## 🔍 Why Did You Receive a VIP June Invoice?

Some customers who participated in the **VIP Challenge** promotion received a June invoice even though their main Search Atlas plan appears cancelled or inactive. This can happen for one of the following reasons:

- A **VIP Challenge subscription** was created separately from your main plan and was not cancelled at the same time.
- A billing record existed in our payment system (Stripe) that was not yet linked to your visible account, causing the charge to process without a matching active plan showing in your dashboard.
- A previous account migration or email transfer left a lingering VIP upgrade active on an old account.

In short: the charge is real, but it is not always easy to spot because the VIP subscription can exist independently of your main login. This is a known issue our engineering team has addressed.



## 📋 How to Check Your Account Status

1. Log in to Search Atlas at your usual login URL.
2. Navigate to **Avatar (top-right icon) → Billing** (Billing) to review any active subscriptions and recent invoices.
3. If your billing section shows **no active plan** but you have received an invoice, this confirms a mismatched billing record — your charge may still be recoverable.
4. Check your email inbox for any receipts from Stripe or Search Atlas that reference a **VIP** or **VIP Challenge** plan to confirm the exact subscription that was billed.

## ✅ What to Do If You Were Charged Unexpectedly

If you believe you were charged for a VIP subscription you intended to cancel, follow these steps to get it resolved quickly:

1. **Do not dispute the charge with your bank yet.** A bank dispute (chargeback) can delay resolution and may affect your account standing. Contact us directly first — we can issue a refund faster.
2. Gather the following information before reaching out:

   - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account
   - The invoice number or charge amount shown in your receipt
   - The date of the charge
   - Any confirmation of cancellation you received (a screenshot or email is helpful)
3. Open the live chat widget and request a refund review. Our billing team can look up your Stripe record directly, even if the subscription is not visible in your dashboard.

## ⏱️ How Long Does a Refund Take?

Once our team confirms the charge and approves your refund, processing times are as follows:

- **Credit or debit card:** 5–10 business days to appear on your statement, depending on your bank.
- **Stripe credit:** Applied immediately to your account if you have an active plan.

You will receive a confirmation email from Stripe once the refund has been initiated.



## 🛡️ How to Prevent Future Unexpected Charges

To make sure all subscriptions are fully cancelled and no further charges occur:

- After cancelling, always check **Avatar (top-right icon) → Billing** (Billing) and confirm that **all** listed plans — including any promotional or add-on plans — show a cancelled or inactive status.
- Look for a cancellation confirmation email. If you did not receive one, the cancellation may not have completed successfully.
- If you participated in the VIP Challenge or any limited-time promotion, confirm that the promotional subscription was cancelled separately from your main plan, as these can be independent billing items.

## 💬 Still Need Help?

If your invoice is not showing in your dashboard, you are unable to locate a cancellation confirmation, or you simply want a billing team member to review your account directly, we are here to help. 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.