When Recurring Billing Becomes a Trap: My Experience with Tailor Brands

How It Started

In 2019, my team signed up for Tailor Brands to test their branding tools. We used the platform once, evaluated it, and moved on. We did not use the service after that initial setup.

Tailor Brands continued billing our company $178.99 every year. These renewals ran from 2020 through 2023. Our accounting team did not flag the charges because they were not aware the service was inactive.

In 2024, I noticed the charge and reached out to cancel.

The “We Can’t Find You” Response

When I contacted support, I was told the account could not be located without the original signup email. I provided our business name, card details, and transaction history. That was not considered sufficient. I made it clear that no further charges were authorized.

In 2025, after my card had been replaced, the renewal appeared again. The charge went through using a recurring payment token that allows some merchants to continue billing even when a card number changes. The company later found the account but declined to refund the 2025 charge.

Patterns Reported by Other Customers

While researching, I reviewed public feedback on major consumer platforms. Many customers describe similar experiences: charges after cancellation, renewals without clear notice, and difficulty obtaining refunds. Several note that new cards did not stop the billing because of stored payment tokens.

The Bigger Problem: Tokenized Recurring Billing

Subscriptions often use tokenized billing. A payment token links the customer and merchant through the card network. If a card is reissued, the token can continue to work unless the merchant cancels it. This creates a gap between customer intent and actual billing control.

• A new card does not always stop an old subscription.
• Merchants can keep charging until a dispute is opened.
• Customers may believe they canceled when the token is still active.

This may be technically compliant. It is not customer friendly. When a customer cancels, consent should end in practice, not only in theory.

The Fix We Adopted: Virtual Cards For Every Vendor

This experience led us to change our payment operations. We now use Privacy.com to create virtual cards for all subscriptions across the team.

• Create single-use or time-limited cards, such as one month or one year.
• Let the card automatically disable after the set period.
• Reopen the card manually if you choose to renew. If the vendor reaches out because a renewal failed, you can approve it on your terms.

This approach prevents silent renewals, blocks unauthorized charges, and removes the need to negotiate basic refunds with unresponsive support teams. It also creates a clean renewal workflow each year because the vendor must contact us first.

Lessons For Subscription Businesses

• Respect cancellations. A customer should not need an old email to stop billing.
• Communicate renewals clearly. Clarity builds loyalty.
• Do not hide behind tokens. When a customer cancels, deactivate the token.
• Refund fairly. A small refund costs less than a damaged reputation.

Actions I Took

I opened a dispute with my card issuer and filed complaints with consumer agencies. I am also sharing this account so other business owners can protect themselves and set better internal controls.

Final Thoughts

A brand is not a logo. It is how you act when a customer asks for help. Recurring billing should be a convenience. It should never become a trap. After this experience, we control renewals with virtual cards and require vendors to request access each term. Changing the card should stop the charges. More important, canceling should end the relationship until the customer chooses to continue it.