## 🔍 Why You Might See an Unexpected Charge

If you notice a charge attempt that does not match your usual subscription amount, it can be alarming. There are a few common reasons this happens on Search Atlas accounts:

- **Partial or pro-rated charges:** If your plan was changed, upgraded, or adjusted mid-cycle, the system may generate a charge for the remaining portion of your billing period rather than your full subscription amount.
- **Add-on or top-up fees:** Certain features — such as credits or usage-based add-ons — may be bundled into a separate charge outside your regular invoice. These can appear as an unfamiliar amount even when your core subscription is current.
- **Legacy or duplicate invoice attempts:** In rare cases, an old or canceled invoice may trigger a payment attempt. Our engineering team has identified this as a known issue and is actively working to prevent payment actions on canceled invoices.
- **Annual vs. monthly plan differences:** Customers on annual plans are sometimes billed a different amount than expected if a plan adjustment was applied. For example, a $199 charge on a $399-per-month account may represent a discounted add-on, a credit adjustment, or a partial billing event tied to your plan history.

## 📋 How to Review Your Billing History

Before reaching out to support, check your invoices directly inside the platform to gather more context:

1. Click your **avatar** in the top-right corner of the platform.
2. Select **Billing** to open the Billing page (Plans & Top-ups, Services, Invoices, Activity Log tabs).
3. Review your invoice list and look for any invoice marked as **open**, **past due**, or showing an amount that does not match your plan.
4. Note the invoice date, amount, and status so you can reference these details when speaking with our team.

## ⚠️ What to Do If the Charge Is Incorrect

Do not attempt to pay an invoice you do not recognise without first verifying it with our team. Paying a duplicate or incorrect invoice may result in an unintended charge that requires a refund process.

If you see a charge attempt that you did not expect:

- **Do not click Pay** on any invoice you are unsure about.
- Take a screenshot of the invoice showing the amount, date, and status.
- Contact our support team immediately using the chat widget (see below) so we can investigate whether the charge is valid, cancel it if necessary, and confirm your correct billing schedule.

## 🛡️ Common Scenarios and What They Mean

Here are specific situations customers have asked about and what typically causes them:

- **A $199 charge on a $399/month plan:** This is most likely a partial charge, a plan-level add-on, or a legacy invoice. It does not mean your plan has changed. Our team can confirm the exact source of the charge and cancel it if it was generated in error.
- **A charge attempt on an account you believe is canceled:** If your account was flagged as past due before a cancellation was processed, a retry attempt may have been queued. Our team can clear this and confirm your account status.
- **A charge attempt after your subscription end date:** This may indicate a subscription was not fully deactivated on our billing provider's side. Our team can resolve this immediately.

## ✅ How We Are Improving This

Our engineering team has already resolved several billing issues related to unexpected charges and is actively working on additional safeguards, including disabling payment actions on canceled invoices to prevent duplicate charge attempts. If you were affected by one of these issues, our team will make it right.



## 💬 Need Help Right Away?

If you see an unexpected charge or want to verify your billing before any payment is processed, do not wait. 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.