Free Trial Turned Into a Charge

What to check

• The trial probably ended on schedule. Most free trials convert to a paid subscription automatically on the date shown at signup. If that date has passed, the charge is the first paid billing cycle. You still need to cancel to stop the next one.

• You may have canceled on the wrong account. If you have more than one login, or more than one Apple ID or Google account, you may have canceled the trial on a different account than the one being charged. Match the email on the charge to the correct login.

• The cancellation may have come too late. Some services require cancellation a day or more before the trial end date. If you canceled on the last day or after the trial converted, the charge may be valid. Look for a confirmation email with a timestamp.

• Billing may run through a third party. If you signed up through Apple, Google Play, Amazon, or a carrier, the trial is managed by that company. Canceling inside the app or on the service's site may not have stopped it. Check subscriptions through the platform that handled signup.

• A bundle or promotion may control the terms. If the trial came through a carrier deal or provider bundle, the renewal terms follow that company's billing rules, not the service's standard terms. Check the original promotion details.

• Look for your original signup confirmation. It usually includes the trial end date and what happens after. If you never received one, the trial may have been set up under a different email or account.

• The charge may still be pending. A pending charge on your bank statement may be an authorization hold that drops off, not a completed payment. Wait 2 to 3 business days before disputing. If it posts, then take action.