I can't subscribe to or purchase a Premium feature
The purchase flow inside an Alexa Skill is operated by Amazon, currently takes several confirmations, and occasionally misfires on screen devices. Answer with a plain “yes”, twice, upon entering the purchase offer flow. If the device does not open the mic for you to reply, answer with “Alexa, yes” instead. On screen devices, you will also need to confirm your default payment method set up in your Amazon account. If the purchase completes but the Premium feature stays locked, repeat the request. For refunds or suspected double charges, go to Amazon customer service, not the Alexa Skill's developer.
Sound familiar?
- You say “Yes”. You accept an offer, Alexa asks about payment methods, then says she is having trouble. You are not sure whether you were charged.
- You say “Subscribe to premium”. The offer screen appears but the microphone does not open, so nothing you say is heard.
- You say “Buy the expansion”. The purchase seems to complete, but the Premium feature stays locked.
What to try now
- Expect several confirmations at the moment: a second yes, and on screen devices a payment method step, are currently part of the flow. Answer with a plain “yes” or “no” rather than reading the button text aloud; spoken button labels are often not recognised.
- On a screen device, tap the buttons instead of speaking. The microphone sometimes does not open on the offer screen, so touch is the dependable path through it.
- Check whether a charge went through: in your Amazon account under Your Orders for one-time purchases, and Your Memberships & Subscriptions for recurring ones. If nothing is listed, you were not charged and can simply try again.
- If you were charged but the feature stays locked, open the Alexa Skill again and repeat the request. Completed purchases are often recognised on the next start. If the feature is still locked after that, contact Amazon customer service.
- For a refund, a double charge, or managing a subscription, go to Amazon customer service. Amazon holds the payment for every purchase made inside an Alexa Skill.
The Alexa Skill's developer cannot see your payment details and cannot issue the refund, however much they may want to help.
Why is this happening?
The purchase screen inside an Alexa Skill is operated by Amazon, not by the Alexa Skill. It hands you over at the moment of purchase and back afterwards, which is why the developer can neither fix the screen nor refund a charge.
Alexa developers have documented problems with this screen since January 2026: the microphone not opening, spoken answers not being recognised, long load times, and purchases needing multiple confirmations. Amazon released a fix in May 2026; the community re-tested and reported the problems as still present.
When will it be fixed?
No timeline for resolving the reported checkout problems has been shared as of September 8, 2026. The purchase flow issues are tracked publicly in the community issue tracker.