Paid GitHub plans are billed in advance on a monthly or annual basis, and fees are non-refundable except where required by law — if you upgrade or downgrade, changes may take effect at your next billing cycle.
This analysis describes what GitHub's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This clause defines the billing structure and refund policy for subscription services, establishing advance payment as the operational model and clarifying that the service provider retains all payments regardless of usage level or service modifications during the billing cycle.
GitHub's updated Terms of Service now include an explicit section governing AI features, including Copilot. The new section establishes specific contractual terms for how user data may be collected, used, and retained for developing and improving AI and machine learning models, and identifies what controls are available to users. The practical effect is that AI-related data practices are now consolidated under dedicated contractual language rather than dispersed across general service terms.
View change record →GitHub's Terms of Service update on April 19, 2026 involved substantial revisions across 54 sentences, with 40 sentences removed and 4 added. The extent of change suggests modifications to core service provisions; however, without access to the specific language that was modified, removed, or added, the precise operational implications for users cannot be determined. Users should review the updated Terms directly to understand how the changes affect their usage rights, account obligations, or dispute resolution procedures.
View change record →The non-refundable billing policy means consumers who cancel mid-cycle or are suspended may lose prepaid fees, creating financial risk particularly for annual plan subscribers.
How other platforms handle this
While we investigate your dispute, in our sole discretion, we may provide a temporary refund. This will allow you to access the funds while your case is under review. If the dispute is resolved in your favor, this refund will become permanent. If the dispute is not resolved in your favor, the refund...
You will not have the right to receive a refund for any amounts paid to us unless otherwise required by applicable law.
Unless otherwise indicated (for example, if you have signed up for a Prepaid Period), Paid Subscriptions continue indefinitely until cancelled. You will be billed on a recurring basis on the first day of each billing period and you will pay and you authorise us (or the applicable third party, if you...
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"For monthly or yearly payment plans, the Service is billed in advance on a monthly or yearly basis respectively and is non-refundable. There will be no refunds or credits for partial months of service, downgrade refunds, or refunds for months unused with an open Account; however, the service will remain active for the length of the paid billing period.— Excerpt from GitHub's GitHub Terms of Service
The non-refundable payment clause and advance billing structure may trigger CCPA-related disclosure obligations and should be reviewed against state consumer protection laws governing subscription services, particularly California's automatic renewal laws (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §17600).
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This clause defines the billing structure and refund policy for subscription services, establishing advance payment as the operational model and clarifying that the service provider retains all payments regardless of usage level or service modifications during the billing cycle.
The non-refundable billing policy means consumers who cancel mid-cycle or are suspended may lose prepaid fees, creating financial risk particularly for annual plan subscribers.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by GitHub.