What YouTube subscriptions actually cost and what you get
YouTube offers two separate subscription products that work differently. YouTube Premium is a monthly fee (the price varies by country and whether you pay monthly or annually) that removes ads from all videos you watch, lets you read videos to watch offline, and plays videos in the background when your phone's screen is locked. Channel memberships are optional payments to individual creators — you choose which channels to support and how much to pay each month, usually between $0.99 and $99.99 depending on what the creator offers.
YouTube Premium is the only one that affects your bill directly through Google. Channel memberships are separate transactions with each creator, though they all run through YouTube's payment system. If you sign up for Premium, you can still buy channel memberships on top of it — they are not the same thing.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Premium removes ads, allows offline downloads, and enables background play across all videos, with pricing that varies by country and subscription length.
- Channel memberships are payments to individual creators you choose to support, set by each creator and separate from YouTube Premium.
- YouTube Premium charges through your Google account payment method, while channel memberships appear as separate line items on your billing history.
- You can cancel either subscription type through your Google Account settings or YouTube's membership page without penalty.
- Family plans for YouTube Premium let up to six people share one subscription at a reduced per-person cost.
How YouTube Premium billing works
When you sign up for YouTube Premium, Google charges your payment method on file once a month (or once a year if you choose annual billing). The charge appears on your credit card or bank statement as "Google" or "YouTube Premium" depending on your bank. You can see the exact charge date and amount in your Google Account under "Payments & subscriptions" — this is also where you cancel if you want to stop.
YouTube Premium includes a one-month free trial for most new users, though the trial period varies by country and whether you have used it before. The free trial converts to a paid subscription automatically after the trial ends unless you cancel before that date. If you cancel during the trial, you lose access when ready but are not charged.
The monthly price of YouTube Premium is not the same everywhere. It also changes depending on whether you are on a phone, tablet, or computer, and whether you signed up through YouTube directly or through an app store (Apple App Store or Google Play). Prices tend to be higher when you sign up through an app because the app store takes a cut. You can check your exact price by going to YouTube settings and looking at your membership details.
Understanding channel memberships and creator payments
Channel memberships let you pay a creator directly each month. The creator sets the price and what perks come with it — this might be exclusive videos, a special badge next to your name in comments, early access to new uploads, or a Discord server invite. Different membership tiers on the same channel can cost different amounts and offer different perks.
When you join a channel membership, YouTube charges your payment method on the same day each month. The charge appears on your statement as coming from YouTube, but the creator receives their cut after YouTube takes a percentage (usually around 30 percent, though this varies). You can see all your active channel memberships in your YouTube account under "Purchases and memberships" and cancel any of them individually without affecting others.
Channel memberships are optional and separate from YouTube Premium. You do not need Premium to buy a membership, and buying a membership does not give you Premium features. Some creators offer memberships as their main way to earn money from their channel, especially if they do not run ads or have not turned on ads yet.
YouTube Premium Family Plan and shared access
YouTube Premium Family Plan lets up to six people in the same household share one subscription. The person who pays sets up the family group in Google Family Link, then invites up to five other people by email. Each person gets their own YouTube account and their own Premium benefits — ad-free viewing, offline downloads, and background play.
The Family Plan costs more than a single Premium subscription but less per person than buying six individual subscriptions. Pricing varies by country. Everyone in the family group needs to be in the same country to join, and Google periodically verifies that members actually live together. If someone moves out, the person who pays can remove them from the group.
Family Plan members can still buy channel memberships independently. The person paying for the family subscription does not control what other members spend on memberships — each person manages their own channel membership purchases.
How to find and manage your YouTube subscriptions
To see all your active subscriptions in one place, sign into your Google Account and go to myaccount.google.com, then click "Payments & subscriptions" on the left menu. This shows YouTube Premium, any YouTube TV subscription, and YouTube Music if you have those. Channel memberships appear in a different location: sign into YouTube, click your profile picture, select "Purchases and memberships," then look for "My memberships."
To cancel YouTube Premium, go to your Google Account payments page, find YouTube Premium in the list, click it, and select "Cancel subscription." You keep access until the end of your current billing period. To cancel a channel membership, go to your YouTube memberships page, find the channel, and click "Manage" then "Cancel membership." This takes effect when ready, and you lose any membership perks right away.
If you signed up for YouTube Premium through an app store (Apple or Google Play) rather than directly through YouTube, you need to cancel through that app store, not through your Google Account. On iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions and find YouTube Premium there. On Android, open Google Play, tap your profile picture, go to "Payments and subscriptions" > "Subscriptions," and find YouTube Premium.
What happens if you stop paying
If you cancel YouTube Premium, ads return to all videos when ready. You lose the ability to read videos and background play stops working. Any videos you downloaded are deleted from your device. Your watch history and playlists stay in your account — canceling Premium does not erase your YouTube data.
If a channel membership payment fails (your card is declined, for example), YouTube usually tries to charge again a few days later. If it fails a second time, the membership cancels automatically. You can rejoin the membership anytime by paying again. If you cancel a channel membership, you lose access to member-only content and perks when ready, but your watch history on that channel remains.
If you stop paying for YouTube Premium but later want it back, you can resubscribe anytime. You do not lose your account or history. Some promotions or free trial offers may not be available to you again depending on YouTube's current policies, but you can always pay the regular price to reactivate.
Common billing issues and how to fix them
If YouTube says your payment method is invalid or declined, check that your card has not expired and that you have not reached your credit limit. Some banks block recurring charges if they look unusual — call your bank to ask if they declined the charge. Update your payment method in your Google Account under "Payment methods" and try again.
If you see a charge you do not recognize, check your "Purchases and memberships" page to see what is active. You may have a channel membership you forgot about, or YouTube Premium may have auto-renewed. If you find something you did not authorize, you can cancel it when ready and contact Google support to request a refund for recent charges.
If you are being charged in a currency that is not your home country's currency, this usually means your Google Account location is set to a different country than where you live. You can change your Google Account country in settings, though this may affect other Google services. If you need to change it, do so before canceling, because some regions have different refund policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use YouTube Premium on multiple devices at the same time?
YouTube Premium works on any device where you are signed into your Google Account. You can watch on your phone, tablet, and computer at the same time. If you want to share Premium with family members, use the Family Plan instead of sharing your password, because shared passwords violate YouTube's terms and can result in your account being locked.
Do I have to watch ads if I have YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium removes ads from videos you watch, but some creators choose to include sponsorship messages in their videos themselves. These are not ads served by YouTube — they are part of the video content. Premium does not remove those.
What is the difference between YouTube Premium and YouTube TV?
YouTube Premium removes ads from regular YouTube videos and adds offline read and background play. YouTube TV is a separate service that streams live television channels like ESPN, CNN, and local news. They are different products with different prices and you can have one, both, or neither.
Can I get a refund if I cancel YouTube Premium mid-month?
YouTube does not refund unused portions of your subscription. If you cancel on the 15th of a month, you keep access until the end of that month but do not get money back for the days you do not use. You can cancel anytime without penalty — you just lose access at the end of your current billing period.
What happens to channel memberships if a creator stops making videos?
Your membership stays active and you keep being charged unless you cancel it yourself. The creator does not have to do anything. If you want to stop supporting them, you need to go to your memberships page and cancel. Some creators may eventually delete their channel, which would cancel all memberships automatically.