YNAB customer service number — where to get help and best practices

Does YNAB provide a customer service phone number?

Short answer: no. You Need A Budget (YNAB) does not publish a public customer service phone number for general support. Since the company moved to a cloud-first subscription model (the current product launch was completed in 2016 when YNAB transitioned from desktop-only to web and mobile apps), customer support has been delivered primarily through the help center, in-app contact forms, email tickets and community channels rather than phone calls.

This model is intentional: it speeds diagnostics (support agents can request logs, exports and screenshots), provides persistent ticket records, and scales with a distributed support team. In practice, YNAB’s support team typically responds to inquiries submitted via the help portal or in-app contact form within 24–48 hours on business days (response times fluctuate with volume and major outages).

How to contact YNAB support — step-by-step

If you need help, use the official channels — they are faster and required for account-specific tasks. From the web: go to https://help.youneedabudget.com and click “Contact Support” or open the support link inside the web app at https://app.youneedabudget.com (click your avatar → Help / Contact). From iOS or Android, open the YNAB app, tap Settings (or your profile) and choose “Contact Support” or “Help” to create a ticket that attaches device/app metadata automatically.

When you submit a ticket you’ll receive an automated confirmation and a ticket ID. Keep that ID for follow-up. YNAB handles account verification and billing lookup through the ticket system; agents will never ask for full credit card numbers or your account password. For urgent outages, check the YNAB status page (linked from the help center) and the community forum for real-time updates before opening a ticket.

Billing, subscriptions, cancellations and refunds

As of June 2024 the standard YNAB price is $14.99 per month or $99 per year (billed annually). YNAB offers a 34-day free trial for new accounts; students can apply for extended access with academic verification (see the help center for current student program details). Subscription management is self-service: sign in at https://app.youneedabudget.com, open your account menu → Subscription (or Billing) to view invoices, change plan, or cancel.

If you need a refund or billing correction, open a support ticket and include your order number (found on the receipt emailed to your account email), the last four digits of the card used for payment (for verification), and the date of the charge. Refund decisions are processed case-by-case by the billing team; having the receipt and ticket speeds resolution. If you cannot access your account, state that explicitly in the ticket and attach any emailed receipts you received from [email protected] or [email protected] (if your bank shows a Stripe charge; YNAB uses Stripe for payment processing).

What to include in a support request (practical checklist)

Submitting a well-prepared ticket cuts resolution time dramatically. The YNAB support team frequently asks for the same items — providing them up front lets agents reproduce the issue and move directly to fixes or escalation.

• Account email and ticket subject line: use the email associated with your YNAB account and a short descriptive subject (e.g., “Sync error — Chase to YNAB, last 4 digits 1234”).
• Exact reproduction steps and timestamps: list the sequence you took, the date/time (timezone), and what you expected to happen vs. what happened.
• App version, OS and browser: include mobile app version (e.g., iOS 6.2.1), device model (iPhone 12), or web browser + version (Chrome 118.x) and whether you’re on a VPN.
• Screenshots and error messages: attach full-screen screenshots or copy/paste error text; when possible, include network or console logs noted in the app’s debug tool.
• Export or CSV: for budget data issues, export your budget (Settings → Export) or attach transaction CSV/JSON; that allows the agent to inspect raw data without logging into your device.
• Billing details for payment problems: the receipt/order ID, last four card digits, date of charge and billing email address.

Community resources, escalation paths and privacy notes

If speed is important or you want community insight, use the official YNAB Community (https://community.youneedabudget.com) where thousands of users and YNAB staff answer questions about bank syncs, importing, and budgeting techniques. YNAB also publishes hundreds of help articles and recorded workshops in the Help Center; many common problems (account linking failures, double transactions, split categorization) have step-by-step articles and videos.

If a ticket doesn’t resolve your issue, reply and request escalation referencing the ticket ID; include any new logs or screenshots. For privacy: never send full credit-card numbers, social security numbers or passwords. YNAB support will ask for only the minimal verification data required (order ID, last four digits of card, account email). Official YNAB sites and resources: the product page at https://www.youneedabudget.com, support portal at https://help.youneedabudget.com, the web app at https://app.youneedabudget.com, and the community at https://community.youneedabudget.com.

How do I manage my YNAB subscription?

If you subscribed directly through YNAB, changes to your subscription can be made in your Account Settings ↗️ in the web app, accessible in the settings menu in your plan.

Is YNAB a US company?

You Need a Budget (YNAB) (pronounced /ˈwaɪnæb/) is an online personal budgeting program based on the envelope system developed by a privately owned American company of the same name.

Who is the owner of YNAB?

founder, ynab
Jesse Mecham created YNAB to change how people relate to money—not by budgeting tighter, but by living bigger. What began as a simple spreadsheet to cover rent as a newlywed has grown into a spendfulness movement.

How do I contact YNAB support?

You can always email us at [email protected].

How much does YNAB cost annually?

$109 per year
YNAB is a paid budgeting app with no free version, although new users can start with a free trial for 34 days. After that, it costs $14.99 per month or $109 per year. College students get YNAB free for a year. YNAB may be worth the cost if it helps you spend less and save more money over time.

Will I get a refund if I cancel YNAB?

Subscribed Directly Through YNAB
Annual Subscribers: If you’d like to receive a prorated refund for the remaining time on your account, you can follow the steps to delete your YNAB account ↗️. This will automatically end your subscription and trigger a refund for any unused time.