If you're subscribed but the app keeps asking you to sign up or pay again — or it says you need a subscription to start your exam — it's almost always because you're signed into a different account than the one your subscription is on. The fix is usually quick. Here's how to check.
Why this happens
Your subscription is tied to one specific account (one email). If you sign in with a different email, the app sees an account with no active subscription and prompts you to subscribe — even though you're paying on your other account.
The two most common causes:
Duplicate accounts — you signed up more than once with different emails (for example, one with Google and one with email/password), and your subscription is on the other one.
Apple "Hide My Email" — when signing in with Apple, you may have chosen "Hide My Email," which creates a private @privaterelay.appleid.com address. If you later sign in with your real email, it's a different account.
Step 1: Confirm which account you're signed into
Open the SkillCat app and go to your profile / settings (gear icon).
Check the email address shown on your account.
Compare it to the email on your payment receipt from SkillCat or Stripe. If they don't match, your subscription is on a different account.
Step 2: Check for an Apple "Hide My Email" address
If you signed up using Sign in with Apple, your subscription may be attached to a private relay address that looks like:
To get back into that account, sign in the same way you originally signed up — using Sign in with Apple — rather than typing in your personal email. That routes you back to the account your subscription is on.
You can review which apps use Hide My Email on your Apple device under Settings → [your name] → Sign in with Apple → SkillCat.
Step 3: Check for a duplicate account
If you may have signed up more than once, try signing in with your other email, or with Google / Apple if that's how you first registered. Your courses, progress, and subscription will be on whichever account the payment is attached to.
💡 Tip: Use the same sign-in method every time (for example, always "Sign in with Google") so you land on the same account.
Still being asked to subscribe?
If you've tried the steps above and still can't get onto your subscribed account, send us these details at [email protected] and we'll help you locate the right account:
The email on your account (what you see in the app).
The email on your payment receipt, if different.
Whether you signed up with Apple, Google, or email/password.
⚠️ Please note: we're not able to merge two accounts together. The goal is to get you signed back into the original account your subscription is on, so make sure you're using the same sign-in method (Apple, Google, or email/password) you first registered with.
Once you're on the correct account, your subscription, courses, and progress will all be there. Have a great day!