dispute must **reach the issuer within 60 days** after the first statement showing the error was sent, so don't wait. ### Leak 5 · Bank, ATM and foreign-transaction fees **On your statement:** `MONTHLY MAINTENANCE FEE -12.00`, `NON-NETWORK ATM FEE -3.50`, `FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE -2.85`, `OVERDRAFT FEE -35.00`, `INTEREST CHARGE`. In Italy: *canone*, *commissioni*, *spese*. In the UK: *non-sterling transaction fee*. **Why it survives:** fees feel like the weather, not like a choice. **Fix:** ask for a courtesy waiver, then remove the cause: a no-fee account, overdraft opt-out, in-network ATMs, a card without foreign transaction fees (template 09). When a card terminal abroad offers to charge you "in your home currency", choose the local currency; the home-currency option usually costs more. ### Leak 6 · Overlapping services **On your statement:** four streaming services, two cloud storage plans, three AI chatbots, two delivery memberships. **Why it survives:** each one made sense the day you signed up. **Fix:** keep one per category and **rotate**: one streaming service per month, binge, cancel, switch. You lose nothing but the overlap. ### Leak 7 · Bills that only go up **On your statement:** phone, internet, insurance. Big, "fixed", and quietly growing. `COMCAST XFINITY -79.99 … -89.99`. **Why it survives:** you assume the price is the price. **Fix:** a 20-minute call to the retention team with a competitor's offer (template 04) or a yearly re-quote (template 11). Not guaranteed, but it's often the highest money-per-minute item on your list. --- ## Chapter 2 · Install the Money-Back Agent (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) The HTML tool finds the leaks. The agent goes further: it reads messy statements, handles yearly charges and PDFs, explains what each charge probably is, and **writes the exact message for each action** using your real names, amounts and dates. ### Option A · Claude (skill) **Claude.ai / Claude desktop app:** 1. Make sure code execution is on: *Settings → Capabilities*. (Custom skills need it; check that your plan supports skills.) 2. In *Settings → Capabilities → Skills*, click **Upload skill** and choose `money-back-agent.zip` from this folder. 3. Start a new chat and say: *"Run the Money-Back Agent on my statements"*, then attach your CSV files. Menu names change from time to time. If you can't find it, search "Skills" in Claude's settings or help center. **Claude Code:** copy the folder `skill/money-back-agent/` into `~/.claude/skills/` (personal) or `.claude/skills/` inside a project. Then ask Claude Code to "find money leaks in ~/Downloads/statement.csv". **What the skill does, step by step:** 1. Asks for your country and currency, and reminds you to mask account numbers. 2. Runs `scripts/find_leaks.py` on your files: the same detection rules as the HTML tool, written in plain Python with no outside libraries. 3. Reviews the results with judgment (removes false positives, asks about anything unclear). 4. Shows you the **Money Leak Report**: the big number, a ranked table, quick wins and potential savings. 5. For each item you pick, fills in the right template and tells you the channel, the deadline and the follow-up. 6. Ends with a checklist and calendar reminders. ### Option B · ChatGPT, Gemini, or any AI Open `PROMPT.md`, copy the prompt into a new chat, attach your files (or paste the text), and fill in your country. It follows the same rules and output format as the skill. ### Privacy rules (for any AI) - **Mask** account numbers, card numbers and your address before you upload. The agent only needs date, description and amount. - **Never** paste passwords, PINs, security answers or one-time codes into any chat. No legitimate step in this guide needs them. - If you're unsure, use only the offline HTML tool and the templates. You'll still get 80% of the value. --- ## Chapter 3 · The 30-minute Money-Back Session Do this once now, then every 90 days. Set a timer. Phone on silent. **Minutes 0–5 · Collect** - [ ] Export 3 months of transactions from every checking account and credit card (CSV). - [ ] Open your phone's subscription list (iPhone/Android paths above). - [ ] Grab your latest phone, internet and insurance bills. **Minutes 5–10 · Find** - [ ] Paste everything into `money-leak-finder.html` (or run the agent). - [ ] Write down your big number: **"I spend ____ /year on recurring charges and ____ /year on fees."** - [ ] Go row by row. For each, one question: *"Would I sign up for this again today at this price?"