YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium have added prepaid plans initially only for new users.
YouTube Premium service debuted in India back in March
YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium have added prepaid plans in India to let users receive ad-free experiences at a non-recurring charge. YouTube has brought the prepaid plans for one and three months. However, these are unlike the existing "subscription" plans under which users will be charged on a monthly recurring basis. The prepaid plans for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium are currently available through Android devices and the Web. This means that iOS users still have subscription plans as the only option to get the premium YouTube experience.
Once a prepaid plan is purchased, users get the option to extend their paid benefits by additional one-month or three months by purchasing additional top-ups for their membership. Users can also upgrade from a YouTube Music Premium membership to a YouTube Premium membership by opting for a prepaid plan.
While the prepaid plan for YouTube Premium is available at Rs. 139 for a month and Rs. 399 for three months, YouTube Music Premium can be purchased on a prepaid basis at Rs. 109 for a month and Rs. 309 for three months. In contrast, the YouTube Premium subscription is available at Rs. 129 a month. YouTube Music Premium, on the other hand, is available with a monthly subscription plan of Rs. 99. YouTube notably also offers a free one-month trial for users purchasing the subscription plans.
YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium prepaid plans are available for up to three months
"With these new plans for India, users can now purchase prepaid plans without enrolling in an ongoing subscription and enhance their viewing and listening experience with all the paid membership benefits for the period that they pay for," writes Pawan Agarwal, Head of Music Content Partnerships, India and South Asia, YouTube, in a blog post.
To sign up for the prepaid plans, you need to visit the offers section of YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium. There are options to pay via a credit or debit card from Visa or Mastercard. Moreover, the prepaid plans are at present visible for new users. This means that if you already have the subscription plan for YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium, you won't see the option to switch to one of the prepaid plans.
The prepaid plans are indeed expensive when compared with the subscription plans that YouTube introduced in India back in March. However, the new move would influence users to test YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium for a month or three months without worrying for any recurring charges that apply when going for the subscription plans.
"We hope this added flexibility to decide on your preferred method of payment will help you to enjoy the YouTube Premium and Music Premium experience," notes Agarwal.
In May, YouTube also brought cheaper student plans under which eligible students can avail YouTube Music at Rs. 59 a month or YouTube Premium at Rs. 79 a month. The Google-owned company also recently started a three-month free trial for students.
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