YouTube

Streaming100% confidence

YouTube is a global online video-sharing and streaming platform offering user-generated and professional content, including videos, live streams, music, and movies. The charge appears via Google billing for paid YouTube services such as subscriptions or rentals.

San Bruno, CA
youtube.com
Owned by Alphabet Inc.

About YouTube

YouTube is a global online video-sharing and streaming platform owned by Google and based in San Bruno, CA. It offers free, ad-supported videos as well as paid services like YouTube Premium (ad‑free viewing and background play), YouTube Music Premium, channel memberships, movie and TV rentals or purchases, and paid “Primetime Channels.” Charges for YouTube typically appear on your bank or card statement under descriptors such as “GOOGLE*YOUTUBE,” “GOOGLE*YouTubePremium,” “GOOGLE*YouTubeMusic,” or similar Google billing labels, because billing is processed through Google.

A YouTube charge may appear on your statement for several reasons: a recurring subscription to YouTube Premium or YouTube Music, an active channel membership to support a specific creator, a movie or TV show rental or purchase, a Super Chat/Super Sticker donation during a live stream, or a paid Primetime Channel subscription (such as an add‑on channel for TV or sports). You may also see temporary authorization holds—often small amounts—when you first add or update a payment method, start a free trial, or make a purchase; these typically drop off within a few days. Recurring charges are usually monthly and tied to the date you started your subscription or trial.

If you’re unsure about a YouTube charge, first sign into your Google account and visit pay.google.com or go to YouTube > Purchases and memberships to see a detailed list of active subscriptions, rentals, and past transactions. Check all Google accounts you or your family members use, as family groups and shared devices commonly cause confusion. To resolve issues, you can manage or cancel subscriptions directly from YouTube or Google Play (on Android) or the App Store (on iOS if subscribed through Apple), review email receipts from Google, and contact YouTube/Google support via support.google.com if you believe a charge is unauthorized or you need a refund review. Acting quickly improves your chances of getting billing problems corrected.

Bank Statement Variations

1 known variations

These are the raw merchant codes that appear on bank and credit card statements that we've identified as belonging to YouTube.

  1. GOOGLE*YOUTUBE VIDEOS G.CO HELPPAY# AUS

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I see a charge labeled GOOGLE*YOUTUBE or GOOGLE*YouTubePremium on my bank statement?

This descriptor indicates you’ve been billed by Google for a paid YouTube service, such as YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, a channel membership, a movie/TV rental, or a Primetime Channel. Log in to your Google account and visit pay.google.com or YouTube > Purchases and memberships to see exactly which product or subscription generated the charge.

What are the typical monthly prices for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, and how am I billed?

In many regions, YouTube Premium individual plans are around $13.99/month and YouTube Music Premium around $10.99/month, with family and student plans available at higher or discounted rates. Prices can vary by country and local currency. You’re billed automatically each month on the same day you started your subscription or after any free trial period ends, unless you cancel in advance.

How do I cancel a YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, or channel membership subscription?

On desktop or mobile browser, sign into YouTube, go to your profile icon > Purchases and memberships, select the subscription, and click or tap “Deactivate” or “Cancel membership.” On Android, you can also cancel via the Google Play Store under Payments & subscriptions. If you subscribed via Apple’s App Store, you must cancel from your Apple ID subscriptions settings—YouTube cannot cancel those directly.

Why was I charged by YouTube after my free trial ended?

When you start a free trial for YouTube Premium or YouTube Music, you must add a payment method and agree that billing will begin automatically at the end of the trial unless you cancel. If you see a charge right after a trial, it usually means the trial period expired and rolled into a paid monthly plan. You can check your trial end and next billing date under YouTube > Purchases and memberships.

What are common one-time YouTube charges besides subscriptions?

Common one‑time charges include movie or TV show rentals and purchases from the YouTube Movies & TV section, Super Chat and Super Sticker payments during live streams, and one‑off purchases tied to Primetime Channels (like special events). These usually appear as individual Google transactions instead of recurring monthly charges. You can view details for each one‑time payment in your Google payments center at pay.google.com.

Why do I see a small $1 or low-value pending charge from GOOGLE*YOUTUBE?

YouTube (via Google) may place a small temporary authorization hold to verify that your card is valid when you add or update a payment method, start a free trial, or make a purchase. This is not an actual completed charge and should disappear from your statement within a few business days. If it remains or posts as a final charge, contact your bank and check your Google payment history to confirm its status.

How can I request a refund for a YouTube charge I don’t recognize or made by mistake?

First, go to pay.google.com or YouTube > Purchases and memberships, select the transaction, and look for a “Request a refund” or “Report a problem” option where available—some purchases, like recent movie rentals, may qualify for limited refunds if you haven’t watched them. For suspected unauthorized charges, submit a claim through the Google payments help center at support.google.com/pay and also contact your bank or card issuer. Refund eligibility varies by product type, region, and how long ago the charge occurred.

How can I contact YouTube or Google about a billing issue on my account?

For most billing questions, sign in and visit support.google.com/youtube or support.google.com/pay, where you can access help articles and, in many regions, contact options like chat, email, or callback for eligible accounts. It helps to have screenshots of the charge, your bank statement descriptor, and your Google payments history. Always make sure you’re signed into the same Google account that’s being billed before contacting support.

This merchant is in the Streaming category

Browse all

Related Merchants

Netflix
Audible
Stan
Adult Time
Paramount+

Compare YouTube

vsNetflixvsAudiblevsStan

Got more mystery charges?

Paste your bank statement codes and we'll tell you exactly who charged you.

Find out who charged you