No algorithm draws the face of a person you haven't met yet—there's no data about them anywhere. But these apps and services handle real money, and the billing funnel is well-designed. It's worth understanding, because the same design appears in dozens of other categories.
This text describes the funnel step by step, shows where the billing traps are, and explains how to cancel once the subscription is active.
The funnel, step by step.
1. A entrada gratuita
The ad promises a free portrait. You install the app, upload your photo, answer a few questions, and watch a processing animation. So far, zero cost—and that's exactly how it needs to be, because conversion depends on you having already invested time.
2. O resultado borrado
The portrait appears blurred, or divided into parts with only one revealed. This is the moment of greatest curiosity, carefully constructed: the information exists, it's there, and it's almost there.
3. O desbloqueio
To view it, you have to subscribe. Here, the classic pressure elements appear: a countdown timer, a discount expiring in minutes, a warning that the analysis will be discarded. None of this is related to the product—they are urgency triggers.
4. O teste gratuito com cartão
The offer is usually a three-day trial, requiring a credit card to register. Billing starts automatically at the end of the period, almost always on a weekly plan, and the weekly amount is chosen precisely because it goes unnoticed on the bill.
5. A continuação
After the portrait, the following offers follow: compatibility reading, affective map, detailed analysis. Those who have paid once are considered qualified clients, and sales efforts are focused on them.
The most common debt collection traps
- A disguised weekly plan. It's a seemingly small amount, charged 52 times a year. It's always worth multiplying by 52 before accepting.
- Discreet automatic renewal. Information provided in small text below the button.
- Cancellation outside the app. The subscription is managed by the store, but the app suggests that cancellation should be done via email to support — which does not respond.
- Price in another currency. International billing, with conversion and, in some cases, an additional card fee.
- Unrecognizable name on the invoice. The charge appears under the name of a company that has no connection to the app.
The custom-order version, which is something else entirely.
Besides apps, there's a service sold on social media where someone promises to do a... psychic drawing From your soulmate, usually for a fixed price, with delivery in a few days.
In this case, there isn't even an algorithm. The design is produced manually or generated by an image editing tool, and the promise is mystical in nature. Common complaints: delivery that never happens, identical portraits sold to different clients, and additional charges for "detailing" the result.
Since the transaction usually occurs via direct transfer, outside of any platform, there is no refund mechanism. This option has the highest chance of resulting in a total loss.
How to cancel an active subscription
The most useful information in this text: Subscriptions purchased within apps are managed by the app store, not the developer—cancellation is done there.
- Android: Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, go to Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Locate the item and cancel it.
- iPhone: In Settings, tap your name at the top, go to Subscriptions. Locate and cancel.
- Reimbursement: Both stores have a request form. Recent, unused charges are usually refunded.
- If the charge persists: Dispute this with your bank or credit card company, informing them that the subscription has been cancelled.
- Uninstalling doesn't cancel. This is the most common mistake, and billing continues as normal.
It's worth taking advantage of the visit to review the entire list — it's common to find two or three forgotten signatures.
How to recognize the next funnel
- Blurred or incomplete results, released only upon payment.
- A countdown timer on something that doesn't have a real deadline.
- Free trial that requires a credit card.
- Weekly plan as the most prominent option.
- Testimonials with names, ages, and cities — almost always invented.
- No information is available regarding the company responsible.
The rule of thumb: when the product is delivered blurred, the product is curiosity, not information.
If the goal was to meet someone
Dating apps charge for their services, but they deliver what they advertise: contact with real people. The difference from the generated profile picture is that there's actually someone on the other side.
In these cases, the free plan is usually sufficient to get started, and it's worth using it for a few weeks before considering any subscription.
SEE MORE:
- How the soulmate diagram is generated
- Why can't any app predict a face?
- Compatibility in love: what can be measured?
