After years of running different websites and experimenting with domains, my hosting provider invoices had become confusing. Each month and year, I’d get billed, but I wasn’t sure what I was actually paying for.
Some domains were active, others had been abandoned, and a few services seemed unfamiliar. Like many small business owners, I kept putting off a proper review because the process looked tedious.
Facing the Problem
Eventually, I decided it was time to get a handle on things. My main questions were:
• What am I actually paying for?
• Which services or domains are still in use?
• Are there any duplicate or unnecessary charges?
• Can I reduce my monthly costs?
My Approach
I gathered everything I could find:
- 18 invoices (in PDF format) — combined into one PDF to get over the 10 file upload limit on ChatGPT
- Screenshots from my “Contracts & Subscriptions” dashboard
- A few contracts I didn’t recognise
I uploaded these documents into ChatGPT and asked:
“Can you help me figure out what I’m paying for, what’s necessary, and what I can cancel?”
What ChatGPT Did
ChatGPT processed the invoices and:
- Listed out all the services: domains, SSL certificates, hosting plans, and add-ons
- Created a spreadsheet showing what I was charged for, when, and why
- Cross-checked each contract with my IONOS dashboard
- Flagged any services that looked redundant, inactive, or unnecessary
It also spotted a few issues I hadn’t noticed:
- Two duplicate SSL add-on subscriptions
- Several “Instant Domain” contracts without any domains attached
- Ongoing charges for outdated PHP support
ChatGPT even drafted a cancellation and refund request for me to send to support, which I didn’t need to use in the end as support gave me a callback and helped confirm the empty contracts and duplicate packages.
The Outcome
With this information, I was able to:
- Cancel four old domain contracts I no longer used
- Remove a duplicate SSL certificate, saving about £30 a year
- Get a clear overview of which domains are active, when they renew, and what I’m paying for
Now, my hosting account is much easier to manage, and I’m avoiding unnecessary renewals.
Takeaway
This project was a good reminder that AI tools like ChatGPT can be practical for everyday business tasks. If you have a backlog of digital subscriptions or unclear invoices, it’s worth using AI to help you sort things out. It saved me time, gave me clarity, and helped me cut costs-without the headache of manual cross-checking.