## 🔍 What Is a Duplicate Billing Charge?

A duplicate billing charge occurs when your payment method is billed more than once within the same billing cycle — often for different amounts or on different dates. For example, you may recognise your standard plan charge (such as $199 for the Growth plan) but also see a separate, unexpected charge (such as $99) that you cannot link to a known subscription or log into.

This can happen when a second account is created unintentionally under a different email address, or when a technical issue causes more than one active subscription to be generated for what should be a single account.

## ⚠️ Common Causes

- **Accidental second account:** A second Search Atlas account was created with a different email address — sometimes during a re-checkout flow or a trial sign-up — and a subscription was attached to it.
- **Subscription duplication error:** A known platform issue caused more than one active subscription to be generated in the billing system for a single account.
- **Unrecognised charge date:** A subscription renewal on an unexpected date (e.g. the 11th instead of your usual billing date) can indicate a second account with a different start date.

## 🛠️ Steps to Take Right Now

1. **Check your email inboxes:** Search all email addresses you own for a Search Atlas welcome email or invoice. A second account will have its own confirmation email sent to the address used during sign-up.
2. **Review your billing statement:** Note the exact charge amounts, dates, and any transaction reference numbers. This information helps our team locate both subscriptions quickly.
3. **Log in to your known account:** Go to your account avatar in the top-right corner, then navigate to **Billing → Plans & Top-ups** (/billing). Confirm your active plan and billing date shown there match the charge you expect.
4. **Do not attempt to log in to the unknown account by guessing passwords:** Our support team can identify the duplicate account on your behalf using your payment details.
5. **Contact our team via live chat:** See the section below for exactly how to do this.

## 📋 Information to Have Ready

To resolve your case as quickly as possible, please have the following available before contacting support:

- The email address linked to your primary (correct) account
- The charge amounts and dates for both transactions
- The last four digits of the payment card that was charged
- Any invoice or receipt numbers from your bank or email

## 💡 What Happens After You Report It

Once our team is connected with you, here is what to expect:

1. **Account identification:** Our team will locate the duplicate account in our system using your payment details.
2. **Subscription cancellation:** The duplicate subscription will be cancelled immediately so no further charges occur.
3. **Refund processing:** Eligible charges will be refunded. Refunds typically appear on your statement within **5–10 business days**, depending on your bank or card provider.
4. **Confirmation:** You will receive confirmation once the cancellation and refund have been processed.

## 🛡️ How to Prevent This in the Future

- Always sign in at **app.searchatlas.com** using your existing credentials rather than starting a new sign-up flow.
- Use a single email address for all Search Atlas activity to avoid accidentally creating a second account.
- If you are ever prompted to re-enter payment details unexpectedly, stop and contact support before completing the action.

## 🙋 Need Help Now?

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.

## **Additional Notes**

Cross-platform billing: Accounts connected to both Shopify and a credit card occasionally triggered charges through both channels simultaneously. Also: subaccount sync issues where a subaccount was not properly linked to an existing subscription in Stripe, causing a separate billing record.