Copilot is unable to subscribe

[aliu79]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Copilot in GitHub

Body

As shown in the picture, my Copilot account is restricted due to delayed payment. The current version is Copilot Free. After updating the payment method, how can I upgrade my subscription again? I found that the subscription button is also missing.

如图所示，我的copilot账户因为没及时付款导致受限了，现在的版本是copilot free，我更新了付款方式之后如何才能再次升级订阅，我发现订阅的按钮也没了。

[Aarav01go]

This is a known and incredibly frustrating issue, especially since RBI e-mandate regulations frequently cause automatic recurring payments to fail for developers in India.

When a renewal payment fails and the grace period expires, GitHub's billing system automatically cancels the active subscription. The problem you are facing right now is a UI trap: GitHub treats a reactivation as a brand-new signup. Because GitHub occasionally pauses new Copilot signups to manage server load—and because their system lacks a manual "Pay Now" button for recurring billing—the "Upgrade" or "Subscribe" button simply disappears from your dashboard.

Since you have already updated your payment method, here is exactly how to get your access back.

1. The "Re-Add" Trick
   Because of the strict auto-debit rules, standard cards often get blocked silently. If you haven't already, ensure your updated payment method is an international or forex-enabled card.

The workaround: Delete your newly added card and immediately add it back again. The action of re-adding the payment method sometimes forces GitHub's billing system to trigger an immediate automatic retry for the pending charge.

2. Contact Billing Support (The Guaranteed Fix)
   If the button is still missing and your account is stuck on "Copilot Free" after updating your card, you cannot fix this yourself. Copilot access is controlled by a server-side entitlement flag that only GitHub staff can reset.

Go to: GitHub Support and open a Billing ticket.

What to say: It is critical that you frame this correctly so the automated system doesn't reject it as a new signup request. Explicitly state that you are an existing subscriber whose renewal failed, that your payment method is now successfully updated, and you are requesting a manual restoration of your previous Copilot entitlement.

Once support manually flips that flag on their end, your IDE extensions and GitHub account will regain full Copilot access.