Question about charges during free trial activation

[hchannel219-spec]

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Copilot

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Hello,

I signed up for GitHub Copilot, and it was stated that there is a 30-day free trial. However, right after activation my card was charged $1 and then $10. At the same time, my account shows that the 30-day free trial is active and that I’m on the Free user plan.

Also, I tried to submit a support ticket through the system, but it doesn’t go through. That’s why I’m reaching out this way.

Could you please clarify:
What exactly were the $1 and $10 charges for?
Will these amounts be refunded if the trial is supposed to be free?
Do I still have the 30-day free access despite these charges?
Thank you for your help.

Best regards,
Eve.

[Omprakash3104]

Hey,

No worries, this is totally normal and you're all good.

The $1 and $10 are just temporary holds to check your card is real. They aren't actual charges. Your bank will remove them in a few days.

Your 30-day free trial is definitely active. You won't be charged until after the trial ends.

So, no need to stress. Everything is working as it should.

Hope that helps.

[26nikhilkumar]

Hi Eve,

What you are seeing is normal with many free trials that require a card on file. Here is what those two amounts usually mean and what to do next.

What are the $1 and $10 charges?

• $1 is a temporary authorization that card processors use to confirm the card is valid. It is not a real charge.
• $10 matches the Copilot Individual monthly price. In most cases this shows up as a pending authorization so GitHub can confirm the card can cover the first month once the trial ends. It should not settle while your trial is active.

Will those amounts be refunded?

• The $1 hold drops automatically once your bank releases it. That is often within a few days, but some banks take up to 7 to 10 business days.
• The $10 authorization also drops if you cancel before the trial ends. If you keep Copilot past the end date, that first $10 charge will settle on the renewal date. If you cancel in time, it should never be captured.

Do you still have 30 days of free access?
Yes. The trial status shown in your account is what controls billing. While it says the 30 day trial is active, you have full access at no cost. To double check your renewal date:

1. Go to GitHub
2. Open Settings
3. Open Billing and plans
4. Open Copilot
   You should see the trial end date and the next charge date.

How to avoid being charged after the trial
If you decide not to continue, turn off Copilot before the renewal date:

• Settings → Billing and plans → Copilot → Cancel or turn off recurring billing.

If the support form is failing

• Try again from a different browser or network, or in a private window.
• From support.github.com, choose Contact us, select Copilot, then Billing.
• Do not post card details in public threads. If Support asks for proof of the pending items, share a redacted screenshot that hides the card number and any other sensitive info.

When to contact your bank
If an authorization has not fallen off after about 10 business days, contact your bank and ask when the hold will be released. They can see whether a charge is pending or captured.

Quick recap: the $1 is a validation hold, the $10 is a pending preauthorization for the first month, both should drop automatically during a free trial, and your 30 day trial remains active as shown in your settings.

[JustAnotherMoron2]

That's a really bad system. But of course everything about Github is pretty much the worst thought out and implemented. It's always been suspect that a site dedicated to code is one of the worst coded, with an almost unusable interface, and api that's unavailable more often than it works.

[queenofcorgis]

Hey there! 👋

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @hchannel219-spec ! We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting in the applicable category. The Accessibility category is a place for our community to discuss and provide feedback on the digital accessibility of GitHub products. Digital accessibility means that GitHub tools, and technologies, are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.

I've gone ahead and moved this to the correct category for you, Copilot Conversations. Good luck!

[kumarbasnet100]

Hi Eve,
Thank you for reaching out. Here’s some clarification regarding your GitHub Copilot subscription and charges:

1. What were the $1 and $10 charges for?
   The $1 charge is a temporary authorization often applied by payment processors to verify your card. It usually disappears within a few days.
   The $10 charge may have been an initial subscription charge, depending on your billing region and the plan selected. Sometimes the system briefly bills before applying the free trial.

2. Will these amounts be refunded?
   If you are eligible for a 30-day free trial, these charges are usually refunded automatically.
   Refund timing may vary depending on your bank or card provider.

3. Do you still have the 30-day free access?
   Yes. Even with these temporary charges, your 30-day free trial remains active.
   You will not be billed the full subscription amount until the trial period ends.
   💡 Next Steps:
   Check your billing settings in GitHub under Settings → Billing & plans to confirm the trial period and upcoming charges.
   If charges don’t get refunded automatically, contact GitHub Support directly via GitHub Support and mention the $1 and $10 charges.

Hope this will be helpful for you

[hchannel219-spec]

Hi,
Thanks for your help and sorry for the panic earlier — everything’s fine now, the money was refunded.

I’m currently on a trial subscription, and I find Copilot really useful. However, there’s an issue: when I get into coding and really start to focus, Copilot suddenly stops working for a few hours (usually 2–3).

Do you know what might be causing this? Is it a limitation of the trial version? Will this issue go away once I purchase the full subscription?

Thanks again for your help!

[arnabz]

How long do they take to respond to support tickets?

[Himanshi-Rawat-01]

Hi,
The same happened to me. i was being charged for the free trail and my $$10 dollars deducted instantly from my card...if it was a free trail then why am i being charged. will they be refunded? an when? its been too long