A subscription is by common definition, a recurring payment. You should always be able to cancel easily, but it make no sense to opt out of the subscription at the time of subscribing.
Wrong.
subscription /səb-skrĭp′shən/
noun
1. A purchase made by signed order, as for a periodical for a specified period of time or for a series of performances.
2. An agreement to receive or be given access to electronic texts or services, especially over the Internet.
3. Acceptance, as of articles of faith, demonstrated by the signing of one’s name.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
That is the entire point of a "free trial subscription", at least in presentation. You are supposedly not committing to a recurring payment.
Of course, they are deceiving and manipulating you. Otherwise, they would not be asking for the payment information up front. And if you are disappointed in the offering, good luck trying to cancel that payment.
"You should always be able to cancel easily..."
but as so many of us have discovered, you cannot do that.
Which is why I never sign up for "free trials" of anything.
“… but it make no sense to opt out of the subscription at the time of subscribing.”
This is used often in “free trial” offers. For example, I got 3 free months of Apple TV because I got the battery replaced in my IPad, (They actually just gave me a refurbished IPad.) Apple signed me up for automatic payments after the three months expired, but didn’t really point that out. If I had known, I would have cancelled when I got signed up. As it was, I didn’t find out until I got billed for the fourth month.