Frequently Asked Questions

Payment methods vary from country to country - the checkout is adaptive and automatically shows every option available where you live. In Europe that is whatever Stripe offers in your country, for example cards, PayPal, Klarna, iDEAL, SEPA direct debit or Revolut Pay. Apple Pay and Google Pay work on supported devices. Outside Europe you will typically see major credit and debit cards plus popular local options.

Best Practices to Avoid Payment Problems:
- Foreign Currency Transactions - payments are processed in Euro. Your bank must allow foreign currency payments.
- Recurring Payments - Subscriptions require automated recurring billing. Some banks block this by default.
- International Payments - Ensure your bank allows international payments.

If none of the available options work for you, reach out to me. We'll find a way.

A classic manual wire transfer is not offered. But in many European countries the checkout offers SEPA direct debit - you pay directly from your bank account with your IBAN.

If you can't use any available payment method, reach out to me. We'll find a way.

Every subscription plan includes a 7-day free trial - use it to make sure my method is right for you. Not sure about a longer plan yet? Start on Monthly first. Your statutory rights stay unaffected; the details are in section 8 of my terms of use.

Cannot pay this month? Cancel under Settings, Billing in the learn app - your progress stays saved for when you come back. If you go silent, you will be unenrolled after 3 reminder emails.

There are two ways to cancel, depending on who handles your payments. In the learn app, you find both under Settings, Billing.

Paid through Teachable
Open my homepage, choose Login and then Teachable. Click your profile picture or name at the top right, choose Subscriptions or My Subscriptions, find your SmarterGerman subscription and click Cancel. Follow the confirmation steps. If no active subscription appears there, try the Stripe portal below.

Paid through Stripe
Open the Stripe customer portal, enter the email address you paid with, open the link Stripe emails you and choose Cancel plan. You can also find this portal in my welcome email, titled Welcome to SmarterGerman - how to open your courses, under Manage your invoices and subscription. Stripe subscriptions do not appear in your Teachable account.

After cancellation, you keep access until the end of your paid billing period and your subscription will not renew. A one-time purchase does not renew and needs no cancelling.

See the full cancellation guide, also linked as Cancel Membership at the bottom of every page. If a page stays blank or you cannot find your subscription, contact me and I will help you cancel. Do not sign up again or start another plan. Paid through LemonSqueezy? Contact me to cancel.

Yes. In the learn app under Settings, Billing you can move to a longer plan, and the app shows exactly what you pay before you confirm. If you do not see the option there, reach out to me directly and I will take care of it.

No, and please do not check out a second time. A new checkout does not replace your current plan. It creates a second, separate subscription, so you would be charged for both plans. You would also only ever see one of the two in the customer portal, which means you could not stop the other one yourself.

To move to a longer plan, open Settings, Billing in the learn app. If you do not see the option there, write to me and I will move you to the plan you want.

Yes. Where the pricing page shows it, the 2-year plan covers 24 months paid in advance and saves 44% compared with paying monthly. Paid through Stripe, it starts with the same 7-day free trial as monthly and yearly. It then continues monthly until you cancel, at the 2-year price divided by 24: in euros 16,63€ a month after 399€ for the first 24 months. Want to pay for 2 years up front again after that? You can, at the same rate, under Billing in the learn app. Bought through Teachable, it is a one-time payment for 2 years of access and ends by itself. Already on a 3-year plan? It keeps the terms you bought it under.

I offer monthly, yearly and 2-year plans. Your access depends on your plan.

Monthly plans renew automatically every month until you cancel.

Yearly plans paid through Stripe and bought in the EEA, meaning the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, on or after 14 October 2026 cover 12 months paid in advance. After that, they continue automatically with monthly payments until you cancel. Each monthly payment is your yearly price divided by 12.

All other yearly plans renew automatically for another full year until you cancel. This includes plans bought outside the EEA, plans bought before 14 October 2026 and all plans billed through Teachable.

For yearly plans paid through Stripe, I email you 35 days and 14 days before the yearly renewal or the switch to monthly payments. I do not send these reminders for plans billed through Teachable. To cancel a plan billed through Teachable, cancel it there before it renews.

