Unexpected charges on your Search Atlas account typically come from recurring add-ons, OTTO Sites top-ups, or currency conversion. Identify the charge type below, then follow the steps to cancel, correct, or dispute it.
🔁 Recurring Subscription Fees
Recurring charges are linked to your base subscription plan or additional services you have opted into.
- Base Subscription Plan: This fee corresponds to your selected pricing tier for Search Atlas services.
- Universal Quota Top-Ups (including OTTO Sites): Charges may occur if you need more capacity than your base plan includes. Each top-up has its own independent billing date based on when it was first purchased. For example, if you added an OTTO Sites top-up on the 15th, it renews on the 15th of each month — not on your base plan renewal date. It is billed separately from the base plan. To confirm, review the Billing section of your account.
Note: If you see the same top-up charge appearing twice in the same billing period (once on your subscription invoice and once as a separate charge), this may be a legacy migration issue. Contact billing immediately with both charge IDs for a review and refund.
➕ Add-On Charges
Optional add-on services generate separate monthly charges even if you are on a yearly base plan. These appear as distinct line items in your billing history.
- OTTO Google Ads Add-On ($199/month): This add-on unlocks OTTO Google Ads automation inside Search Atlas, letting you connect your Google Ads account and use AI to automatically manage and optimize PPC campaigns. This charge is monthly and applies regardless of whether your base plan is annual — which is why it can appear as a surprise charge on a yearly account. Note: If you joined on an Annual Pro Plan or a promotional offer (e.g., Summit promo), the OTTO Google Ads Add-On may be included at no cost for a defined period. If you believe you were charged in error, contact the billing team — a promo code can be applied retroactively and erroneous invoices can be voided.
- Heatmaps Quotas: If your plan includes heatmaps, recurring fees may apply for quota usage.
🗑️ How to Cancel an Add-On Service
To stop a recurring add-on charge, remove the service from your account:
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of Search Atlas.
- Select Billing.
- Go to the Services tab.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the add-on you want to remove.
- Select Remove Service.
After removing the service, check your billing history to confirm no further charges are scheduled. To see how long you have been billed for a specific add-on, review the Billing section — each entry shows its activation date and billing period.
🤖 OTTO Sites Billing and Quota Behavior
OTTO Sites is one of the most common sources of billing questions. Here's what to know:
- Quota math: Your total OTTO Sites quota equals the number included in your base plan plus the number of top-up sites you've activated. Example: 4 included + 6 top-up = 10 total OTTO Sites.
- Per-site top-up billing: Each OTTO Sites top-up is billed on the date it was originally activated, not on your base plan renewal date. You may see multiple OTTO-related charges across the month.
- Frozen projects still occupy a slot: When an OTTO project is frozen, it continues to occupy its quota slot for up to 14 days before being released. During this time, your Sites usage display may temporarily show a number higher than your purchased quota (e.g., 11/10). You are not charged extra for this — billing only reflects your base plan plus your active top-ups.
- Deleting an OTTO project does not cancel its top-up: Removing an OTTO site project releases the project's slot, but the recurring top-up charge is a customer-level billing subscription that keeps billing until cancelled separately (Profile avatar → Billing → Services → ⋮ menu on the top-up → Cancel), or until your main plan's cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, which cancels its top-ups automatically. Deep Freeze also does not cancel the top-up.
- Correcting an incorrect top-up count: If you've been billed for more or fewer top-up sites than you actually purchased, Search Atlas support can reactivate or remove individual top-ups and correct your total quota. Top-ups retain their original billing date when reactivated.
- Unexpected OTTO additions: If the number of OTTO Sites in your Billing section does not match what you purchased, do not assume the charge is correct — contact billing to audit your OTTO count. OTTO site top-ups are never added automatically; they are only billed after an explicit purchase.- Enterprise and contract pricing: Enterprise and contract customers may be entitled to custom OTTO top-up pricing. If you believe you are being charged at the standard rate instead of a contracted rate, contact your account manager or billing support.
Known issue (as of June 2026): Some accounts may see inflated OTTO top-up amounts displayed in the Billing section. This is a display bug only — your actual charged amount can be confirmed on your Stripe invoice or by contacting support. A fix is in progress.
💱 Currency Conversion and Displayed Amount Differences
If your billing involves transactions across currencies, you may see small variations in displayed amounts. Exchange rates applied at the time of each transaction can cause a charge to appear slightly higher or lower than the listed price — for example, a $199 add-on may appear as approximately $201. Customers on accounts migrated to a new billing system may also notice a slight variance between the listed price and the charged amount due to migration adjustments. These differences are typically not additional fees; they reflect your payment processor's exchange rate or billing system adjustments at the time of billing. If the charged amount differs from the listed price, contact billing support with your invoice ID for a review.
💰 Requesting a Refund for an Erroneous Charge
If you believe you have been charged in error or for a service you did not knowingly subscribe to, follow these steps:
- Gather your invoice details: the charge date, amount, and invoice ID (available in your Billing section or on your Stripe invoice).
- Contact Search Atlas billing support via the in-app chat or your support channel, referencing the specific line item in question.
- Our billing team will review the charge and, where applicable, process a refund within 5–7 business days.
❓ Still Unsure About a Charge?
If you have reviewed your billing history and still cannot identify or resolve a charge, contact our billing team via the in-app chat or support channel with your account email and the invoice ID. Our team can identify any charge within one business day.
🌀 You now know how to identify unexpected Search Atlas charges — whether they come from recurring add-ons like the OTTO Google Ads Add-On, OTTO Sites top-ups, or currency conversion — and how to remove any service you no longer need. If a charge still doesn't match what you expect, contact Search Atlas support with the charge date and invoice ID for a full billing audit.