💡 Why Did I See an Unexpected Charge?
Search Atlas offers an optional automatic top-up for Universal Credits to help ensure your workflows are never interrupted when you run low. Automatic top-up is off by default and can only be enabled or changed by an account admin. When enabled, if your Universal Credits balance drops below the admin-set trigger threshold (default 5,000 credits), the system charges your saved payment method the admin-set top-up amount and adds the credits.
This can happen even if you still have some credits remaining. The top-up is triggered whenever your balance falls below the configured threshold, not just at zero. Auto top-up turns itself off after 3 consecutive failed charges.
🔍 What Triggers an Automatic Top-Up?
- Low-balance threshold: A top-up fires when your Universal Credits balance falls below the admin-set trigger threshold (default 5,000).
- Scheduled or bulk tasks: Running large jobs can rapidly deplete credits and trigger a top-up.
- Note: OTTO site top-ups are never added automatically — they must be purchased manually by the customer.
⚙️ How to View All Active Subscriptions on Your Account
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Billing from the dropdown menu, then open Plans & Top-ups.
- Review the Plans & Top-ups page to see your plan, renewal date, and the Add-on button.
- Check the Activity Log tab (Avatar → Billing → Activity Log) to see a full log of past charges, including automatic top-ups.
Each line item will show the charge amount, date, and the specific quota or feature it was applied to. This gives you a clear picture of what is active and what is driving costs.
🛠️ How to Prevent Automatic Charges
You have full control over automatic top-up behaviour. Follow these steps to adjust or disable it:
- An account admin should go to the Billing dashboard.
- Locate the Plans & Top-ups tab.
- Toggle the setting off to disable automatic charges entirely, or adjust the trigger threshold (1,000 to 20,000 credits) so top-ups fire less frequently.
- You can also change the top-up amount charged each time.
- Save your changes to apply them immediately.
Important: If you disable auto top-up, some features may pause or fail when your credits are exhausted. Make sure you monitor your balance manually or set calendar reminders to add credits before they run out.
📊 Tips for Managing Your Credit Balance
- Set your auto top-up threshold lower than your typical daily usage to avoid surprise charges mid-task.
- Review your Billing History monthly to spot any unexpected patterns.
- If you use bulk tools or scheduled reports regularly, consider purchasing a larger credit bundle upfront to reduce the frequency of automatic top-ups.
- Check whether any add-on subscriptions or feature-specific quotas have their own separate top-up settings — each may need to be configured independently.
🔒 Is My Payment Information Secure?
Yes. Search Atlas processes all payments through a PCI-compliant payment provider. Your card details are never stored directly on our servers. All automatic charges use the payment method you have on file, which you can update at any time in the Billing section of your account.
🙋 Still Have Questions?
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.