2-year plans paid through Stripe cover 24 months paid in advance. They then continue with monthly payments until you cancel, at the 2-year price divided by 24: in euros 16,63€ a month after 399€ for the first 24 months. For 2-year plans paid through Stripe, I email you 35 days and 14 days before the switch to monthly payments. A 2-year plan billed through Teachable is a one-time payment for 2 years of access and ends automatically. The 3-year plan is no longer sold; existing 3-year plans keep the terms they were bought under.

No. Every access is for one person, whichever plan you choose and however long it runs. It works like a seat in a language school: one seat, one learner.

If someone else wants to learn with you, they need their own access. Sharing your login is against my terms of use. If it continues after a warning, I end the access, and any refund is reduced by the costs the breach caused me.

Payments for recurring plans are charged automatically. I do not send a reminder before each monthly payment. Before a yearly plan paid through Stripe renews for another year or switches to monthly payments, I email you twice: 35 days and 14 days before this happens. If you subscribed Oct 1, 10am, you'll be charged Nov 1, 10am.

Make sure:
a) Sufficient funds in your account
b) Credit card details are valid (update in account settings)
c) If payment fails, call your bank immediately (especially Indian banks)

Been unenrolled? Don't panic - your progress is saved. Contact me to restore access.

Yes! Invoice is sent automatically after purchase. Save that email as PDF yourself.

Need company details on invoice? Enter everything BEFORE you finalize purchase. On checkout there's a link for businesses to enter VAT ID.

Need changes after purchase? Update your details yourself: in the learn app under Settings, Billing with the Stripe button, or through the link in the Stripe email you got when you signed up or bought. Paid through Teachable? Your receipts are in your Teachable account under Purchase History.

No. That would be a bureaucratic nightmare and they wouldn't pay anyway since my courses aren't certified and they prefer live classes.

However, you can use my courses next to your Jobcenter-supported courses. Those teach in German only which I don't recommend based on 25+ years of experience - German should be taught in English (or your mother tongue).

No. The free trial is one per person, once. My system checks for repeat trials, and a repeat trial breaks my terms of use: after a warning, I end the access.

Trial ended too soon? Reach out to me and I will find a solution with you.

Yes. Reach out to me and I will send you a personal payment link.

That is the only supported way. Orders placed on old checkout pages that still show up somewhere on the internet are refunded right away and the course access is removed - I have to keep my books clean for tax reasons.

Yes. On a tight budget? Get the reduced rate here and you're in right away.

It runs on trust, so take it only if you really need it and move up when you can. I got plenty of support on my way here - this is my way of paying it forward, and maybe one day you'll do the same for someone else. If even that's a stretch, write to me.

Lifelong Access is a one-time purchase. Once payment has been completed, there is no subscription, renewal, or later access fee - and your access has no fixed expiry date.

Your access ends only when one of these events occurs: you die, Michael Schmitz dies, SmarterGerman permanently ceases all business operations, or access is lawfully terminated for good cause under the Terms of Use.

Your access does not end because the course is renamed, updated, moved to another platform, replaced, combined with another product, or withdrawn from sale. It includes corrections and revisions of the existing learning content. If new paid tools or services are ever added, they are always optional: the course keeps working as it is, without them. Access is personal and cannot be transferred or inherited.

Lifelong Access is offered for German Grammar Genius and DSH Exam Preparation, and covers only the course you bought. Each course also has a 12-month option at a lower price.

Nobody can predict how long it will take YOU. That depends on your education, your language learning aptitude, your motivation, your everyday situation, your age and more. You have 24/7 access for as long as your membership is active, and learning German at SmarterGerman is NOT about finishing a course but understanding and implementing the knowledge presented to you.

A1 to C1 in one year is theoretically possible - with at least 3 hours of study a day plus homework, like an intensive German course at any language school. Reference numbers at that pace: 2 months for A1, 2 months A2, 2 months B1, 3 months each for B2 and C1. A good planner adds 20% on top, because there will likely be unforeseen circumstances.

At 10-15 hours per week, these are realistic estimates based on the CEFR framework. It is the same number of hours as above, just spread over more months:

A1 - Beginner: 80-200 hours, 2-5 months
Basic phrases, introduce yourself, simple questions.

A2 - Elementary: 200-400 total hours, 5-10 months
Routine tasks, simple conversations about familiar topics.

B1 - Intermediate: 350-650 total hours, 9-16 months
Travel independently, describe experiences, understand main points.

B2 - Upper Intermediate: 600-1000 total hours, 15-25 months
Fluent conversations, understand complex texts, express opinions.

