🔍 Why Was the Wrong Card Charged?
If you have multiple payment cards saved in your Search Atlas account, our payment processor charges the card marked as the default at the time the billing cycle runs. Removing a card after a billing cycle has already begun — or after an invoice has been generated — may not redirect the charge, as the transaction can be locked to the card that was active when the cycle opened.
Common reasons the wrong card gets charged:
- A card was removed but the billing cycle had already begun before the removal was processed.
- A new card was added but not yet set as the default before the renewal date.
- A previous failed payment triggered a retry attempt against the original card on file.
📊 Why Doesn't the Amount Match Your Records?
A billing discrepancy — where the amount charged differs from what you expected — can occur for several reasons:
- Currency conversion: If your plan is priced in one currency and your card is billed in another, your bank applies its own exchange rate on the transaction date, which may differ from the rate you anticipated.
- Mid-cycle plan changes: Upgrading or downgrading during a billing period may create a prorated charge or credit that adjusts your invoice total.
- Taxes and fees: Depending on your billing country, local taxes or fees may be added to your invoice automatically.
- Pending retries: A previously declined payment that is retried successfully may appear as a separate charge.
🛠️ Steps to Resolve a Wrong Card Charge
- Check your default payment method. Log in to your Search Atlas account and review your saved payment methods to confirm which card is set as default. Update it if needed to prevent the issue from recurring on your next billing date.
- Review your invoice. Access your billing history in your account to download your latest invoice. Compare the amount, currency, and card details shown on the invoice with your bank statement.
- Gather the discrepancy details. Before contacting support, collect the following information so our team can resolve your case quickly: the last four digits of the card that was charged, the last four digits of the card that should have been charged, the exact amount charged, the transaction date, and your invoice number.
- Contact our support team. Our billing team can verify the charge, correct the payment method for future cycles, and initiate a refund where applicable.
💡 How Refunds Work
If a charge is confirmed to have been processed against the wrong card in error, our billing team will review the transaction and issue a refund to the originally charged card. Refund timelines vary depending on your bank or card issuer.
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.