Available payment options depend on your platform: Desktop pays through PayLink, Android pays through Google Play. This article covers what each accepts, common gotchas, and what to do if a payment doesn't go through.
Desktop
Desktop payments go through PayLink, our payment processor. It accepts the major international card networks: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, and JCB. Prepaid cards from supported networks also work.
When you tap Top up, the launcher opens a PayLink page in your browser, you enter your card details there, and the launcher gets the result back automatically. Two practical details to know:
- Server-side reconciliation. If you close the launcher in the middle of paying, don't worry. The server keeps polling PayLink and credits your balance once the payment goes through. You don't have to keep the launcher open.
- Payment link TTL. A given payment link is valid for 30 minutes. After that it's deactivated, so you can't accidentally pay for an order you've forgotten about. If you abandoned a top-up and want to retry later, start a new one — don't reuse an old link.
| Method | Works on |
|---|---|
| PayLink (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, JCB) | Desktop |
⚠️ PayPal is no longer accepted on Desktop: previous versions of the desktop app accepted PayPal. New purchases now go through PayLink only. Balance you already bought through PayPal is still valid and can still be spent.
Desktop hour expiry
Each Desktop purchase is its own bucket of hours with a 30-day expiry from the purchase date. Buckets stack independently — buying twice creates two buckets, each with its own expiry, not one merged 30-day window.
Example: 10 hours bought on March 1st expire on March 31st; another 20 hours bought on March 20th expire on April 19th. The system spends newest-first, so plan around the 30-day window for any large package. Unused hours past the expiry are gone — see "Cross-platform balance" for full details on how spending picks between buckets.
Android
Android billing goes through Google Play. Google Play uses whichever payment method is on file for your Google account — credit/debit card, Google Play balance, or carrier billing where available. To manage these, open Google Play → profile picture → Payments & subscriptions → Payment methods.
A few notes:
- Country of your Google account determines available payment methods, not the country your phone is in. To check or change: pay.google.com/gp/w/home/settings — changes take roughly 24 hours to propagate.
- Pricing in local currency. Google Play shows prices in the currency of your Google account country. Two users in different countries seeing different prices is normal.
- Promo codes are not accepted on Android. If you have a Loudplay promo code, redeem it in the Desktop launcher.
Payment didn't appear on my balance
The processing delay is up to 10 minutes for both Desktop and Android.
- On Desktop, press F5 in the launcher to force a refresh of the balance display.
- On Android, pull down to refresh in the app.
- If after 10 minutes the balance is still wrong, see "Cross-platform balance — Android, Desktop, and what to do if it looks wrong".
Desktop pricing on your card statement
Desktop prices are fixed in USD: 3 h is $4, 10 h is $9, 20 h is $16. If your card is in another currency, the amount on your statement is what your bank's exchange rate produced — not a different price for you. PayLink charges in USD, your bank converts.