C1 - Advanced: 800-1200 total hours, 20-30 months
Near-native understanding, nuanced expression, academic/professional use.

C2 - Mastery: 1000-1500+ total hours, 25-38+ months
Native-like fluency, effortless understanding of everything.

Language schools cannot promise more: intensive courses often take 2-3 months per level, but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone has reached the designated level by then. According to the integration course stats of the BAMF, roughly only 50% of students pass B1 after 6 months of intensive classes.

Study as much as you CAN and ENJOY. You CAN study 24/7 - you're 100% flexible with no teacher or classmates to wait for. If you only have 30min a day, that's how long you study. If you're tired, take a break. If things flow, keep going.

Quality beats quantity and speed. Rushing produces crappy German. Take your time, digest what you learn. Your deadline is made up to begin with - the only exceptions are exams for visa or citizenship. The most important thing when learning any language is to enjoy doing so.

For details, see my blog post on German language levels.

Quick Guide by Hours:
- Under 200h = A1
- 200-400h = A2
- 400-600h = B1
- Over 600h = B2/C1

Completed Duolingo/Babbel? That is A2 level max.

Want a precise answer? Take my free placement test - takes about 10 minutes and tells you exactly where you stand.

Every plan includes all course levels (A1-C1), so you can move freely between them whenever you like.

My courses provide everything you need to reach the designated level - reading, listening, writing, speaking, grammar and vocabulary - but aren't exam-specific.

A1 and B1: For the two most important exams I've created prep courses, and both are included in every plan. The A2 exam is basically covered by the A1 exam prep and rarely needed to begin with.

B2: B2 can't be hacked. My B2 course already practises all relevant skills with you, and the exam tips are in the B2 course itself. Download the freely available B2 model exams to get familiar with the format.

C1, for example Goethe C1: If you work through my courses properly up to C1, you have learned what the exam tests. My C1 course is closest to the exam format. Before your exam, work through the free model exams of your institution - Goethe, TELC or ÖSD - so the format holds no surprises.

Studying at a German university? Check which certificate your university accepts - many ask for the DSH. For that I have a separate course: DSH Exam Preparation.

No - such a certificate wouldn't be worth the paper. You need a Goethe, TELC or OSD certificate as those are the most acknowledged worldwide.

You can PREPARE with our courses and take those exams as an external examinee. Our courses prepare you as well as theirs.

Proof of completion? While not worth much, I'll reluctantly issue one if you really think it benefits you.

All my courses are proper online courses for self learners - they start when you want to start and end when you want to stop. You can work whenever and wherever you want. There are no live events or meetings with a real tutor included.

If you want to swap notes with other learners, the community is open to all members.

All my courses teach you everything needed to reach the designated level. It's the same stuff you'd learn at Goethe, Berlitz or any other professional language school - just packaged far more interestingly and explained a lot clearer.

Yes! I've created techniques to practice speaking on your own: Preaching (A1+), Reading aloud (A1+), Presentations (A2+), Oral translation (B2+). They'll prepare you for real conversations.

From A2 onwards I also recommend languagegym - ridiculously cheap for what you get. Use it to gain confidence speaking. Teaching is in the courses, and all correction is delivered by integrated AI tools that provide excellent quality feedback on your German.

No! All courses are complete. Any additional materials I recommend are completely optional.

Courses are not available offline. No downloads like vocab lists because lists are irrelevant for memorizing - they're only useful as overview, which is how I use them.

I'll save you 50+ hours - everything you need is in one place.

Currently not offering 1:1 coaching - I'm focusing on improving courses and supporting online students.

In my opinion, 90% of learners don't need a private tutor. My online courses do the job at a fraction of the cost.

If you really want a tutor, I recommend:
- Alessio Bona (German Grammar Genius course creator)
- Andrea from Lively German (for exam preparation)

SmarterGerman offers online courses for self learners. No live classes, no tutor or classmates involved. In my professional opinion, most people don't need one if they have a well-structured course.

100% online - learn wherever you have internet, whenever you want. No traveling to school, no annoying classmates, learn at your own speed.

Not disciplined? Either you are or you aren't - there's nothing you can do to become more disciplined. But that's fine! When you feel overwhelmed or unmotivated, a) give it time - moods pass, and b) reach out to others in my Community.

On their own. That is exactly what they are built for. One membership covers every level from A1 to C1, and each level teaches everything you need to reach it, grammar included.

