Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Nos cobran después de recoger los platos y quitar las tazas. - They charge us after picking up the plates and removing the cups.

It’s an implicit “they” (e.g., the waiters/restaurant staff). Spanish normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. You could say Ellos nos cobran, but it’s usually unnecessary.

What does nos mean here, and what kind of pronoun is it?

Nos means “to us/for us” and is an indirect object pronoun. With cobrar, the common pattern is “cobrar(le) a alguien”: e.g., Nos cobran = “They charge us.”

Why is it cobran (plural) and not cobra?

Because the implied subject is plural (“they”). If you meant one person (e.g., “the waiter”), you’d use Nos cobra.

Does the present tense in Nos cobran mean now, the future, or a habit?

It can be any of these, depending on context:

Habit: “At this place, they charge us after clearing.”
Near future: “They’ll charge us after they clear.”
Present: “They’re charging us now after clearing.”

Why is it después de + infinitive (e.g., después de recoger)?