📄 Why Your Invoice May Show Multiple Charges
If you've noticed two or more separate charges on your invoice — such as $187 and $256 — this is expected behaviour and not a billing error. Search Atlas invoices can include multiple line items depending on your subscription plan, add-ons, and billing cycle. This article explains what each charge represents so you have full clarity on your bill.
🧩 Common Invoice Line Items Explained
Your invoice may include any combination of the following charge types:
- Base Subscription Plan: The recurring monthly or annual fee for your chosen Search Atlas plan (e.g. Starter, Growth, or Pro). This is your core platform access charge.
- Add-On Features: Optional tools or expanded limits purchased on top of your base plan — for example, additional OTTO SEO activations, extra GSC projects, or increased keyword tracking limits.
- Usage-Based Overages: If your account exceeded the included limits for a given billing period (such as API calls, report exports, or site audits), an overage charge is applied at the start of the next billing cycle.
- Mid-Cycle Upgrades: If you upgraded your plan or added a feature part-way through a billing period, you may see a prorated charge for the remaining days in that cycle alongside your usual renewal charge.
- One-Time Purchases: Certain features or credits purchased as a one-off rather than a recurring subscription will appear as a separate line item on the invoice they were billed in.
🔍 How to View a Full Breakdown of Your Invoice
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner and select Billing & Subscription.
- Under the Invoices section, locate the invoice you want to review and click View Invoice.
- The invoice detail page lists every line item, the date range it covers, the unit price, and the quantity or proration applied.
- To save or share the invoice, click Download PDF in the top-right corner of the invoice detail page.
📅 Understanding Prorated Charges
Prorated charges are partial amounts calculated when a change is made to your subscription before the end of a billing period. For example, if your billing cycle renews on the 1st of the month and you upgrade on the 15th, you will be charged only for the remaining half of the month at the new plan rate. This prorated amount will appear as a separate line item and is not a duplicate charge — it reflects the difference in plan cost for the days already used.
⚠️ When a Charge Looks Unexpected
Before contacting support, check the following common reasons for unfamiliar charges:
- A team member made a change: If multiple users have admin access, a colleague may have added an add-on or upgraded the plan without notifying you. Review recent account activity under Settings > Team Members.
- Annual plan renewal: Annual subscriptions renew as a single lump-sum charge once per year. If you signed up annually, this larger charge appears once rather than being spread monthly.
- Currency conversion: If your payment method is in a currency other than USD, your bank or card provider may apply a conversion rate that results in a slightly different amount on your statement.
- Tax or VAT: Depending on your billing country, applicable taxes may be added to your invoice total. These are listed as a separate line item labelled Tax or VAT.
💡 Tips to Keep Your Billing Clear
- Review your plan and active add-ons monthly under Billing & Subscription to avoid surprise charges.
- Set up billing notifications so you receive an email receipt each time a charge is processed.
- Remove unused add-ons before your next renewal date to avoid being charged for features you no longer need.
- Ensure your billing contact details are up to date so invoices reach the right person on your team.
🙋 Still Have Questions About a Specific Charge?
If you've reviewed your invoice and still can't identify a particular charge, our team can pull up your full billing history and walk you through every item in detail. 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.