Coinepay | How to Pay for NovelAI with a Virtual Card (Step-by-Step Guide)

NovelAI is a subscription service for AI-assisted writing, image generation and text-to-speech. Its paid tiers are billed in US dollars through a payment processor, so you need a card that can complete an international online checkout. This guide explains how to create a NovelAI account, choose a plan, pay with a Coinepay virtual card, and work through the most common reasons a subscription payment is declined.

What you need before you start

A verified NovelAI account (sign-up starts at novelai.net/register with an email address and password; the free trial allowances are tied to an email-verified account).
A Coinepay account with identity verification (KYC) completed. You must register and finish verification before you can use card services \u2014 start at the Coinepay registration page or download the app for iOS or Android.
A Coinepay virtual card with enough available balance to cover the plan price plus any applicable tax. Your card number, expiry date and CVV appear instantly in the Coinepay dashboard once the card is issued.
Your real billing details. Use the name and billing address that match your Coinepay card records \u2014 mismatched details are a common cause of declines.

Coinepay cards are designed for paying for AI subscriptions, software, advertising and online shopping, which fits the NovelAI use case. Whether any particular merchant will accept a given card still depends on the merchant and its processor, so keep the troubleshooting section below handy.

NovelAI plans and prices

NovelAI publishes its prices in USD and states that payment must be received in USD; taxes are added where applicable. At the time of writing (October 2026) the documented options are:

Tier	Price	Notes
Paper Tier (Free Trial)	No charge	Limited text, image and text-to-speech generations
Tablet Tier	US$10 per period	Paid subscription
Scroll Tier	US$15 per period	Paid subscription
Opus Tier	US$25 per period	Paid subscription

Paid subscriptions renew 30 days after payment rather than on a fixed calendar date. There is also an optional US$5.99 Opus V5 Usage Boost announced on 13 October 2026, which is a separate one-off purchase and not a new subscription tier. Prices and any local tax can change, so confirm the current figures on the official NovelAI subscription page before you pay. Checkout totals shown in currencies other than USD, and tax-inclusive regional prices, are not something we can confirm here.

Step-by-step: subscribe and pay

Create and verify your account. Go to novelai.net/register, sign up with your email and password, and verify the email so your account is active.
Open subscription management. In the NovelAI app, go to User Settings \u2192 Account \u2192 Manage \u2192 Change your Subscription. If your account is still offered the processor migration, NovelAI's documented path is Manage Account \u2192 Switch to New Payment Processor.
Pick your tier. Select Tablet, Scroll or Opus. An active subscriber can upgrade by paying the difference for the remaining billing period; replacing an inactive subscription starts a new one at full price.
Issue or pick a Coinepay card. In the Coinepay dashboard or app, create a virtual card (or choose an existing one) and make sure it has enough balance for the plan price plus any tax. Copy the card number, expiry and CVV.
Enter card details at checkout. NovelAI's checkout is handled by its payment processor, Chargebee. Enter the card number, expiry, CVV, and your billing name and address exactly as held by Coinepay.
Complete any 3-D Secure step. If a bank verification prompt appears, approve it in your Coinepay app or follow the on-screen instructions, then confirm the payment.
Confirm the subscription is active. After a successful charge, your tier should show as active in User Settings \u2192 Account. Buy subscriptions directly through NovelAI only \u2014 NovelAI has stated that subscriptions must not be purchased through resellers.

Troubleshooting a declined card

NovelAI noted in mid-2026 that tighter anti-fraud rules were contributing to declines, while reporting an overall decline rate below 1% at that time. If your payment does not go through, work through these causes one at a time.

Insufficient balance

Confirm your Coinepay card holds enough to cover the full USD price plus any tax that is added at checkout. Top up in the Coinepay app and try again. Remember that the authorised amount may be slightly higher than the headline price when tax applies.

