🔍 Overview
If your free trial ended before you had a chance to cancel, your Search Atlas account may have moved into a paid PRO subscription billing cycle. This article explains what typically happens in that situation and how to get your account fully deactivated with no further charges.
⚙️ What Happens When a Trial Expires Without Cancellation
When a trial period ends and no cancellation is submitted, the system attempts to collect payment for the next billing cycle. Depending on whether that payment succeeds or fails, your account status may vary:
- Payment failed or past due: Your account may already be flagged as deactivated automatically.
- Payment succeeded: Your account moves to an active paid subscription and a charge is applied.
In either case, you will need to confirm your account is fully deactivated and that no further charge attempts will be made.
🛠️ Steps to Resolve This
- Check your current account status. Log in to your Search Atlas account and review any billing notification emails you have received. These emails will indicate whether your account is active, past due, or already deactivated, and will help you understand what action is needed.
- Cancel your subscription directly in your account settings. Click your Profile avatar → Billing → Services, then open the ⋮ (three-dot) menu on your plan and select Cancel. A confirmation/retention step will appear before the final confirmation. After cancelling, your access continues until the end of the current billing period. If you change your mind, you can reverse a pending cancellation from the same place by selecting Activate. Save or screenshot any confirmation message shown after you complete this step.
- If you need additional help, contact support (optional). Self-service cancellation through your account settings is all that's required, but if you run into any issues you can reach out to our support team via this Help Center. Provide your account email address and let the agent know your trial expired before you could cancel. To reach us, use the chat widget in this Help Center or email us directly — you can also reply to any billing notification email you received.
- Request account deactivation and charge reversal. Whether self-serving or working with an agent, confirm that your account is fully deactivated and that no further charges will be attempted. If a charge was already collected after your trial ended, ask for it to be voided or refunded, where applicable.
- Get written confirmation. Once the deactivation process is complete, make sure you receive confirmation — either via the on-screen message in your account or in your support chat — that your account has been deactivated and any outstanding charge concerns have been addressed.
📋 What the Support Team Will Do
Once you reach a team member, they will:
- Confirm whether your account has already been marked as deactivated due to a failed payment.
- Take the necessary steps to ensure no future charge attempts are made.
- Void or cancel any pending charge that resulted from the missed trial cancellation, where applicable.
- Confirm once your account is fully deactivated and the issue is resolved.
⚠️ Important Notes
- Act quickly. The sooner you address this after your trial ends, the easier it is to handle any pending charges before they fully settle.
- Reach out even if you are unsure. If you are not certain whether your account has already been deactivated, contact our support team and we will verify your account status and next steps for you. If you need help, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team via the chat widget in this Help Center.