You do not need a grammar book or a second course running next to mine. Grammar is taught where you actually need it and explained until it makes sense, not handed to you as a table to memorise. If you want to go deeper still, my German Grammar Genius course takes German grammar apart piece by piece. It is a separate course you buy once: German Grammar Genius.

Anything else I ever recommend is optional, never required.

Most of the well known teachers do solid work, so I will not talk anyone down. Here is what I do differently.

I teach adults who already speak English. Your English is a bigger asset than you think, and I put it to work from day one instead of treating you like a blank page. That alone cuts a lot of learning time.

Understand what can be understood, memorise what cannot. Everything that has logic gets explained until the doubt is gone. The rest is anchored with memory techniques that need zero special talent, so German sticks instead of fading by next week.

Everything sits in one place. A1 to C1, exam prep for A1 and B1, plus AI tools that correct your writing and your speaking. No shopping for textbooks, no hopping between apps and channels.

Real self study, properly built. No live classes, no classmates to wait for, no fixed times. I have taught German since 1999 and built the course I always wanted to hand my own students.

All four. Reading, listening, writing and speaking are trained at every level, with grammar and vocabulary running through all of it.

Reading and listening come with texts and audio pitched at your level, from the first lesson on. Writing is practised throughout and corrected by my integrated AI tools, which give you proper feedback on your German. Speaking is trained with techniques you can do on your own: preaching and reading aloud from A1, presentations from A2, oral translation from B2. Vocabulary is built with memory techniques rather than word lists.

Grammar is the skeleton, not the whole body. A course that only teaches grammar and vocabulary leaves you unable to speak, which is precisely the problem I set out to solve.

I do not measure my courses in hours of video, because hours of watching teach nobody German. What counts is how much you actually work.

For scale: the path from A1 to B2 holds roughly 4,900 individual lessons and exercises. Nobody runs out of material.

For planning: reaching B2 takes most learners somewhere between 600 and 1,000 hours of total study, whichever course they use. At around 3 hours a day, expect about 2 months each for A1, A2 and B1, and about 3 months for B2. Your speed depends on you and your circumstances, never on the length of my course.

With my DSH Course. It prepares you for all four parts of the exam - listening, reading, writing and speaking - in eleven complete rounds, with the strategy behind the scoring.

It is a separate course, not part of the membership: 12 months of access for 29.90 EUR or lifelong access for 49.90 EUR. One payment, no subscription, and several lessons are free to try.

Start here: DSH Exam Preparation.

Don't worry.

Choose Login at the top of my homepage, then New platform or Teachable, depending on where you learn. On the new platform, Forgot password? on the login page emails you a link to set a new one. Check your inbox and spam folder. Common problems: typing "gmial" instead of "gmail" or ".co" instead of ".com".

Learned with me on Teachable? Open learn.smartergerman.com/move and enter the email address you use on Teachable. I email you a code, and your courses are waiting for you on the new platform.

If that doesn't help, send me a message.

Been unenrolled? If you missed payment instalments, reach out to me and I'll send you a fresh link to reactivate.

Yes, of course. Take a break for weeks or months - when you come back, everything is still there.

Moving from Teachable to the new platform? Your progress stays saved on Teachable. On the new platform you set it yourself in one go: open Progress, click Set progress next to a course, choose the lesson you are on and confirm. Every lesson before it is marked as done, and choosing a later level also marks the earlier levels you are enrolled in as finished. To correct a course afterwards, reset that course from your dashboard and set it again.

Yes! The mobile version is beautiful. Use Chrome to avoid technical issues with my custom tools. Unfortunately there's no offline version available.

Teachable's iOS app works for reading and listening, but my custom tools won't work inside it.

All members get technical support via my community. The community is also where learners share progress, swap study notes, and chat about German. I drop in when I have time, but it is a peer space, not tutoring.

Live Q&A sessions happen irregularly when I have time and are open to all members.

No. Community access ends when your All Courses subscription ends. If you want to come back, apply through the community application form on the homepage. The questionnaire is the same as for any new non-customer applicant.

Don't panic! Never invest more than 10 minutes on a technical issue.

Try these fixes (99% success rate):
- Clear browser cache
- Try a different browser (Chrome works best)
- Disable VPN or Ad-Blocker
- Check for company firewalls

Still stuck after trying all measures? Report it - I respond immediately to technical issues.