- Change your payment method on a computer
- Change it on an Android phone or tablet
- Change it on an iPhone or iPad
- Add a backup payment method
- Check the change worked
- If your payment failed
- Currency and receipts
- While you're there: pause, switch or upgrade
- Using a business card for Premium
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To change your YouTube Premium payment method, go to youtube.com/paid_memberships, click the arrow next to Manage membership, and edit the payment method listed there. On Android, tap your profile picture, then Purchases and memberships. If your membership says Billed by Apple, YouTube says you must change it through Apple instead.
A card expires, you switch banks, or you want the subscription on a business card. Whatever the reason, it's quick to change once you know where YouTube hides it. Here are the exact routes from YouTube's own help pages.
Change your payment method on a computer
- Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships and sign in with the account that pays for Premium.
- Find YouTube Premium (or YouTube Music Premium) under Memberships.
- Click the arrow next to Manage membership to expand the details.
- You'll see your active payment method and any backup payment methods.
- Use Edit to change the payment method, or Edit next to Backup payment method to add a second one, then save.
Change it on an Android phone or tablet
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Purchases and memberships.
- Tap your membership under Memberships to see its details, including the payment method.
- Edit the payment method or add a backup.
Change it on an iPhone or iPad
This is where it splits in two. If you signed up through the iPhone app, YouTube says you'll see Billed by Apple under your membership details, and you'll need to manage the membership through Apple. That means changing the card in your Apple account payment settings, not in YouTube.
If you signed up on the web and just watch on your iPhone, use the computer steps above in your phone's browser instead.
| How you signed up | Where to change the card |
|---|---|
| On youtube.com | youtube.com/paid_memberships, Manage membership |
| In the YouTube app on Android | Profile picture, Purchases and memberships |
| In the YouTube app on iPhone (Billed by Apple) | Your Apple account payment settings |
| Through a bundle such as Google One | The account that pays for that bundle |
Add a backup payment method
Here's the tip I wish more people knew. YouTube lets you add a backup payment method next to your main one, and says this keeps your membership and benefits going even if your first payment method can't be charged. If you've ever lost Premium mid-month because a card was replaced, this stops it happening again.
Check the change worked
- Go back to youtube.com/paid_memberships and expand Manage membership.
- Confirm the new card shows as the active payment method.
- Note your Next billing date and price, which YouTube shows in the same place.
- After the next charge, check payments.google.com, under Activity, to see which payment method was charged. YouTube says each transaction shows the amount, date, status and payment method.
If your payment failed
YouTube's own wording on backup payments tells you the risk: without one, a card that can't be charged can interrupt your membership, and on a family plan that hits everyone on YouTube Premium Family. Update the card using the steps above and your membership should continue once the charge goes through. If you're in India, YouTube's help page says the Reserve Bank of India's eMandate rules mean you may need to verify or re-enter your payment details to keep recurring memberships, and some banks don't support recurring payments.
Also check you're not paying twice. YouTube's help centre warns that some paid plans already include YouTube Premium, and standalone subscriptions aren't cancelled automatically when you join them. If you're thinking of switching plans instead, see what YouTube Premium Lite includes.
Currency and receipts
YouTube notes that depending on how you bought it, the currency you're billed in may not be your home currency. If a charge looks higher than expected, open the transaction in payments.google.com to see the total amount billed, and use YouTube's Troubleshoot a YouTube charge button if something looks wrong.
A music-only plan is the other option, so see YouTube Music Premium plans and prices.
While you're there: pause, switch or upgrade
The paid memberships page does more than hold your card. YouTube says members are charged the membership price automatically at the start of each new billing cycle until they cancel, so it's worth checking you're on the right plan before the next charge lands.
- Pause: YouTube lets monthly members pause for 1 to 6 months. Annual plans can't be paused, and pausing isn't available for Apple-billed memberships.
- Upgrade: if you have YouTube Music Premium, YouTube says you can upgrade to full YouTube Premium at any time.
- Switch to Family: YouTube's help centre explains how to move an individual membership to a family plan.
- Apply everywhere: YouTube says membership changes apply across YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids.
Using a business card for Premium
If you're moving Premium onto a company card, it's the same steps: edit the payment method on youtube.com/paid_memberships. Just remember that the membership itself stays on your personal Google account, and receipts sit in payments.google.com under that account, so download them from Activity when your bookkeeper asks. If the business should own the subscription outright, it's cleaner to set it up on a work Google account from the start.
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My verdict
Changing your YouTube Premium payment method takes about a minute on youtube.com/paid_memberships, and the only real trap is an Apple-billed membership, which you change through Apple. While you're there, add a backup payment method. It's the simplest way to make sure a replaced card never cuts off your Premium again.
If features still fail after the card is sorted, work through the YouTube Premium fix guide.
Related guides live in the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes. You can run your own figures through the free Free YouTube Money Calculator: What Your Views Are Worth Per Month.
Frequently asked questions
When does YouTube charge my new card?
YouTube says members are charged automatically at the start of each new billing cycle, so your new payment method is used from the next billing date shown on youtube.com/paid_memberships.
Where do I update my card for YouTube Premium?
Go to youtube.com/paid_memberships, click the arrow next to Manage membership, and edit the payment method shown there.
Why can't I change my YouTube Premium payment method in the app?
If your membership says Billed by Apple, YouTube says you need to manage it through Apple, so the card is changed in your Apple account.
What is a backup payment method on YouTube?
It's a second card or payment option. YouTube says it keeps your membership and benefits going if your first payment method can't be charged.
How do I see which card YouTube charged?
YouTube says to check payments.google.com under Activity, where each transaction shows the payment method that was charged.
