🔍 Why Did I See a Charge During My Free Trial?
Search Atlas offers a 7-day free trial before your paid plan begins. In most cases, no charge is applied until the trial period ends. However, you may notice a temporary authorization hold on your payment method when you sign up. This is not a real charge — it is a standard verification step used by payment processors to confirm your card is valid.
If a full subscription charge appeared on your statement before your 7-day trial ended, this may have been caused by a billing system issue that has since been resolved. Our team has implemented a fix to ensure plan upgrade charges are correctly deferred to the end of the trial period.
📋 What Qualifies for a Refund?
You may be eligible for a refund if:
- You were charged the full subscription amount before your 7-day free trial ended.
- You did not intend to upgrade or continue with a paid plan.
- The charge occurred due to a billing error on our end.
Please note the following conditions that may affect eligibility:
- Refund requests must be submitted promptly after the charge appears.
- Accounts that have already claimed a free trial are not eligible for an additional free trial or free month on the same account.
- If you signed up through a promotional offer or special checkout event, the specific terms of that promotion apply.
⚙️ How the Refund Process Works
- Contact our support team through the live chat widget (see below) and explain that you were charged during your free trial.
- Our team will verify the charge against your account billing history.
- If a billing error is confirmed, a refund will be initiated to your original payment method.
- Refunds typically appear within 5–10 business days, depending on your bank or card provider.
🔄 If Your Chat Was Disconnected
We understand how frustrating it can be to lose connection mid-conversation, especially when discussing something as important as a charge on your account. If your previous chat session was interrupted, you do not need to start from scratch. When you reconnect with our team, simply mention that you were previously discussing a free trial refund and provide your account email address. Our team can review the chat history and pick up where things left off.
💡 Tips to Avoid Unexpected Charges
- Review the plan details and trial terms carefully during checkout before confirming your subscription.
- Check your email inbox for a confirmation receipt after signing up — this will confirm when your trial starts and ends.
- Set a personal reminder a day or two before your trial ends if you are unsure whether you want to continue.
- If you decide not to continue, cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.
🛠️ Still Need Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.