YouTube launches UPI as payment method for Indian subscribers
Google-owned video platform YouTube has now added Unified Payment Interface (UPI) as a payment method for its Indian users. Those subscribing to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music can now make their payments through UPI. Initially, Premium and Music subscribers could pay through their credit or debit cards.
YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium users are required to add their UPI ID into the payment methods and complete the transaction on their UPI app to make transactions directly from their bank account.
Other than the subscription to the music platforms, the UPI payment method will also enable the user to buy and rent movies and to pay for features like SuperChat and Channel Memberships on YouTube, an IANS report notes.
To pay for YouTube Premium membership through UPI, YouTube users should follow the given steps:
- First tap on user profile
- Tap on “Get YouTube Premium”
- Select a plan of your choice.
- Tap on YouTube Premium plan which will take you to the payment screen.
The payments of options will be credit, debit and UPI based payment.
- Tap on “add bank account with BHIM UPI ID”
- Enter your UPI ID
- YouTube will ask for some details like your location to verify that it’s you
- Tap on Buy
A time limit will be set within which users will have to make the payment.
Once the payment is made, YouTube will remember your UPI details for the next transaction.
As of now, there is a range of plans available on YouTube. These are Family Subscriptions, Student Subscriptions, Prepaid plans and Playback.
The Prepaid plans offered by YouTube come at Rs 139 per month and Rs 399 for three months. This plan can be purchased on a non-recurring basis for a fixed period.
The payment can be made through UPI as well as credit and debit cards. However, this offer is currently available only for Android and Web users only.
Users must note that Prepaid plans cannot be combined with any other subscription plans. Free trials and offers also cannot be combined with Prepaid plans.
YouTube offers a free trial for the monthly subscription plan. However, only first-time YouTube Red, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium and Google Play Music subscribers are eligible for free trials.
The monthly subscription plans come at Rs 129 per month. After the free trial is over, the user is automatically charged the price unless they cancel the subscription during the trial. Every month starting on the first billing date until the users cancel their subscription.
For Family subscriptions, a user can add up to 5 additional family members to join the Google family group and share YouTube Premium Subscription and YouTube Music Subscription. The criteria to be a member of a family subscription are to be above 13 years of age, have a Google account and reside in the same household as the family.
A Student Subscription is available for full-time students at higher education institutes in select countries. The offers come for such students at discounted rates via third-party verification services.
Playback subscribers require an internet subscription to stream or to download videos.
YouTube Subscribers can now purchase YouTube Premium or YouTube Music through UPI Payment methods. Initially, this was available only on credit and debit cards.