Pausing new GitHub Copilot Pro trials [Incident Thread]

We have recently needed to pause GitHub Copilot Pro trial plans due to a significant rise in abuse of our free trial system, as announced on the GitHub Blog:

Pausing new GitHub Copilot Pro trials

We are actively working on improved safeguards to prevent misuse of the trial system, and we will reopen trials once those protections are in place. We’ll share an update on the GitHub Blog as soon as new trials are available again.

Until this has been resolved, you may wish to change your GitHub plan by downgrading to the Free plan, or upgrading to a paid plan.

⭐ We are aware that some users are having trouble cancelling the trial and we are working on a solution. For real-time updates, please subscribe to this discussion to receive notifications as we post additional details.

[coding-nikazu]

It seems I can't do neither, I stopped my trial and now I am stuck with "Pending downgrade", also cant resubscribe even 😞

[brpe2453]

Same

[brpe2453]

It kinda sucks its like do you want my money or not I am considering using cursor bc of this even if it is more expensive

[mjqnsen]

for me it got just 'fixed' i got a discount for this month and it automatically used the credit card to pay for the month. But its fine wanted to pay anyway. i was just happy with using the trial for this month. at least i can use copilot again now.

[renestein]

Same here. Please take my money :)

[majaratechtrade-oss]

I thought its a payment issue and I paid it twice before using the tokens

[jimmarkunas]

Great work, guys (I say that sarcastically). A. What were you thinking? B. Why wouldn't you put an error message in, so we know?

[kslars1]

100% man drove me crazy yesterday trying to figure out what went wrong

[myluoluo]

I just tried it for 3 days, and it is no longer available. I have seen people still having problems after upgrading or downgrading. I don't dare to do anything now.

[dellavalentina]

I did it, and it seems to be worse than if I hadn't done anything.
I followed the instructions in the announcement - Pausing new GitHub Copilot Pro trials - and it backfired.

Now, I have to wait and see what support will say.

[NAGOHUSA]

same.

[trieutrantrung]

same

[alessaguillespy]

Will my github pro free trail be cancelled? I understand that you have to do something against people who abuse the system, but it is not my fault that there wasn't measures in first place to prevent that. I'm working on something important for me and I was planning to use my github pro free trail for first time to do this work, and this happens just now?

[dellavalentina]

It's unbelievable that support is still leading users to a problem they haven't even tested. That's precisely the reason for this post. Ugh!

[CRodgb]

If you were on a Copilot trial, you can change your plan.

Please stop saying this,
many users are unable to change their plan because even after canceling the free trial, it's still technically in effect, and shows you as "having" pro.

[tcheslav9]

Exactly my problem! Do something with this!

[Omshri1206]

The account is stuck in "pending downgrade" when I tried to cancle the free trial.

[aowen-uwmad]

This was announced on the 13th in the GitHub Changelog.

An edit of an existing announcement that fundamentally changes the content of the previous announcement without the corresponding marketing blast is not an announcement.

It is an attempt to rewrite history to justify poor decision making.

I get it, these models aren't cheap and you are trying to make sure you aren't being taken advantage of. But that does not excuse gaslighting your users.

• Why was/is there no dedicated follow-up announcement to say that you were expanding the pause?
• Why was there no (and still not) any mention of the issue on status.github.com ?
• Why are you claiming that this change was "announced", when clearly it was not?
• Why are you advising "fixes" that clearly don't work?

Some truthful answers and accountability would be a good start.

[jimmarkunas]

And, it's not even the cost... We would have gladly paid. But... There was no warning, and now, no option for a paid upgrade, it's all just hanging there like a broken system.

[adamplonka]

Hi, we appreciate you reaching out to report this issue. We know this is creating confusion for users.

We're aware of the current challenges with updating to paid and working with engineering teams to understand next steps. As we have more updates we will share this in this discussion.

Just resume trials till you have a solution if you want to save face, people are already looking for alternative solutions

[dellavalentina]

That's right, @jimmarkunas .
I second your words. In my report to support, that was exactly the approach: I want to pay, but even that doesn't solve the problem. Complicated...

[msvb04]

Hi, we appreciate you reaching out to report this issue. We know this is creating confusion for users.

We're aware of the current challenges with updating to paid and working with engineering teams to understand next steps. As we have more updates we will share this in this discussion.

wtf are you doing that long? Bring it back unless you are able to use your own KI solution to build a proper licensing system.

