Billing FAQ & troubleshooting — payments, charges and refunds

A decline almost always comes from the card issuer, not from YT Transcriber. Common causes are insufficient funds, an expired card, an incorrect billing address or postcode, or your bank blocking an unfamiliar online charge. Try again, double-checking the card number, expiry, CVC and billing address. If it still fails, use a different card or contact your bank — they may need to approve the payment. Because checkout is hosted by Stripe, no failed-card details are ever stored by us.

Paid plans are recurring monthly subscriptions, so you are charged once when you first subscribe and then automatically on the same date each month until you cancel. A charge usually corresponds to either your initial upgrade or an automatic renewal. Stripe emails a receipt for every charge — check that email for the exact plan and amount. If you change plans mid-cycle you may also see a smaller prorated charge for the difference. If a charge looks wrong, contact support with the date and amount and we will investigate.

If you believe you were charged in error — for example a renewal you intended to cancel, or a duplicate charge — contact support and we will review it. Approved refunds are issued back to your original payment method through Stripe and typically appear on your statement within 5–10 business days. We cannot refund to a different card than the one charged, as the refund is processed by Stripe against the original payment.

You can move between Pro and Studio at any point. Stripe prorates the change automatically: upgrading mid-cycle charges only the prorated difference for the rest of the period, and downgrading credits the unused portion against your next invoice. You keep all your transcripts when you change tiers — only your limits and features adjust.

If an automatic renewal fails (for example your card expired), Stripe will retry the payment over a short period and email you to update your card. Your access is not cut off the instant a single attempt fails. To avoid any interruption, update your card promptly via the billing portal in your account settings. If all retries fail, the subscription ends and your account returns to the free Starter tier — your transcripts remain intact.

Open your account billing settings and choose the option to manage billing, which opens Stripe's secure portal. There you can replace the card on file, fix an expiry date, or update your billing address. Updating your card before the next renewal date prevents failed-payment emails and keeps your subscription active.

Yes, it is secure, and no, we never see your full card details. All payments go through Stripe's PCI-compliant hosted checkout. You enter your card directly on Stripe's page, not on a YT Transcriber form. We only receive confirmation from Stripe that a payment succeeded plus a reference to your Stripe customer record — never your card number, CVC or full PAN. This is why all card changes happen in Stripe's portal rather than in our app.

Prices shown at checkout are the subscription price. Any applicable VAT or sales tax is calculated and displayed by Stripe during checkout based on your billing location, and itemised on the invoice/receipt Stripe emails you. The charge appears in the currency configured for the plan. If you need a tax invoice for your business or a VAT number added, you can enter your business details in Stripe's checkout/portal, or contact support for help.

After a successful payment your tier normally updates within a few seconds. If it has not, first refresh your dashboard or Plan & Usage page. If it still shows the old tier after a couple of minutes, contact support with your account email and the date/time of payment — we can confirm the payment with Stripe and reconcile your tier manually. You will not be double-charged for this.

Billing is being introduced gradually. If you click upgrade and see "Payments coming soon.", live payments have not yet been switched on for your account. You were not charged and your plan is unchanged. Check back later, or contact us if you need a paid plan enabled sooner.