* If no, tick **Cut**. **Minutes 10–20 · Act on the fast ones (no phone calls yet)** - [ ] Cancel everything you ticked that has a self-serve button (app settings, account page). Screenshot each confirmation. - [ ] Send template 08 for any trial that converted. - [ ] Send template 06 for any duplicate charge. - [ ] Send template 09 (secure message in the banking app) for each fee. - [ ] Streaming overlap: keep one, cancel the rest, add a calendar reminder to rotate next month. **Minutes 20–30 · Queue the big ones** - [ ] Pick **one** bill to negotiate this week (the one with the biggest price increase). Fill in the prep table in template 04 now, call tomorrow morning. - [ ] Find your insurance renewal date. Add a reminder for 30 days before: "Template 11." - [ ] Add a reminder in 90 days: "Money-Back Session." - [ ] Optional, 5 minutes: search the official unclaimed-money site for your country (Chapter 6). **Write your result here:** `Date: ____ Cut: ____ /year Refunds requested: ____ Next call: ____` --- ## Chapter 4 · The 20 templates Every template has [BRACKETS] to fill in. The agent fills them for you, or you can do it by hand in 3 minutes. | # | Template | Use it when | |---|---|---| | 01 | Cancel a subscription (email/form/chat, incl. US "make cancelling as easy as signing up" and UK/EU versions) | You want out of any recurring charge | | 02 | Cancel by phone | They only cancel by phone | | 03 | Retention-offer script | You'd stay if it were cheaper | | 04 | Negotiate internet/phone/TV (phone script + prep table) | A bill went up or a promo ended | | 05 | Negotiate by chat | You hate phone calls; you want a transcript | | 06 | Dispute a duplicate / wrong / unauthorized charge (US credit, US debit, UK, EU/Italy) | Charged twice, after cancelling, or the wrong amount | | 07 | Refund for unused service | You paid for months you never used | | 08 | Forgotten trial refund | A free trial became a paid plan | | 09 | Bank fee waiver + fee-by-fee fixes | Maintenance, overdraft, ATM, FX, late fees, interest | | 10 | Gym cancellation letter | Gyms that make leaving hard | | 11 | Insurance re-quote checklist | Every year, 30 days before renewal | | 12 | US medical bill: itemized bill request | Any large or confusing medical bill | | 13 | US medical bill: error review prompt + dispute letter | After you have the itemized bill | | 14 | Flight compensation (EU261 / UK261) | Arrived 3+ hours late, cancelled, denied boarding | | 15 | US flight refund request | Cancelled or significantly delayed US flight | | 16 | Hotel / rental compensation | Room not as booked, hidden fees | | 17 | Price-drop refund | The price fell after you bought | | 18 | Price-increase pushback | A subscription got more expensive | | 19 | Escalation (final notice + regulators by country) | The company won't fix it | | 20 | Italy: disdetta / recesso (in Italian) | Subscriptions, telecom, gym, direct debits in Italy | ### The 5 rules that make every template work 1. **One clear request.** "Please refund $44.85 to my card ending 1234." Not a story. 2. **Facts with dates.** Merchant, amount, date, reference numbers. 3. **In writing, every time.** Email, chat transcript, secure message. If it was a call, send a follow-up email summarizing it. 4. **A deadline.** "Please reply by [date]." Then follow up once, then escalate. 5. **Polite and boring.** The person reading it didn't raise your price. Calm messages get escalated less and approved more. --- ## Chapter 5 · The big three: phone/internet, insurance, medical Subscriptions are the easy wins. These three are where the large numbers usually are. ### Phone, internet, TV The person who answers the main line usually can't change your price. The **retention / cancellations team** often can. Template 04 gets you there and gives you a prep table: current price, new-customer price, a competitor's real offer at your address, your target and your walk-away price. What usually moves the number: a competitor quote, dropping a speed tier you don't use, removing equipment rental, removing add-ons, autopay/paperless discounts, outage credits. Get the new price **in writing**, including taxes and fees, and note when it ends. Country notes: - **UK:** since 17 January 2025, price rises in new mobile, broadband and pay-TV contracts must be stated in pounds and pence at the point of sale (Ofcom). - **Italy:** the Bersani law (Legge 40/2007) lets you withdraw from telecom contracts paying only justified costs. Disputes go to AGCOM's free ConciliaWeb. - **US:** complaints to the FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. ### Insurance Insurance doesn't negotiate like a phone bill. It **re-quotes**. Template 11 is a checklist: same cover, same limits, same deductible, three quotes, then call your current insurer with the best one. Switch only when the new policy starts before the old one ends. - **UK:** since 1 January 2022, FCA rules stop home and motor insurers from charging renewing customers more than equivalent new customers through the same channel. Other insurers may still be cheaper. - **Italy:** RC auto policies don't renew automatically, so you can compare and switch at expiry. ### Medical bills (US) If you get a large hospital bill, **don't pay from the summary.