[BenSitaud]

Come on guy, fix that issue, time is clicking for everyone. We started the trial because that was the only option, and now we are stuck in between !

[lpredster]

Yup, I would have paid to upgrade had I been given the chance. A really bad experience here, especially when there are so many competing AI code tools. The free trial abuses probably cost you money, but will it equal the losses of you disappointing real customers?

[ismaeladriano]

Estou com o mesmo problema, não consigo cancelar o teste e continuar o PRO!

[Douglasly1]

exatamente, nem a opção de assinar o pro eles dão.

[Nonwhiskerscat]

Honestly, I can understand the intention behind preventing a small number of users from abusing the free trial and consuming excessive AI tokens.

However, it is still very difficult to accept a system that applies blanket restrictions to all users. If there are abusers, the proper approach would be to identify and suspend those specific accounts. And if that is technically difficult, at the very least, users should have been given proper advance notice.

The truth is, just a day before these changes, there was no visible indication anywhere about hourly token limits or similar restrictions—not even the slightest trace of such information.

Marketing phrases like “unlimited tokens” are used to attract users, yet without any prior consent, accounts are suddenly forced back into a trial state, refunds are imposed, and even paid subscriptions are blocked. This feels fundamentally deceptive toward users.

It is like trying to catch thieves by arresting the police officers as well and throwing them into jail. The approach makes no sense.

Even more serious is the fact that these measures do not only target abusers, but also end up blocking legitimate paying users who are simply trying to use the service normally. In the end, ordinary users who did nothing wrong are the ones who suffer the consequences.

Users are prevented from accessing the service exactly when they need it most, and critical work gets interrupted at the worst possible moments. It is hard to argue that this kind of structure represents a normal or reasonable way to operate a service.

Furthermore, when policy changes are applied suddenly without consistent standards or proper communication, it becomes extremely difficult for users to maintain trust in the service.

[lyric777]

“Users are prevented from accessing the service exactly when they need it most, and critical work gets interrupted at the worst possible moments.” 😭 can't agree more

[alexaroth]

Nice shitshow guys, cancelled my trial to get on my paid membership, models still not available. Great start to your service

[codernai14-source]

Hey I just upgraded to the annual Copilot Pro plan like you guys recommended, but it’s still not working at all—same errors as before. Does anyone know how to get a refund for this? I really don’t want to pay for something I can’t even use.😞

[qiuyifan]

this is GitHub pro. maybe not copilot pro

[CuZnrobot]

I accidentally registered on GitHub as well, and wasted 4 dollars in the process.

[lyric777]

层主你开错了，你开成github pro了，不是copilot pro。找找有没有退款的地方

[tcheslav9]

Same as me! Wasted 4USD

[sayank937]

I am currently trying to activate GitHub Copilot Pro on my account, but I am encountering the following error message:
"We are having a problem billing your account. Please update your payment information."
I have already checked and re-entered my payment details, but the issue still persists. I have also tried using a different browser and ensured that my payment method is valid.
Could you please help me investigate this issue and let me know what might be causing the problem? I would appreciate any guidance on how to successfully complete the subscription.

[huunreh]

I am willing to pay the Pro right now, but now my copilot status is Pro tail cancelled and Pro Downgrade Pending, and I don't know how to continue to use copilot.

[lyric777]

same

[ehendrix23]

Right now I wouldn't. Multiple Pro and Pro+ users now suddenly getting rate limited without any indication, and stated to wait for 50 -> 200 hours.

[Raymond621]

I think maybe we should discuss what AI agent is better than git hub copilot lol
Instead wait git hub to fix it,at least you guys can auto disconnect our copilot pro free trial.

[codernai14-source]

I think Codex is pretty good too, but I already bought the Plus plan. I have a really heavy workload, and it’s just not enough for me.

[Raymond621]

It basically similar like github copilot?
I'm not a professionals so anything similar product maybe suitable for me.

[owfcs]

any alternatives to this copliot which work the same way and produce output ?

[CrazyChenzi]

Am I not a valid pro subscriber? I paid but I can't use it?

[ambitiousxing]

me too

[tcheslav9]

me too

[rosario93]

Me too

[DeSeppe]

Exactly!

[seancondev]

Ive now come off the free trail prior to the pro subscription to continue working, so really without a choice. The copilot team really should be looking for ways to reward customers that are genuine. upvote if you agree.