Billing address or name mismatch

If you see \u201cYour credit card payment was declined by the issuing bank\u201d or \u201cPayment couldn't be authorized. Please try a different payment method,\u201d check that the billing name and address you typed match the details registered to your Coinepay card. Correct any typo in the card number, expiry or CVV and resubmit.

3-D Secure authentication failed

Some users have reported a 3-D Secure payer-authentication failure, and others have been declined even after completing the verification step. Make sure notifications are enabled in your Coinepay app so you can approve the prompt promptly, use a stable connection, and avoid letting the authentication window time out. If it fails, retry the whole checkout from the start.

Card type and processor acceptance

NovelAI identifies credit and debit cards as the accepted payment types through Chargebee. Whether every card brand, issuer or region can complete checkout is not something we can confirm, and the processor notes that enabling a card type does not by itself guarantee the gateway will accept it. NovelAI reported Discover processing was not working on 27 February 2025, and PayPal was described as unavailable in 2026 with customers directed to use a debit or credit card. If your payment will not authorise, contact Coinepay support to confirm your card is suitable for this merchant before you try again. Do not use false billing details or any method to disguise your location \u2014 always use your real identity.

Regional limitations

NovelAI does not publish a country-by-country checkout availability list. Separately, cards issued by Russian banks stopped working in foreign online stores from March 2022, which is a card-payment limitation rather than confirmation of any NovelAI account block. Services related to virtual assets are not available to residents of mainland China, and some Coinepay services are not available in every jurisdiction. If a payment keeps failing and the cause is unclear, reach out to NovelAI at [email protected] and to Coinepay support in parallel.

Managing renewals and cancellation

Because paid tiers renew 30 days after payment, make sure your Coinepay card has a balance before the renewal date if you want the subscription to continue. Cancelling in User Settings stops the next charge, and paid-tier access continues to the end of the current period. NovelAI's terms state that subscription payments are not refunded unless the company explicitly grants a refund, so cancel before renewal if you do not want to be charged again. If cancellation produces an error, NovelAI directs users to [email protected]. For anything about your card balance, limits or statements, use the 24/7 Coinepay self-service dashboard or the mobile app.

A note on keeping payments smooth

Coinepay lets businesses issue a dedicated virtual card for each service and set custom spending limits, which can help you ring-fence an AI subscription budget. Keep the card topped up, use consistent real billing details, and buy only through NovelAI's own checkout. If you hit a wall, the fastest route is to confirm your card details with Coinepay support and the subscription state with NovelAI support.

Get your Coinepay virtual card: Sign up · App Store · Google Play · Customer support

FAQ

Which NovelAI plan should I choose?

NovelAI offers a free Paper Tier trial plus paid Tablet (US$10), Scroll (US$15) and Opus (US$25) tiers per period at the time of writing (October 2026). Pick based on how much text and image generation you need, and check the official NovelAI subscription page for current prices and any tax.

Why was my Coinepay card declined at NovelAI checkout?

Common causes are insufficient balance, a billing name or address that does not match your card records, a failed 3-D Secure step, or merchant or processor acceptance for your card type or region. Fix each in turn, and contact Coinepay support to confirm your card suits this merchant.

Does NovelAI bill in US dollars?

Yes. NovelAI publishes its prices in USD and states that payment must be received in USD, with taxes added where applicable. Make sure your Coinepay card has enough balance to cover the USD amount plus any tax.

Will I be refunded if I cancel NovelAI?

Cancelling stops the next charge, and paid access continues to the end of the current period. NovelAI's terms say subscription payments are not refunded unless the company explicitly grants a refund, so cancel before the 30-day renewal if you do not want another charge.

Can I use a Coinepay virtual card for the Opus V5 Usage Boost?

The US$5.99 Opus V5 Usage Boost is a separate one-off purchase, not a subscription tier. You pay for it through NovelAI's checkout the same way, so ensure your Coinepay card has enough balance and your billing details match.

How to Pay for NovelAI with a Virtual Card (Step-by-Step Guide)