Horoscope apps, tarot apps and live psychic chat apps look similar in an app store, but they charge in very different ways. Some sell a subscription, some sell credits spent by the minute, and some do both in one app. Each model has its own way of costing more than you expected, and each is cancelled and refunded through a different route. This guide explains what you are paying for, what personal details these apps ask for, and how to keep control of both. It says nothing about whether readings are accurate; that is for you to judge.
The three ways these apps charge
1. Subscriptions
Many astrology apps offer a free tier and a paid premium tier that renews automatically, often after a free trial. The risk is the usual one with subscriptions: the trial ends, the renewal goes through, and the charge continues until you cancel. Most apps tell you that a subscription renews unless you cancel before the end of the period, so the date you cancel matters more than the date you stopped using the app.
2. Credits or a balance, spent by the minute
Live readings, by chat, phone or video, are usually paid by the minute from a prepaid balance. Some apps use their own currency. Nebula's FAQ, for example, explains that 30 credits are spent to pay for a minute of chat, and that offline questions are priced separately from live chat. Psychic reading websites work in a similar way with money rather than credits: Psychic Source's FAQ says it shows each advisor's rate per minute and charges only for the time spent.
Credits make it harder to see what you are spending, because the price is two steps away from money: so many credits per minute, and so much money per bundle of credits. Do the conversion once, before your first session, and write down the cost per minute in your own currency.
Check how partial minutes are billed, too. Kasamba's terms, for instance, state that any use of a partial minute is rounded up to a full minute.
3. One-off purchases
Some apps sell single items: a detailed birth chart report, a compatibility reading, a bundle of questions. These are the simplest to understand, but check whether a "one-off" purchase quietly includes a trial of a subscription.
Where you paid decides how you cancel and get refunds
The single most useful thing to know about any of these apps is who actually took your money. It is either Apple, Google, or the company itself through its website, and each has a different process.
Bought through the App Store. On an iPhone, Apple's instructions are to open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, choose the subscription and tap Cancel Subscription. Apple adds that if you cannot find an Apple receipt, you may have bought the subscription from another company, and you should check your bank or card statement to see who bills you. To ask for a refund, Apple directs customers to sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com, choose "Request a refund", give a reason and pick the item; it says some purchases might be eligible and that an update usually takes 24 to 48 hours.
Bought through Google Play. Google's refund policy says that within 48 hours of a purchase you may be able to get a refund depending on the details. After that, you need to contact the developer, who can process refunds according to its own policies and the law.
Bought on the company's website. Neither Apple nor Google can cancel or refund these. Nebula's FAQ, for example, tells customers who subscribed on its website to contact customer support using the request form, and says that for billing disputes on app store purchases you should contact the store directly. The same FAQ says the company may offer chat credits as compensation; credits are not the same as money back, so be clear about which you are asking for.
Refund windows for reading sites are often short. Psychic Source's FAQ gives 24 hours to ask for a refund on an unsatisfactory paid reading, and Kasamba's terms give seven days after the end of a session. If you are unhappy, ask straight away.
Free trials and renewals
A free trial that turns into a paid subscription is the most common surprise. Three habits prevent most of it:
- Set a calendar reminder for two days before the trial ends, at the moment you start it.
- Cancel as soon as you decide you do not want it, rather than leaving it to the last day, when it is easy to forget or miss a time zone cut-off.
- Check the subscriptions list in your phone settings once a month. It shows everything billed through Apple or Google in one place.
In the UK, the government has confirmed plans for a new subscription contracts regime, including clearer information before you sign up, reminders before renewal, straightforward ways to cancel and cooling-off periods. It is not yet in force, so for now the reminder is your job.
Your birth details are personal data
Astrology apps need information most apps never ask for. Nebula's FAQ, for example, lists the date, place and time of birth as registration details. Some apps also ask for access to your location or contacts, or for the birth details of a partner or friend for a compatibility reading.
A few sensible limits:
- Give only what the feature needs. A daily sun-sign horoscope does not need your exact birth time or your location.
- Check permissions. The US Federal Trade Commission suggests reviewing which apps can see your location, contacts and photos, turning off permissions an app does not need, and deleting apps that ask for a lot of access they do not need, or that you no longer use.
- Think before adding someone else. Entering a partner's or friend's birth details shares their personal data with the app without their say.
- Ask for deletion when you leave. Deleting the app does not delete your account. In the UK you can ask an organisation to erase your personal data in a range of circumstances, including when you withdraw consent; the Information Commissioner's Office says an organisation has one calendar month to respond, extendable in some cases.
Claims to be wary of
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority's guidance on psychic and spiritual services says claims that readings are truthful or accurate are likely to be problematic, and that marketers should not promise things they cannot keep, such as breaking curses or improving health, wealth or other circumstances, or exploit the credulity of susceptible people. Treat any app or advisor that promises a specific outcome, or says you must pay more to avoid something bad happening, as a reason to stop and think, and to report the ad if it worries you.
When free is enough
If what you enjoy is a daily horoscope, a card of the day or reading about your sign, a free tier usually covers it, and paying adds more of the same rather than something different. Paying makes more sense for a specific thing you have decided you want, such as one live session or one detailed report, bought once with a budget in mind. If you notice you are subscribing to several apps for similar content, one is usually enough.
A checklist for staying in control
- Know who bills you: Apple, Google or the company. It decides how you cancel and who handles refunds.
- Convert credits to money and write down the cost per minute before your first live session.
- Prepay only what you plan to spend, and remove saved cards from the app or website afterwards so a session cannot be topped up on impulse.
- Use a timer during live sessions, separate from the app's own display.
- Set a trial reminder the moment you start any free trial.
- Share the minimum personal data, review permissions, and ask for your account to be deleted when you stop.
- Ask for refunds quickly, because windows can be as short as 24 hours.
If spending on readings is starting to feel hard to control, or you are making decisions about health, money or relationships based on them, it is worth talking to someone you trust or a qualified professional before spending more.