[nitin7012]

We have recently needed to pause GitHub Copilot Pro trial plans due to a significant rise in abuse of our free trial system, as announced on the GitHub Blog:

Pausing new GitHub Copilot Pro trials

We are actively working on improved safeguards to prevent misuse of the trial system, and we will reopen trials once those protections are in place. We’ll share an update on the GitHub Blog as soon as new trials are available again.

Until this has been resolved, you may wish to change your GitHub plan by downgrading to the Free plan, or upgrading to a paid plan.

⭐ We are aware that some users are having trouble cancelling the trial and we are working on a solution. For real-time updates, please subscribe to this discussion to receive notifications as we post additional details.

Thanks for the update.

I’m currently facing an issue where GitHub Copilot is not working in my Android Studio and is stuck on “Fetching model” since 13-04-2026. I wanted to confirm whether this issue is related to the pause on Copilot Pro trials.

Could you please clarify:

Is this behavior expected due to the trial being paused?

Will existing trial users regain access automatically once trials resume?

Is there any estimated timeline for when the trials will be available again?

Also, if the issue is specifically due to trial suspension, please confirm whether upgrading to a paid plan will immediately restore functionality.

Looking forward to your clarification.

[Dudeplayz]

I hope that running trial periods will be extended ... otherwise this is the moment for me to fully cancel the github copilot and to go with other tools...

[redle66]

This is really having an impact.
I went for Pro because I knew I would be using it--stinks to have Pro chat not working due to issues with free trials. How long will the wait be?

[redle66]

Working again! I had signed up for Pro and was in the 30 day free trial.
Instead of End Free Trial or whatever the wording was there, next to that I had an option to start paid plan now (or something like that.)
I did that and now a couple of hours later chat is working again. That's no guarantee that was what fixed it for me, but maybe that will help someone to know.

[turhankerem]

Paid for it but can not use it because stuck in the Downgrade Pending

[MaxChurchBaires]

Great, but I don't want to cancel my subscription, my company is paying for the tool that we started implementing recently, and you were the ones setting the initial 30 days trial, I plan to continue using it after the trial finishes, but I cannot force the billing to actually become a paying subscription, and you cancelled the trials all together.

[dellavalentina]

Could you please describe where you did this?

[NAGOHUSA]

Yes please.

[ricardobeta]

Where?

[CRodgb]

ok, forget about that, I found a button to start the paying subscription and that enabled the extension to start working again

Did you cancel the trail version before upgrading, or was it active when you upgraded???

[MaxChurchBaires]

There was a button where now is the button to upgrade to copilot pro + saying "start paying subscription"
under https://github.com/settings/billing/licensing

I was also charged the difference between the money spent on the free trial and the subscription price (3,3 USD) since I already spent premium credits for 6,70 USD.

I did not cancel the trial subscription before doing this.

[samikshya06]

A recent bug caused some users who canceled their trial to get stuck in a limbo state — this has now been fixed, and affected users should be on Copilot Free. If you are still experiencing this issue, changes may take up to a few hours to roll out so please check back here for additional updates.

If you'd prefer a paid option, you can upgrade to a Copilot Pro or Pro+ subscription.

If you are a verified Student through our GitHub Education program and your Copilot Pro trial was canceled due to this, you can visit this page to enable access to Copilot Student: https://github.com/github-copilot/free_signup

At this time, it's unknown if or when free trials will resume. Any further questions in this discussion will be reviewed and escalated to our team as needed. Thank you all for your patience.

[samikshya06]

I raised a ticket as well they said bug is fixed and directed me to this community

[dan99199]

I intended to subscribe to pro and I did not know about the free trial. The UI flow put me on the pro free trial. Things were working fine, but today my account was changed to "free". No notice. No email. No notification in VS Code or github.com. Today, I was completely confused about the status of my account. Until I randomly stumbled upon this post, I was not sure if there was a bug on github.com or a legitimate issue on the account.

Terrible customer experience. I should not have to say this to a multi-trillion dollar corporation, but do better.

[SulochanThapa]

Hi GitHub Community,

I want to flag a billing issue that caught me completely off guard and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it.

Here's what happened:

April 14, 2026 – I cancelled my Copilot free trial.
Same day – I subscribed to Copilot Pro, which activated successfully and worked without issues.
April 15, 2026 – I received a payment notice for usage during the trial period.

