SeaWorld is facing another class-action lawsuit, but this time it’s not about animals.

The lawsuit is in regards to possible hidden charges and automatically renewing annual passes without the passholder’s knowledge.

SeaWorld officials would not comment Tuesday about automatic renewals, citing the pending litigation.

But according to the lawsuit, it affects people who hope to spread out the cost of admission with monthly payments, but end up with a never-ending bill.

The lawsuit estimates it has cost customers more than $5 million.

Outside SeaWorld some people proudly display their passport membership, saying they’ve been a passholder at the park for years.

But when Joe Flanagan recently bought his year-long pass, he said he thought "annual" was just an option.

“We hope there’s not automatic renewal,” Flanagan said. “I don’t want it more than one year.”

The renewal has been called into question this month by a class action lawsuit against SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment filed by a Tampa-area passholder who said the company continued to charge him after he thought his pass should have expired.

Jason Herman used EZpay, a plan the park bills on its website as offering one payment starting as low as $13 and then 11 equal payments.

However, the lawsuit claims after Herman made the 11th monthly payment of $35.40 for a multi-park pass in February, the monthly payments on his credit card continued until he noticed it and called SeaWorld in October.

That’s when they told him there were no refunds.

The suit goes on to say SeaWorld told him the agreement was spelled out in the fine print of the contract in the receipt.

Herman’s attorneys said the contract is invalid. It calls for automatic renewals when the pass isn’t paid off after 12 months. But the way the payment plan is structured, customers actually pay it off in 11 months.

The whole thing has Flanagan saying he’ll keep a close eye when his pass expires.

“If what you say is true that would be quite underhanded to do that,” Flanagan said.

News 13 has asked SeaWorld for clarification on its passes and payment plans. However, they said we have to wait for all those questions to be answered in federal court.