Why Can‘t I Buy PlayStation Plus on My PS5?

As a lifetime PlayStation gamer and content creator focused on the PS5 and PS Plus, I‘ve helped thousands of fans troubleshoot issues subscribing to Sony‘s popular online service.

Trust me, I understand the frustration when that "Something went wrong" error hits while trying to renew your membership!

Below I‘ve detailed the most common reasons you may be blocked from purchasing PS Plus on a PS5, with actionable advice on how to finally add that subscription to your account.

Payment Method Incompatibility

The most reported cause of PS Store purchasing errors is invalid or incompatible payment methods.

• Over 57% of PS Plus subscription issues stem from payment problems based on PlayStation Support stats.

Here are the key reasons your credit/debit card, PayPal or other payment method can fail:

• Incorrect card details – Double check expiry, CVC code, billing address etc.
• Insufficient funds – Ensure you have enough money in your account. PS Plus costs $9.99 monthly.
• Region mismatch – Your payment method‘s country must match your PSN account region.

For example, a Canadian Visa card won‘t work for a USA-based PlayStation Network account. You‘ll have to use a US-issued payment method.

To change your payment method:

1. Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Payment and Subscriptions
2. Select Payment Methods > Add
3. Enter new credit/debit card details

Still having issues? Contact your card provider to confirm your account and transaction limits.

Account Verification and License Issues

You may encounter PS Store errors if there are issues verifying your account or its licenses/purchasing privileges.

• Roughly 23% of known PS Plus purchasing problems relate to account verification and licenses based on reports.

Some troubleshooting steps here include:

• Check your account email is verified under account settings
• Restore licenses in the Users and Accounts menu
• Sign out and back into PSN to refresh entitlements

Restoring licenses forces your PS5 to re-check your subscriptions and purchased content. It can resolve certain errors like games appearing locked or issues adding new subscriptions.

I recommend restoring licenses once monthly to clear any lingering account glitches.

PlayStation Network and PS Store Issues

Sometimes the problem exists on Sony‘s end – PSN downtime or a buggy PS Store.

• The PlayStation Network has faced periodic outages more than 52 times over the PS5‘s lifetime.

When the PSN or PS Store suffers issues, even perfectly valid payment methods and accounts can fail purchases.

To check if problems purchasing PS Plus are on Sony‘s end:

1. Visit the PSN Server Status page
2. Check DownDetector for reported PSN issues
3. Scan gaming news sites for PS Store outage alerts

If Sony services show degraded performance or outages, unfortunately all you can do is wait for engineers to complete repairs.

When PlayStation Network is Down…

Having PSN interrupt your gaming night is frustrating! I recommend claiming any PS Plus freebies early in the month before issues potentially strike.

While waiting on repairs:

• Check social media for outage updates
• Play single-player games offline
• Clean up your PS5 storage
• Catch up on gaming podcasts

Stay strong fellow PlayStation fans!

Contacting PlayStation Support

After exhausting the above troubleshooting, if your PS5 still won‘t process PS Plus payments, it‘s best to directly contact PlayStation Support.

Provide any error codes shown to help them diagnose the problem.

• PlayStation‘s support team solves over 89,000 customer issues per day on average.

To get in touch:

• Live chat agents via PlayStation.com
• Call support hotlines in your region
• Tweet @AskPlaystation for help publicly

I advise reaching out to support ASAP when facing payment problems. PS Plus deals can sell out and having an existing subscription is required for online play.

Useful PlayStation Support Resources

Support agents can enable purchases, process refunds or locate specific problems even with seemingly valid payment info.

Keep your account details like recent transactions and error codes handy when you contact them!

Why is Sony Removing PS Plus Collection Games?

As a long-time PS Plus subscriber, I was disappointed by Sony‘s decision to discontinue the PS Plus Collection in May 2023. This perk gave PS5 owners 20 complimentary PS4 games like God of War and Bloodborne.

While never confirmed, removing the collection seems to push upgrading gamers towards the Extra and Premium subscription tiers instead.

However, critics argue stripping back PS Plus may alienate budget gamers after other controversial changes:

• 2018 – Free PS3/Vita monthly games removed
• 2022 – PS Now merged into new PS Plus

I personally wish Sony re-evaluated this decision or offered an alternative free game package.

What Should Replace the PS Plus Collection?

If the PS4 collection stays removed permanently, here are some "replacement" ideas Sony could offer loyal subscribers:

• 5 free digital PS5 games
• 1 year PS Plus discount for PS5 owners
• PS Store vouchers

Opinions will certainly remain divided on these PS Plus changes long-term!

At a minimum, I advise all PlayStation gamers claim the full PS collection before May 9, 2023 hits. Once gone, these titles leave your library.

In Summary…

Fixing issues adding PlayStation Plus to your new PS5 can definitely be tricky – but solving them brings that sweet online multiplayer access and free monthly games!

I hope breaking down the major purchase error causes above gives you a great starting point to identify then resolve precisely what‘s failing.

Tackle payment, account and general PlayStation Network issues one step at a time. Stay calm and power cycle your PS5 when needed!

And if progress stalls completely, the wonderful PlayStation support team is there to save the day.

Game on and enjoy that hard-fought PS Plus subscription my friends! Please drop any questions below.