This makes no sense to me. The whole point of a trial is that it's free. I wasn't even on the trial anymore — I had already upgraded to Pro. Why am I being charged for usage that occurred during the trial?

I'm genuinely confused about whether:

Trial usage has hidden billing thresholds that aren't clearly communicated
The upgrade to Pro somehow triggered a retroactive usage invoice for the trial window
This is a billing system bug

Has anyone else faced this? I'd really appreciate any clarity from the community or from a GitHub team member. If this is a known issue, it really needs to be addressed — being billed for a trial without clear upfront notice is not a great experience.

Raising this here while also pursuing it through official support. 🙏

[lyric777]

Like many others, I was stuck in the "limbo state" and chose to upgrade to Pro as suggested. But now I've found my first paid month starts with only 20% quota because the trial usage carried over. Has anyone else encountered this?

I’ve discovered that if you upgrade now, GitHub charges you a pro-rated fee just for the remaining days of your original trial period—WITHOUT resetting your quota. If you are already at 0% or low on Premium Requests, do NOT follow the advice to 'upgrade' yet. You will end up paying real money just to sit and wait for the next reset. You are essentially paying for nothing.

thx for sharing this. i will not upgrade afterwards.

[white526]

@SulochanThapa
Same here. Yesterday I inadvertently did a similar operation, and today I also received a payment notice for usage during the trial period. This doesn’t seem quite reasonable. Why? 😭

[paginxd]

I paid for a Copilot Pro subscription on April 9, 2026.

Today I logged in and saw that my paid subscription is completely gone from my account. It was simply reset or removed.

I did not cancel it. I want it back.

[David7ce]

The same happened to me. I paid on 1 April, but now I don't have a Pro subscription. GitHub is also trying to charge me $5. What is happening?

Yesterday, I was at 40% usage. Then, I had to log back in because the models wouldn't load. Today, my subscription appears as 'Free' with a rate limit of 100%. I want a solution, otherwise I won't pay GitHub/Microsoft anymore.

[turhankerem]

Created a customer support ticket since this has started and no return.

[hoanggvu419]

my free trial month was downgraded to copilot free when it's supposed to be active till 22/4:(((

[Nidvogr]

This does feel like a rug pull, and I considered buying the subscription despite this, but people saying they have issues, even if they buy it, makes me worried and holding off until they get their act together or a better solution comes along.

[bodizeno]

Just an Update, and I hope it helps. For me it work now perfectly. It's not the same because after they cancelled my trial I enabled the EDU plan, but now it works. I hope you're issue will be solved soon!

[fakedevbagus]

My GitHub Student Developer Pack is approved and GitHub Pro is active, but Copilot is still showing as Free instead of Student/Pro. Please help link my Copilot to my Student Pack.

[Gurdy3301]

The lack of clarity and bad communication about whatever changes are happening/ going to happen/ have happened already is infuriating. I was three days into the trial period after using up the free allowance and readily handed over my card details to pay for the continued access.. now the 'trial' has evaporated and I feel like I'll be rugged again.

Is the trial period going to be reinstated or should I just pay already (which I was happy to do before but after all this) I'm not so sure.

[Nidvogr]

The "abuse" smells like the marketing team over promising free trials, and now they are back pedaling due to shortage issues and high inference costs. And they don't seem to have given any other reason than the vague "abuse" yet, and I doubt they will.

[alessaguillespy]

Will i get a whole month if i buy copilot pro for 10 usd? i've read people who claim having problems after buying pro because they were in free trail.
I was in free trail and now my Current metered usage says $3.90. I won't buy it if i'm not guaraanted that i will get what i'm buying

[samikshya06]

Same problem with me

[otacon6531]

Ok, I was on a trial, but I subscribed to the $100/year pro and even received emails saying, ""Your trial is ending soon. At the end of the trial, your GitHub Copilot subscription will continue at $100/year billed to your credit card.". However, your "fix" moved me to a free plan. The only problem is that the yearly subscription is no longer available. It would be great if this could be fixed. I already signed up for the subscription and I don't think a "bug" is an appropriate reason to cancel my purchase.

[vrqq-ai]

Yes, a truly 'graceful' bug, really.

[vrqq-ai]

I previously purchased an annual subscription, but today my account was downgraded to the Free Tier. It appears that my discounted pricing has been revoked—could you please help restore it?