Your payment succeeded, but the app still treats you as a free user? This is almost always fixable in a few minutes. Work through these steps in order.
1. Give it a moment, then refresh
Activation is usually instant but can occasionally take a few minutes to sync.
- If you're on the web app: refresh the page, or log out and back in.
- If you're on the mobile app: tap your profile picture (top-left) → "Settings" → "Restore purchases" (the same button is on the Manage subscription and upgrade screens), or fully close and reopen the app.
2. Check you're logged into the account you paid on
This is the most common cause. Your subscription is attached to one StudyStream account (one email address) — it doesn't transfer between accounts.
- If you have more than one login (e.g. a Google login and an email/password login with different addresses, or an iCloud "Hide My Email" address), try your other login.
- Check which email the payment receipt was sent to — that's usually the account the plan is on.
3. Check for a plan on another platform
If you already had an active plan from one platform (say, Basic via the App Store) and bought another on a different platform (say, Premium on the web), the two can conflict and the new purchase may not activate. Don't buy the same plan twice — start a chat with us at app.studystream.live or in the StudyStream app with both receipts and we'll untangle it.
4. Paid through Google Play? Three Google-specific checks
- The plan attaches to the Google account on your phone that made the purchase — not the email you typed anywhere. Make sure you find the purchase in that Google account's Play order history.
- UPI/AutoPay note: a "mandate created" or "AutoPay set up" notification from your payment app is not a completed payment — check your bank statement for the actual debit, and Google Play's order status. If the bank shows a debit but the Play order says Cancelled, Google has the money and the refund comes from Google; simply retrying the purchase usually works.
- Play activations (especially via UPI) can take a few hours — if the order shows as paid, give it a little time. If Play shows "Confirm plan before a date", open the Play Store and confirm it.
5. Mobile purchase still not showing?
- Make sure the store transaction actually completed (check your App Store / Google Play purchase history — pending or declined payments don't activate anything).
- While logged into the account you want the plan on, tap "Restore purchases" (in Settings, or on the Manage subscription screen). "No purchases to restore" means the store account on this device has no active StudyStream purchase; "Linked to another account" means the purchase already belongs to a different StudyStream account — log in with that one; "You already have a subscription" means this account already has an active plan.
Two more special cases
- A friend added you to a Buddy plan? Your Premium starts only after you open the confirmation email and confirm while logged in to your own account — check the inbox (and spam) of your account email.
- A banner saying your plan switch is waiting for payment? ("Your switch to the … plan is waiting for payment. Pay the invoice to complete it.") Your bank asked for extra confirmation when you changed plans. Click the banner to pay on the invoice page; your current plan stays active in the meantime. If you don't pay, the switch is dropped after about a day and your current plan simply continues — nothing is lost.
Still not active? Send us the details
Start a chat with us — at app.studystream.live, or from the StudyStream app — and include:
- The email address of the StudyStream account that should have the plan — especially if it's not the account you're chatting from (this is the most common cause)
- The invoice/receipt (web) or the App Store receipt / Google Play order number starting with "GPA." (from the Play order email or order history — payment-app screenshots alone aren't enough to locate the purchase)
- Where you bought it (web, App Store, or Google Play) and the date
- A screenshot of what you see (e.g. still showing "Upgrade", or a "Fix payment" prompt)
With the receipt we can locate the payment and activate your plan or fix the mismatch.