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GitHub Community Discussions Billing & Subscription Guide 💳 #178128
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👋 Welcome to the GitHub Community on Discussions, @smart432345 Happy to have you here 🙂 To help keep our space clutter-free, we recommend introducing yourself in our official introduction thread and checking out this Discussion to Meet Your GitHub Community Team. |
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This comprehensive guide helps you navigate GitHub's billing system, resolve common payment issues, and manage your subscriptions effectively. Whether you're troubleshooting a declined payment or trying to understand the new billing platform, you'll find step-by-step solutions here.
Table of Contents
1. Understanding GitHub Plans & Subscriptions
Choosing the Right Plan
GitHub offers two distinct product lines that serve different purposes:
GitHub Platform Plans (Free, Pro, Team, Enterprise)
GitHub Copilot Plans (Pro, Pro+, Business, Enterprise)
Important
These are separate subscriptions. GitHub Pro does not include Copilot, and Copilot does not include GitHub Pro features.
Quick Decision Guide
Choose your plan based on what you need:
Feature Comparison
For a complete comparison, see GitHub's official plans documentation and Billing for individual GitHub Copilot plans.
How to Subscribe
For GitHub Pro:
For Copilot:
2. Payment Methods & Troubleshooting
Supported Payment Methods
GitHub accepts:
Best Practice: Always subscribe through github.com in a web browser for the most reliable experience. Mobile app purchases or third-party payment processors may charge you without activating your subscription.
Card Declines and Failed Payments
Common Causes
Resolution Steps
To update your payment method, go to Settings → Billing and licensing → Payment information. Learn more: Managing your payment method
Payment Processed But Subscription Not Active
This typically happens when using non-recommended payment channels:
❌ High-Risk Methods:
✅ Recommended Method:
If You're Already Charged
Learn more: Troubleshooting failed payments
Authorization Holds Explained
When adding a payment method or starting a subscription, GitHub performs a temporary authorization check (typically $1-$133 USD depending on plan type). This verifies your card is valid.
Key Facts:
If Authorization Fails
3. Managing Billing Information
Updating Your Billing Address
For Personal Accounts
For Organizations
Learn more: Adding or editing a payment method
Troubleshooting Update Issues
If you can't save billing information changes, try these solutions:
Common Problems and Fixes
1. Field Validation Errors
2. Address Entry Best Practices
3. Browser Issues
Try these troubleshooting steps:
Clear cache or use incognito mode:
Try a different browser:
Use keyboard navigation:
Removing or Changing Payment Methods
You cannot remove a payment method if you have:
How to Remove a Payment Method
Alternatively, cancel all paid subscriptions first, wait until the end of your billing cycle, then remove the payment method.
When to Contact Support
Reach out to GitHub Support if:
4. Budgets & Usage Configuration
Understanding the New Billing Platform
GitHub transitioned from spending limits to budgets, introducing important changes:
Old System (Spending Limits):
New System (Budgets):
Learn more: About the new billing platform
Why Your Codespaces or Actions Stopped Working
After the billing platform migration, usage-based services require explicit budgets before they'll work, even if you previously had spending limits configured.
Common symptoms:
Creating a Budget
For Personal Accounts
For Organizations
Important: Each service requires its own budget. If you use both Codespaces and Actions, create separate budgets for each.
Learn more: Creating and editing budgets
Budget Troubleshooting
Budget Not Saving or Applying
Troubleshooting checklist:
If the budget doesn't appear after 10 minutes, contact GitHub Support with the service name, budget amount, and any error messages.
Understanding Budget Mechanics
Example: Setting a $50 budget doesn't mean you'll be charged $50. It's a spending limit, not a subscription fee. If you only use $20 worth of services, you only pay $20.
Monitoring Usage
Check current usage against your budget:
Learn more about setting up budgets to control spendings
5. Canceling Subscriptions
Using the Virtual Assistant (GitHub Pro)
For quick cancellations:
After cancellation:
Note
Cancelling subscriptions via the Virtual Assistant is only for Copilot Pro subscriptions and refunds are automatically issued in the VA.
Learn more: Canceling your Copilot subscription
Downgrading GitHub Pro/Team
For Personal Accounts (GitHub Pro):
For Organizations (Team):
What you'll lose:
Learn more: Downgrading your GitHub subscription
Stopping Usage-Based Services
To stop charges for Codespaces, Actions, or Packages:
Stop All Charges:
For Codespaces Specifically:
Cancellation Timing and Refunds
Check your next billing date: Go to Settings → Billing and licensing → Overview to see when your current period ends.
Pre-Cancellation Checklist
Before canceling, remember to:
Frequently Asked Questions
General Billing Questions
Q: Can I have both GitHub Pro and Copilot Pro?
A: Yes. They are separate subscriptions that can be combined. You can subscribe to GitHub Pro for platform features and Copilot Pro for AI assistance.
Q: When does my billing cycle start?
A: Your billing cycle starts on the date you first subscribed and repeats monthly. Check Settings → Billing and licensing to see your next billing date.
