🔍 Overview
If you manage client accounts through Search Atlas's white label agency feature, your invoices may include charges beyond your base subscription. This article explains how child account billing works, what the Custom line item means, and how to verify that every charge on your invoice is accurate.
📋 How Child Account Billing Works
When you set up white label client accounts under your agency, each active child account contributes to your monthly billing. Charges are calculated based on the pricing structure you configured during your white label setup. Here is a quick summary of what can appear on your invoice:
- Base plan charge: Your core Search Atlas subscription fee.
- Child account fees: A per-seat or per-account fee for each active client account under your agency.
- Custom charge: A fee tied to a custom pricing tier or add-on you selected in the Pricing & Fees step of your white label setup (see below).
⚙️ What Is the "Custom" Charge?
The Custom line item on your invoice reflects a non-standard pricing configuration applied to one or more of your child accounts. This typically occurs when:
- You assigned a custom plan or fee structure to a specific client during white label onboarding.
- A child account was upgraded to a bespoke feature set outside the default tiers.
- A one-time setup or configuration fee was agreed upon for a client account.
To confirm which account or configuration triggered the Custom charge, review your white label pricing settings directly in the platform.
🛠️ How to Review Your White Label Pricing Settings
- Log in to Search Atlas, click your Avatar in the header, then select Agency Settings (White Label Setup).
- Proceed through the setup steps: Upload Agency Logo, Brand Colors, Favicon, AI Assistant Branding, and Live Preview.
- Review the pricing tiers and any custom fees assigned to each client account.
- Cross-reference the amounts shown here with the line items on your invoice to identify the source of any charge.
If you need to adjust pricing for a specific child account, you can make changes directly in the Pricing & Fees section and then proceed through to Review & Launch to save your updates.
🧾 How to Investigate a Specific Invoice Charge
If you received an unexpected charge — such as a discrepancy on a specific invoice — follow these steps to investigate:
- Locate the invoice in your billing portal and note the invoice number, date, and each line item.
- Count the number of active child accounts in your Client Management section (header apps-grid icon → More Features → Agency Hub → Client Management) on or before the invoice date.
- Multiply your per-account fee (visible in Pricing & Fees) by the number of active accounts to verify the subtotal.
- Check whether any Custom charges align with a specific client configuration you set up.
- If the numbers still do not match, gather your invoice number and the details of the discrepancy before contacting support.
💡 Common Reasons for Unexpected Invoice Totals
- New child accounts added mid-cycle: Accounts activated partway through a billing period are prorated, which can result in unfamiliar amounts.
- Custom pricing applied to multiple accounts: If Custom pricing was set as a default, it may apply to all child accounts rather than just one.
- Plan upgrades: A child account upgrade triggers an immediate prorated charge for the remainder of the billing cycle.
- Overlooked active accounts: Accounts that appear inactive may still be billed if they have not been formally deactivated in Client Management.
🚀 How to Prevent Billing Surprises
- Review your pricing settings before adding new child accounts.
- Deactivate client accounts you no longer need through the header apps-grid icon → More Features → Agency Hub → Client Management to stop accruing charges.
- Check your invoice each billing cycle against your active account count.
🙋 Still Have Questions About Your Invoice?
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. Please have your invoice number and the specific charge amount ready so the team can resolve your query as quickly as possible.