Spotify has become the go-to app for music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more. Users have flocked to the app for ad-free music streaming.
But for others, it offers endless entertainment with offline download options and a humongous library with over 60 million songs.
You can use Spotify for a one-time free trial period after submitting payment details. However, listeners prefer to move to a Premium plan because of the ad-free experience, offline playback and prepay options.
That creates some confusion about how and when Spotify charges users.
Spotify charges a small monthly subscription fee for Premium Plans. Creating playlists and ad-free music listening is the main draw of Spotify Premium plans.
However, Spotify charges a small monthly subscription fee for it. The fee depends on the features you need.
Quick Answer: When does Spotify charge my card?
Spotify charges your card the advertised price at the end of a monthly billing cycle. The billing date is 30 days from the day you become a paying user. Each Premium Plan is set to auto-renewal by default.
To know more, you can access the billing cycle details and options to upgrade or cancel your subscription through the account setting in the Spotify App.
In this post, we discuss Spotify subscriptions, payments, and automatic renewal for both iPhone and Android platforms. So, let’s get to the most frequently asked questions on the subject.
When does Spotify charge?
Spotify charges monthly or every 30 days on the same day of each month. This billing day is the day when you subscribed, although it may vary by a day or two in some circumstances.
You can view your next payment date at any time on your online account once you subscribe.
The introductory or free trial offers are typically 30 days of free music streaming service. However, thanks to the automatic renewal, Spotify takes money directly to re-subscribe you to the plan at the end of the free trial. The same applies to re-subscribing to a plan.
The exact amount varies based on the Spotify plan you choose and the country you live in. All payments (read: subscriptions) are paid in advance.
That means if you are charged on 1st March, you have access to Premium services until 1st April.
Spotify will only charge you after you sign up and submit your payment information. The payment methods and rates for Spotify plans vary per country and region. Generally, you can pay for Spotify Premium Plans in any of the following ways:
- A debit card or credit card
- A gift card or prepaid Card
- PayPal, GPay, etc.
- Mobile payment options.
- Top up or pay as you go options.
When do Spotify payments come out?
Spotify charges your card $9.99 or the regional equivalent based on a 30-day billing cycle. The billing date for Spotify users is the same as the date on which you created your account.
Lastly, you can check the billing date and the next payment due in the ‘Account Settings’ of your Spotify account on desktop, Android, and iPhone.
For instance, if you create an account on 3rd May, your card will be charged the monthly subscription fee on 3rd June, 3rd July, and so on. You cannot change the billing date arbitrarily.
You can reset it by canceling your plan and starting again on a date of your choice.
Does Spotify take money automatically (will it auto-renew)?
Automatic Renewal is the default setting if you have a Spotify Premium Account. That means it will auto-renew at the end of a monthly billing cycle – 30 days from the day you subscribe or purchase a plan. Your account will display the date you have subscribed.
There is nothing new about auto-renewal when it comes to monthly subscriptions. Most apps, Spotify included, do this so you can continue to use the app without interruptions.
However, some users prefer the option of paying for their subscriptions manually.
Note that you have to enter payment info even if you use the 30-day free trial. The roundabout cancellation process for Spotify is designed to turn you into a paying customer after the trial ends.
Spotify will take money automatically if you fail to cancel your subscription in time.
If you are interested in a Premium plan with full control over the payments, you can sign up for the Premium Mini Plan. It allows you to pay on a daily or weekly basis and top up your subscription before it runs out. All other plans have a fixed monthly billing cycle.
For more information about turning off Auto Renewal take a look at this YouTube video.
What happens if I miss my Spotify payment (will it immediately not work?)
You will not lose the Spotify Premium services immediately if you miss a payment. Spotify will try to take the payment a few times if it fails on the date of the billing cycle.
In the meanwhile, you keep your playlists, downloaded songs, and enjoy the services for the next three days.
In those three days, you will receive a reminder to add funds to your account, and/or Spotify will make additional attempts to process your monthly payment. Your account will be reverted to a “Paused” state for 30 days if they cannot successfully charge you.
In other words, your account will revert to a free plan with the option to renew your subscription. At this point, you lose access to your downloaded songs and will have to contend with ads until you manually subscribe to the Premium Plan.
You can update or check payment information for your plan on the Spotify account page.
How long do Spotify premium plans last?
Spotify offers a free 1-month Premium plan with a monthly subscription fee after. There are a handful of Premium plans for mobile and tablet with varying features.
Each version starts with a free trial period followed by a monthly subscription fee after the first 30-day cycle.
Spotify’s Trial Offer and 1-Month Free Period:
Users can try Spotify Premium before deciding to cough up the monthly subscription fee. That being said, it is an introductory trial offer that can be availed only once.
You are ineligible for this offer if you have previously subscribed to any Spotify Premium plan or service.
Since you have input the payment info, you will automatically become a paying user at the end of the free or introductory trial period. Then onwards, Spotify will charge your card the advertised price automatically each month until you cancel your Premium subscription.
Users who want to stop using the paid services – for whatever reason – have to log into their account and follow the prompts on the Accounts tab to cancel their subscription. You will be charged for an additional month if you fail to do so before the billing date.
As of date, Spotify offers the following plans:
- Spotify Premium Individual Plan
- Spotify Premium Family & Kids Plan
- Spotify Premium Duo Plan
- Spotify Premium Student Plan
- Spotify Premium Mini Plan
Does Spotify charge you straight away (when you sign up)?
Spotify does not charge you when you sign up. You are charged only after you enter your payment info and purchase a plan.
You must sign up for an account and input your personal and payment information. Spotify will charge a monthly subscription fee after the offer period.
Alternatively, you can use the free version and put up with the ads. You will not be able to download songs to your device for offline listening unless you pay for these services.
All first-time users can opt for an introductory period. Spotify Premium plans generally have a 1 month free offer period if you never tried Spotify Premium.
After that, you are billed on a specific date via automatic renewal until you cancel your subscription manually.
Top Up with Spotify’s Premium Mini Plan
The Mini is currently the only Premium plan to control the charges made to your card. It’s similar to a pre-paid plan for mobile data.
You can pay as you go and top up when you feel like it. It gives you access to the ever-expanding song bank without ad interruptions for 1 to 7 days.
That being said, the services are relatively limited and not offered in every country. You can only play 30 songs offline on a single device. Luckily, you can add and remove downloaded songs at any time in your library to keep your playlist fresh.
In Conclusion:
We hope this article has answered the most common queries about how and when does Spotify charge. Let’s not forget Spotify is a freemium service.
You can use the basic version if you don’t find value in the monthly fee. Although, the ad-based version can be somewhat exasperating.
Though rare, there may be times you are unable to cancel, upgrade, or renew subscriptions and discounts. Get in touch with the Support team to resolve these issues.
They may direct you to the help section that addresses your problem. Leave a comment to tell us about your experience.
