You expected a reminder before your free trial ended.
But the trial converted to paid without any alert.
Then you noticed a charge.
And you never saw a “trial ending soon” notification.
Why You Can Be Charged Even Without a Reminder
In most services, a free trial converts automatically unless you cancel before the trial end time.
Reminders are helpful, but they are not guaranteed delivery messages.
So the billing can still be valid even when the alert never reaches you.
How Trial Reminders Are Usually Sent
- Email reminders
- Push notifications
- In-app banners
- SMS (only for some services/regions)
If one channel fails, you may not see anything—especially if you rely on only one channel.
Common Reasons You Never Received the Alert
- Email went to spam/junk or was blocked by a filter
- Push notifications were disabled on your phone
- App notification permission was turned off
- You were logged into a different account when you started the trial
- Delivery delay or device/network sync issue
What To Check Right Now
- Find the receipt email and confirm the account email/ID
- Check your subscription status inside the app and on the web
- Review Apple ID / Google account subscription pages
- Verify the exact trial end date/time shown on the receipt
Refund: When It’s More Likely to Work
- The charge is recent
- You did not use the service after renewal
- This is your first accidental renewal case
Request an “accidental renewal” or “goodwill” review and include the receipt/transaction ID.
How To Prevent This Next Time
- Cancel the trial right after activation (you usually keep access until the end)
- Turn on email + push notifications
- Set a calendar reminder 2 days before the trial ends
- Check subscriptions manually (don’t rely only on alerts)
No reminder is common. Auto billing is automatic.
The safest fix is manual tracking + immediate cancellation after starting the trial.