I am interested in knowing more about programming and computer science. Having no prior experience. My question is: Are online certification courses that have to be paid worth it? If so, are there any recommendations on which courses I should take?

Classes and certifications are two different items. If your interest is more towards the knowledge, as opposed to trying to get a specific job, I would stick with online classes. EdX, MITx, Coursera, and others are often free for have minimal costs.

Harvard has an online class called CS50. You pursue it at your own pace, and it gives you background on many aspects of Computer Science. From there, you could tske more specialized courses.