** The sequence: 1. **Request the itemized bill** with codes, and ask for the account to be put on hold from collections while you review (template 12). 2. **Review it line by line** with AI (template 13 has a ready prompt) for duplicates, unbundled charges, wrong status (inpatient vs emergency/observation), impossible quantities and dates. Then check every flag yourself. 3. **Send the dispute letter** (template 13) and ask for a corrected bill. 4. **Negotiate the rest:** self-pay discount, a Medicare-based rate, or an interest-free plan. 5. **Ask for financial assistance:** nonprofit hospitals must have a written financial assistance policy (IRS §501(r)). If you were **uninsured or self-pay** and got a Good Faith Estimate, and the bill is **at least $400 more** than the estimate, you can start the federal patient-provider dispute process **within 120 calendar days** of the bill ($25 fee). Details at cms.gov/nosurprises. This is the playbook the family in the Tom's Hardware story followed: itemized bill, line-by-line review, a firm letter citing what was wrong. From about $195,000 to about $33,000. --- ## Chapter 6 · Unclaimed money: money that's already yours State programs, central banks and official funds hold money from forgotten accounts, uncashed checks, deposits, refunds and pensions, waiting for the owner to ask. Searching is **free** on official sites. Five minutes, once a year. Search your name, your old addresses, and family members' names if you're handling an estate. > **Scam warning:** official searches are free. Ignore anyone who asks for a fee upfront, your bank login, or your one-time codes to "recover" your money. ### United States - **unclaimed.org**: run by NAUPA (the association of state unclaimed property administrators). Links to every state's official program. Search every state you've lived or worked in. - **missingmoney.com**: free search across participating states' databases, managed by NAUPA. - **treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/treasury-hunt/**: Treasury Hunt, for matured US savings bonds and other Treasury securities. - **pbgc.gov** → *Find unclaimed retirement benefits*: pensions from plans the PBGC took over or that ended. - **irs.gov/refunds**: if you didn't file a return in a year you were owed a refund, you generally have three years to claim it. ### United Kingdom - **mylostaccount.org.uk**: one free form searches banks, building societies and NS&I for lost accounts. - **gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details**: the Pension Tracing Service, for old workplace and personal pensions. - **gov.uk/claim-tax-refund**: if you overpaid tax (for example after a job change, or for work expenses). ### Italy - **Consap · Fondo rapporti dormienti** (consap.it → *Rapporti dormienti* → *Area cittadini*): accounts, savings books and other financial products with no activity for **10 years** and a balance of **€100 or more** are moved to a state fund managed by Consap. Holders and heirs can claim within **10 years** (check the "termini" page on the Consap site). - Search the database: consultaconti.consap.it/ricercaconto.aspx - Submit a claim online: portale.consap.it (or by registered mail). No intermediary needed. ### Canada - **unclaimedproperties.bankofcanada.ca**: the Bank of Canada's Unclaimed Properties Office, for unclaimed balances at federally regulated banks. Some provinces run their own programs for other kinds of property. ### Australia - **moneysmart.gov.au/find-unclaimed-money**: ASIC's free search for unclaimed bank accounts, shares and life insurance. For lost superannuation, check through the ATO (myGov). ### France - **ciclade.caissedesdepots.fr**: Ciclade, the official search for dormant bank accounts and life-insurance contracts held by the Caisse des Dépôts. ### Everywhere else Search "[your country] unclaimed money official" or "[country] dormant accounts central bank". Use only government or central-bank sites. In some countries (Germany, for example) we couldn't find a single official national search; there, ask the banks you've used directly. --- ## Chapter 7 · Travel money you're probably owed ### Flights in or from Europe (EU261 / UK261) If your flight **arrived 3+ hours late**, was **cancelled with less than 14 days' notice**, or you were **denied boarding**, you may be owed fixed compensation unless the cause was "extraordinary" (severe weather, air traffic control, security): | Distance | EU261 | UK261 | |---|---|---| | Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 | | 1,500–3,500 km | €400 | £350 | | Over 3,500 km | €600 | £520 (£260 if 3–4 h late) | It covers flights departing the EU (any airline) and flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline; the UK version covers UK departures and UK arrivals on UK/EU airlines. Claim directly with the airline using template 14. It's free, and claim companies take a cut. In June 2026 EU lawmakers reached a political agreement