My Frustrating Experience Trying to Switch Subscription Plans on X.
Discovering the Problem the Hard Way
If you’ve ever subscribed to a premium plan on X (formerly Twitter), you might assume that upgrading or downgrading between different tiers would be as seamless as it is on platforms like Netflix, Spotify, or YouTube.
After all, in the world of subscription-based services, flexibility is often a key selling point.
But as I recently discovered, switching between plans on X isn’t just difficult – it’s practically impossible in some cases.
I learned this the hard way when I subscribed to Premium+, the highest tier of X’s paid offerings.
After a while, I decided I didn’t really need an ad-free experience and wanted to downgrade to Premium instead.
That’s when I ran into a frustrating roadblock: X wouldn’t let me switch.
Instead, I was told I had to cancel my subscription entirely and wait for it to expire before I could resubscribe at the lower tier.
The Issues with This Approach
This process was more than just an inconvenience – it came with several major downsides:
- Loss of Features: Cancelling meant that once my billing cycle ended, I would lose access to all premium features, including verification and post-priority. If I wanted them back, I had to wait until my subscription expired and then manually resubscribe to Premium.
- Unnecessary Hassle: Instead of a simple downgrade option, I had to go through multiple steps just to get back to a lower plan.
- Risk of Price Changes: I worried that if X increased subscription prices during my waiting period, I might have to pay more than I originally intended.
- Potential Loss of Verification: One of the main reasons I subscribed in the first place was for my verification badge. I wasn’t sure if it would come back automatically once I resubscribed, which added another layer of uncertainty.
- No Proper Cancel Option: When I tried to cancel Premium+, I found there was no straightforward cancellation button. Every time I attempted to cancel, the app would crash, making it impossible to complete the process.
- Forced to Freeze Payments: Since X provided no working way to cancel, I was left with no alternative but to freeze X payments via my card issuer to stop them from taking further payments.
- Non-Existent Customer Support: The support email address previously provided by Stripe is no longer monitored. Instead, users are forced to DM Premium Support, which turns out to be a bot-based system that continuously loops with automated responses. Rather than providing actual help, it simply sends links directing you back to subscribe to a Premium plan again.
- Resubscribing Is a Nightmare: After finally cancelling Premium+ and waiting for it to expire, I thought I could easily resubscribe to Premium.
Another Hurdle
However, even after unfreezing payments on my banking app, I was met with yet another hurdle.
The system refused to process my subscription and instead displayed a message saying I needed to update my billing information – but the only option provided was to email support.
My Interaction with X Support
To illustrate how frustrating this has been, here’s the exact message I sent to X support:
Hi,
My X account @MyHelpfulHints_ can’t resubscribe to Premium. I tried to amend my subscription the other month from Premium+ to Premium but the system kept crashing out on me.
I was left with no alternative but to suspend card payments to X via my bank.
Now I’m trying to resubscribe. I’ve unfrozen the card payments to X on my banking app, but the subscription won’t go through. Apparently, I have to update my billing information with you, but that only gives me the option to email you.
Darren
I then received the following response from X’s Premium Support bot:
🤖 Hi Darren! To update your billing information, please go to Settings > Premium settings > Manage Subscription. From there, you can edit your billing details and manage your subscription. If you’re still having trouble, let me know!
Of course, following these instructions led me right back to the same broken system that wouldn’t process my payment in the first place.
And when I replied for further help, the bot just repeated the same message in an endless loop.
No actual human assistance.
No resolution.
When I told them I still couldn’t amend my billing details via that method, I got yet another automated response:
🤖 Hello! To edit your billing information, please go to Settings > Premium settings > Manage Subscription. From there you can edit your billing information, as well as manage your subscription.
Please note that you can only manage your subscription on the platform you purchased from (Web, iOS, Android) and the device you originally subscribed from.
At this point, I realised I was getting nowhere.
The support system was just an automated loop with no real solutions.
The Lack of Transparency
What frustrated me the most was that X never made this clear when I subscribed.
There was no warning that once I signed up for Premium+, I wouldn’t be able to downgrade without cancelling first.
I only found out after trying to switch plans, and by then, I felt trapped.
It honestly felt like a sneaky way to keep users locked into the more expensive Premium+ plan.
I imagine that many people, faced with the hassle of cancelling and waiting, just decide to keep paying rather than dealing with the inconvenience.
Why Is X Making This So Difficult?
One possibility is that it’s an intentional money-making strategy.
By making it inconvenient to downgrade, X increases the likelihood that people will stay on the higher-priced Premium+ plan out of frustration or forgetfulness.
Another reason could be technical limitations.
Maybe X’s billing system wasn’t designed for flexible switching.
But given how common this feature is on other platforms, this seems unlikely.
Or, maybe it’s just a lack of concern for user experience.
Since Elon Musk’s takeover, X has been aggressively monetising, cutting costs, and rolling out features without much regard for user convenience.
It wouldn’t surprise me if plan switching was simply never made a priority.
What Can Be Done About It?
For now, users like me who want to downgrade from Premium+ to Premium have no choice but to cancel and wait it out.
However, I think there are ways we can push for a better system:
- Raise Awareness: If more users talk about this issue—whether through tweets, blog posts, or forum discussions—X might eventually feel pressure to address it.
- Provide Feedback: While X isn’t known for being responsive to user complaints, submitting feedback through official channels is still worth trying.
- Be Strategic: If you’re considering subscribing, start with Premium instead of Premium+ so you don’t get locked into the higher plan.
- Vote with Your Wallet: If enough users refuse to subscribe due to the rigid downgrade policy, X might be forced to rethink its approach.
Final Thoughts
My experience with X’s subscription system left a bad taste in my mouth.
It’s one thing to encourage users to try higher-tier plans, but making it impossible to downgrade without cancelling feels unfair and anti-consumer.
If X wants to maintain a loyal base of paying subscribers, they need to rethink this policy.
Until then, I’d caution anyone considering Premium+ to think twice – because upgrading is easy, but downgrading is a nightmare.
Hope you’ve found our article, My Frustrating Experience Trying to Switch Subscription Plans on X (Twitter) useful.
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