Skip to main content

PlayStation fixes PS Plus Premium’s hidden upgrade fees

PlayStation announced that it would no longer charge players who bought PS Plus subscriptions at a discounted rate a higher fee when they upgrade to PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Plus Premium.

This announcement came via the official Ask PlayStation support Twitter account after reports of the PS Plus upgrade issue spread over the past couple of days. “Due to a technical error, players in Asia who have previously purchased a PlayStation Plus membership at a discount have been incorrectly charged for their upgrade pricing,” the tweet says. “This error has been fixed and impacted players will receive a credit. We thank you for your patience.”

Due to a technical error, players in Asia who have previously purchased a PlayStation Plus membership at a discount have been incorrectly charged for their upgrade pricing. This error has been fixed and impacted players will receive a credit. We thank you for your patience.

— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) May 25, 2022

As that tweet mentions, players trying to upgrade to these new versions of PS Plus were the people who first encountered this issue. The two new tiers of PlayStation Plus debuted in Asian markets on May 23, ahead of a rollout in Japan, North America, and Europe throughout the month of June. As players can convert their previous PS Plus and PS Now subscriptions to get PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra, many players bought PS Plus subscriptions at discounted rates so that they would end up technically paying less overall for the $120 a year service.

Unfortunately, when these players went to upgrade on May 23, the PlayStation Store required them to pay back that discount if they wanted to upgrade. So, if someone got a year of PS Plus for $45 instead of $60, they’d have to pay $15 on top of the already more expensive free for Extra or Premium if they wanted to upgrade. While a VGC report suggested that this move was intentional, Sony is crediting this issue to a “technical error.”

The early days of any subscription service are typically fraught with technical issues like this. Hopefully, Sony can fix PlayStation Plus Premium’s key issues before it rolls it out to new markets like North America. 

Editors' Recommendations

Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
PlayStation Portal 2: 8 features we want in Sony’s next-gen handheld
A PlayStation Portal boots up.

After the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, there wasn't much hope that Sony would create another handheld system. Both consoles failed to establish themselves as meaningful parts of PlayStation's ecosystems despite having passionate fan bases. That's what made the initial reveal of the PlayStation Portal so surprising, at least until we knew exactly what it was. As an accessory, the PlayStation Portal is a decent device for some situations. It makes remote play easy and combines all the cool features of the DualSense controller with a great display. However, it does leave a lot to be desired for those hoping for a bit more from a new PlayStation device. Should Sony decide to iterate on this novel idea, there are a few features we think it needs to have to be a true success.

We're not going to ask Sony to completely overhaul what it established with the PlayStation Portal.  For as much as we'd love for a fully dedicated handheld like a Vita 2, that's just too far beyond what we can hope for.
Wi-Fi 6

Read more
If you love Amazon’s Fallout, play the series’ best games on Game Pass and PS Plus next
Two characters in power armor in Fallout 4.

The Fallout TV series just released on Amazon Prime, and it's one of the best video game adaptations out there. It perfectly captures the tense, humorous feel of the postapocalyptic video game series while telling a new story with original characters. If you've just watched the show, you're probably itching to play a Fallout title again or check out one of the games the series is based on for the first time. Thankfully, if you're subscribed to one of the major video game subscription services, that's very easy to do.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 are all on at least one gaming subscription service. While PC and Xbox players will be looking to Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation owners can get in on the fun with PS Plus Extra's game catalog. We've combed through what's available on PC Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass, and PS Plus Extra, and there's no shortage of options. Here are the best starting points on each service.
PC Game Pass

Read more
I was a PlayStation Portal hater. Now it’s one of my go-to gaming devices
A PlayStation Portal plays Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

In November, I reviewed the PlayStation Portal. I was mixed on Sony’s streaming handheld at the time, frustrated with a corner-cutting execution of a good idea. It seemed like a poor value compared to simply slapping a cheaper Backbone controller on a phone. As is often the case with tech reviews, though, I only had a short window to test it out where I was more focused on the more objective side of what the Portal does and doesn’t do. Would my feelings change when I was using it naturally?

I’ve gotten the answer to that question over the past few months. While I barely touched my Portal after reviewing it in 2023, it’s quickly become a go-to device in my home as of January. I’m now breaking it out at least once a week, finding some practical use cases for it. Though my overall assessment of it hasn’t changed, I have a more tangible understanding of where it can be a useful -- if superfluous -- PS5 companion. It’s a needless luxury, but one that I’m finding that I'm happy to indulge in.
Second screen
The PlayStation Portal’s launch just so happened to come right before a major life change that would shift my perspective. After living alone for three years, my girlfriend moved into my apartment last December. It’s been a natural change that’s working great so far. That shift does come with some lifestyle changes, though. We’re both crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, which means we’re sharing a tight space. We remotely do our jobs feet apart in the same room, and most evenings are spent lounging on the couch.

Read more