on reforming these rules that, according to reports, keeps the 3-hour threshold and the amounts; until it's formally in force, the current rules apply. Check europa.eu (Your Europe → Air passenger rights) before you claim. ### US flights Since October 28, 2024, US airlines must give a **cash refund** if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you don't accept alternatives. A significant delay is more than **3 hours domestic** or **6 hours international**. Refunds are due within 7 business days for card purchases. Don't accept a voucher if you want cash. There's no US law giving fixed cash compensation for delays. Template 15. ### Hotels and rentals No compensation law, but a strong process: complain on the spot, photos, a written request for a **specific** refund, then the booking platform or your card. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC's fee rule requires US hotels and short-term rentals to show the total price including mandatory fees up front, which helps if a "resort fee" appeared at checkout. Template 16. --- ## Going further **For freelancers and small business owners** Run the tool on your **business** account and card too. Business leaks are usually bigger and less visible: - **Software seats** for people who left or tools nobody opened this quarter. Check each tool's admin panel for "last active". - **Monthly vs annual plans.** Annual is cheaper only if you'll use it all year. Monthly + cancel when idle often wins for seasonal tools. - **Duplicated tools** (two schedulers, two design tools, three AI subscriptions). - **Payment processing and bank fees:** look at the fee lines in your processor's monthly statement and ask your bank about a cheaper business account tier. - **Domains and hosting** on auto-renew for projects you closed. Use the same templates. For a SaaS vendor, template 03 (retention) and template 18 (price increase) work well; mention seat count and how long you've been a customer. **Make it automatic(ish)** - **Calendar reminders** are the most effective tool in this guide: trial end dates (minus 2 days), promo end dates (minus 7 days), insurance renewal (minus 30 days), "Money-Back Session" every 90 days. - **Virtual or single-use card numbers** (if your bank offers them) for free trials and one-off purchases, so nothing can renew without you. - **One card for subscriptions.** Put all recurring charges on one card. Your next audit takes 2 minutes. - **Streaming rotation.** One service at a time. Calendar reminder on the 1st of each month: "Rotate." **Run it for family** Parents and grandparents are the most targeted by subscriptions they didn't mean to keep and by hidden fees. With their permission, sit with them, export the statements together, run the tool, and send the letters from their email. **Go deeper with the agent** - "Show me every merchant I paid more than 5 times in 3 months, even if it's not a subscription." (Coffee, delivery, rideshare: not leaks by definition, but worth seeing.) - "Group my spending by category and month, and show what changed most." - "Write a one-page 'money rules' note for me based on what you found." --- ## Limits (read this) - **Not financial, legal or medical advice.** These are information and templates. Laws and company policies change and depend on your country and state. Where a right matters, check the official source linked in the template. - **You send the messages.** The tool and the agent never contact anyone, never log into anything, and can't guarantee any refund, discount or outcome. Companies can say no. - **Detection isn't perfect.** It needs at least 2 charges to confirm a monthly pattern, so 3+ months of data works best. Yearly subscriptions appear once in 3 months and may be guessed or missed. Some legit charges can look like duplicates (two pizzas, two tickets). Always check before you dispute. - **Never share bank passwords, PINs or one-time codes**, with any AI, any app, or anyone who calls you about "recovering" money. Nothing here needs them. - **AI can be wrong.** It can misread a line or overstate a rule. You're the final check on every message you send, especially for medical bills and disputes. - **The examples are examples.** The sample data is fictional. The Tom's Hardware hospital-bill story is one family's reported experience, not a typical result. --- ## Want this done automatically? The do-it-yourself version is above, and it works. I'm building the **automatic version**: you connect your accounts once, it finds new leaks every month, and it handles the cancellations, refund requests and bill negotiations for you. You approve each one with a tap. **Reply YES to my DM** (or join the waitlist from the link in my bio) and you'll be first in when it's ready. Tell me the biggest leak you found. That's the first thing I'll make sure it handles. **Follow @danshipped** for the next drop. One useful AI build at a time, shipped.