Metered products have a fixed billing period that starts at 00:00:00 UTC on the first day of each month and ends at 23:59:59 UTC on the last day of the month. More information here
At the end of each month, your metered usage is calculated and scheduled to be billed on your bill cycle day.
Q: Does GitHub offer annual billing?
A: Yes, for some plans. Annual billing is available for GitHub Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans, often at a discounted rate. Copilot Pro and Pro+ is also available at a discounted rate. More information here
Also, sponsorships can be added to a subscription on a monthly or annual basis, depending on the existing account billing cadence. So, if you pay for GitHub Pro annually and add a sponsorship, the sponsorship will also be billed annually.
Q: Can I get a refund if I cancel?
A: Generally, GitHub does not provide refunds for unused time. You maintain access until the end of your paid billing period after canceling.
Payment and Security
Q: Why does GitHub charge $1 to my card?
A: This is a temporary authorization hold to verify your card is valid. It's not an actual charge and will disappear from your statement within 5-7 business days.
Q: Can I use prepaid cards or gift cards?
A: Some prepaid cards work if they support recurring billing and international transactions. However, regular credit or debit cards are more reliable.
Q: My card keeps getting declined. What should I do?
A: Contact your bank first, they may be blocking international transactions or flagging GitHub as suspicious. Ask them to authorize charges from "GITHUB.COM" and ensure your billing address matches their records.
Q: Can I split payment across multiple cards?
A: No. Each subscription requires a single payment method. However, you can use different cards for different subscriptions (e.g., one card for GitHub Pro, another for Copilot).
Budgets and Usage
Q: Do I need a budget if I'm on the Free plan?
A: Only if you want to use paid features like Codespaces, additional Actions minutes, or Packages beyond the free tier.
Q: What happens when I reach my budget limit?
A: It depends on your setting:
Q: Can I set a $0 budget to prevent all charges?
A: No. The minimum budget is $1. To prevent charges entirely, delete the budget instead.
Q: How do I check my current usage?
A: Go to Settings → Billing and licensing → Usage this month for real-time consumption data across all services.
Q: I had a spending limit before. Where did it go?
A: GitHub migrated from spending limits to budgets. You need to create new budgets for each service you use (Codespaces, Actions, Packages).
Q: Will I be charged the full budget amount every month?
A: No. You're only charged for what you actually use. The budget is a spending cap, not a subscription fee.
Plan and Subscription Changes
Q: Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?
A: Yes. Go to Settings → Billing and licensing, click Edit next to your plan, and select annual billing. You'll be charged for the full year immediately.
Q: What happens to my private repositories if I downgrade from Pro to Free?
A: You keep all private repositories. However, if you have more collaborators than the Free plan allows, you'll need to adjust access.
Q: Can I pause my subscription instead of canceling?
A: No. GitHub doesn't offer subscription pausing. You must cancel and lose access at the end of the billing period, then re-subscribe when ready.
Q: If I cancel Copilot, can I reactivate it later?
A: Yes. You can re-subscribe to Copilot anytime. You'll start a new billing cycle from the reactivation date.
Q: How do I upgrade from Pro to Business Copilot?
A: Cancel your Pro subscription, wait for it to expire, then subscribe to Copilot Business through your organization settings.
Troubleshooting
Q: My subscription shows as active but I don't have access. Why?
A: This can happen if:
Q: I was charged twice. What should I do?
A: Contact GitHub Support immediately with both transaction IDs. Double charges typically happen when:
Q: My Codespaces stopped working suddenly. What happened?
A: Most likely you need to create a budget. After GitHub's billing platform migration, Codespaces requires an explicit budget. Go to Settings → Billing and licensing → Budgets and create a Codespaces budget.
Q: I can't update my billing address. What's wrong?
A: Common causes:
Try incognito mode, double-check spelling, and ensure the address matches your bank exactly.
Q: How do I remove my payment method?
A: You can only remove a payment method if you have no active paid subscriptions or outstanding balances. Cancel all subscriptions first, wait until the end of the billing period, then remove the payment method.
Organization Billing
Q: Can I have separate billing for different teams in my organization?
A: No. Organizations have a single billing profile. All services and subscriptions roll up to one payment method and invoice.
Q: How do I add billing managers without making them organization owners?
A: You can add billing managers by going to Organization Settings → Billing and licensing → Billing managers and inviting users. They can view billing information and download invoices but can't make changes.
Q: Can I split an organization subscription cost among team members?
A: GitHub bills the organization directly. How you split costs internally is up to your team's financial arrangements—GitHub doesn't facilitate cost-sharing.
Support and Resources
Q: Where can I download my invoices?
A: Go to Settings → Billing and licensing → Payment history. Click on any past payment to download the invoice PDF.
Q: How long does GitHub Support take to respond?
A: Response times vary:
Q: Can I talk to someone on the phone about billing?
A: GitHub handles billing support through their online support portal. Phone support is only available for Premium Support customers via GitHub Enterprise platform plan. More information here
Quick Reference: Preventing Common Billing Issues
Follow these best practices to avoid common problems:
Additional Resources
Official Documentation:
Support:
Copilot:
This guide is community-maintained and based on common billing issues and questions. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to GitHub's official documentation. Last updated Oct, 2025
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