💡 Overview
If you believe you've been charged incorrectly — whether due to duplicate charges, stacked top-ups, or an inability to cancel — this article explains why these issues can occur and the exact steps to get them resolved quickly. Our billing and support teams take overcharging seriously and will work to make it right.
🔍 Why Unexpected Charges Can Occur
Billing errors across multiple periods are rare but can happen in a few specific situations:
- Duplicate subscriptions: In some cases, a migration or account change may generate more than one active subscription in the same account, resulting in being billed twice.
- Stacked recurring top-ups: Automatic top-ups (used to replenish credits) may stack on top of your base subscription instead of being consolidated, leading to higher-than-expected charges.
- Incorrect plan pricing: A legacy plan or a custom deal may not have been applied correctly at the billing level, causing you to be charged at a higher rate.
- Cancellation not processed: If a cancellation request was submitted but not confirmed by the system, charges may continue into subsequent billing periods.
⚙️ What Information to Have Ready
Before reaching out, gathering the following details will help our team investigate and resolve your case as fast as possible:
- The email address associated with your Search Atlas account
- The approximate dates of each charge you believe is incorrect
- The amounts charged in each billing period
- Any confirmation emails or screenshots related to cancellation attempts
- Your expected plan type and agreed pricing, if applicable
🛠️ Steps to Request a Refund or Dispute a Charge
- Log in to Search Atlas. Access your account so our team can verify your identity and pull up your billing history directly.
- Open the live chat widget. Click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the platform.
- Request a human agent. Type human teammate in the chat to be connected with a member of our support team.
- Describe the issue clearly. Share the billing dates, amounts charged, and any cancellation attempts you made. The more detail you provide, the faster our team can act.
- Allow time for investigation. Our billing team will audit your Stripe account, identify the root cause (such as duplicate subscriptions or stacked top-ups), and confirm which charges qualify for a refund.
- Refund confirmation. Once approved, refunds are processed back to your original payment method. Processing time depends on your bank or card provider, but typically takes 5–10 business days to appear.
📊 What Happens During the Investigation
When you report a multi-period billing dispute, our team will:
- Review all active and past subscriptions linked to your account in our billing system
- Identify any duplicate subscriptions, incorrectly applied plans, or stacked top-up charges
- Cross-reference your cancellation requests against system logs to confirm whether a cancellation was processed
- Calculate the total overcharged amount across all affected billing periods
- Process a full or partial refund based on the findings
🚨 If You Could Not Cancel Your Subscription
If you attempted to cancel but continued to be charged, please mention this explicitly when you contact our team. Include any dates you tried to cancel and the method you used (e.g., in-app settings, a previous chat). Our team will verify the cancellation status and ensure your subscription is fully terminated alongside processing any eligible refunds.
🙋 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.