How to request a refund once the charge has already been processed
Discovering the charge after the debit doesn't resolve the issue. Both stores have their own return processes, and the sooner the request is made, the greater the chance of approval. On the Play Store, the process involves accessing the purchase history within the profile, with the option to report a problem and request a refund, with space to explain the reason.
On the App Store, the request is made through the "report a problem with your purchase" page, accessible using the same login used for the subscription. In both cases, the request is analyzed individually, and objective arguments help: charges after cancellation, price different from advertised, trial that did not notify of the renewal date, or service that did not deliver what was described.
If the store refuses, you can still contact the developer using the mandatory contact information on the app's page and, if there is no solution, file a complaint with consumer protection agencies. Keep screenshots of the advertised price, the moment of acceptance, and the payment slip, as these are the supporting documents for your claim.
When the payment doesn't go through the store.
There is one instance where no store subscription screen will show anything: when payment was made on the service's website, using a manually entered card, or through a payment intermediary. This is common on pages that advertise the same promise outside the app store, precisely to circumvent cancellation policies.
In this scenario, the cancellation must be requested directly from the supplier, in writing and with proof. If there is no response, the next step is to contact the bank or credit card company to dispute the charge, a procedure known as a purchase dispute, which may result in a refund when the service is not recognized or was not delivered.
It's important to remember that the Consumer Protection Code guarantees the right of withdrawal for purchases made outside of a commercial establishment, within a period of seven days from the date of contracting or receiving the product. This argument applies to subscriptions contracted online and it's worth mentioning it in writing when requesting cancellation.
How to read the invoice and find the hidden signature.
The charge almost never appears under the name you saw on the screen. What appears on the invoice is the name of the billing entity, which may be an intermediary company, an acronym, or a foreign domain. Therefore, the amount is recorded as an unknown expense and ignored month after month.
- Look for small, repeating values. on the same date each week or month, not just high values.
- Payment in foreign currency It includes currency conversion and financial transaction tax, which changes the final value between months.
- Check the registered email address.The stores send a receipt for each renewal, and searching for this message reveals the service.
- Use a virtual card with a low limit. for future testing, which turns any surprise into an automatic rejection.
- Review the list of signatures. from both stores every six months, even without any suspicion of fraud.
Both systems help with this audit. The Play Store's payments and subscriptions section lists everything that is active and the date of the next renewal, and the iPhone's Settings provides the same list with a history of expired subscriptions, useful for finding out how long the charge has been in effect.
Signs of a trap in the payment flow
Some patterns repeat themselves so often that they serve as an immediate warning. Recognizing them right away is worth more than any attempt at a refund later.
- Countdown on the offer screen, creating an artificial sense of urgency so you don't read the price.
- Price per day highlighted, with the actual weekly or monthly charge in small print.
- Reject button is grayed out., tiny or hidden like an almost invisible X in the corner.
- Box already checked authorizing renewal, communications, and data sharing.
- Blurred result Displayed before payment, a technique designed to generate maximum curiosity at the time of billing.
- Cancellation only by email., with delayed responses and deadlines that extend beyond the next renewal.
Frequently asked questions about billing in soulmate apps.
Desinstalar o aplicativo cancela a assinatura?
No. The subscription is linked to your account in the store, not to the installed app. It's possible to pay for months for something that has already been deleted from your phone, and this is more common than it seems.
Cancelar significa perder o acesso na hora?
No. In both stores, access remains until the end of the already paid period. Therefore, it makes no sense to postpone cancellation until the day before: cancel as soon as you decide, and the service will continue until the due date.
Posso ser cobrado depois de cancelar?
This shouldn't happen, and when it does, the refund request is usually accepted because the cancellation record is kept in the store's system. Save a screenshot showing the subscription as canceled, with the date.
Vale a pena pagar a versão sem anúncio para ver o desenho em alta?
The high-resolution image is still a randomly generated image. If the cost is equivalent to a snack and you understand that you're paying for entertainment, it's a legitimate choice. The problem isn't the one-time price, it's the recurring subscription sold as a one-time purchase.
