Brandwatch
Brandwatch Consumer Research examined finance-related online conversations and found that negativity is increasing, with negative mentions up 21% between March 1, 2025, and March 1, 2026. The analysis identifies three major sources of frustration: free trials that convert into subscriptions through unclear pricing or cancellation practices, brands removing or replacing previously free benefits, and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services associated with overspending, debt, and financial stress. Mentions of free trials rose 45%, denied-refund mentions in those discussions rose 107%, benefit downgrades or removals rose 19%, and BNPL’s negative sentiment increased almost 600%. Drawing on 609 million conversations from social media, forums, review sites, and blogs over 12 months, the report recommends consent, advance notice, customer education, and financial-literacy support.