🔍 Why This Happens
In rare cases, a charge may appear on your account after you have cancelled your Search Atlas subscription. This is not intentional, and we take billing accuracy seriously. The most common causes include:
- Orphaned subscriptions: During a billing system migration, some subscriptions were not fully cancelled in our payment processor (Stripe), even though the cancellation was recorded on our end.
- Duplicate accounts created during an upgrade: Upgrading your plan (for example, switching from a monthly Growth plan to an annual Pro plan) occasionally created a second Stripe account, resulting in charges from both the old and new subscriptions.
- Add-on charges not linked to your main cancellation: Cancelling your core subscription does not always automatically cancel paid add-ons (such as the OTTO Google Ads add-on). These can continue to bill independently if they were not explicitly cancelled.
We have implemented automated safeguards to detect and prevent these scenarios going forward, and our team actively monitors for affected accounts.
✅ What to Do If You Were Charged After Cancelling
- Locate your invoice details. Find the invoice number, charge amount, and date from your email receipt or your bank statement. For example: Invoice #125478, $882.00, charged on August 29, 2026.
- Log in to Search Atlas. Even if your subscription is cancelled, you may still be able to access the platform to open a support chat.
- Open the live chat widget. Click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.
- Share your details. Provide your invoice number, the charge amount, the charge date, and a brief description of when you cancelled. The more detail you share, the faster we can resolve your case.
💰 Refund Eligibility and Timelines
If our team confirms that you were charged in error after a valid cancellation, you are eligible for a full refund of the incorrect charge. Here is what to expect:
- Investigation: Our billing team will verify your cancellation date against our records and your Stripe billing history. This typically takes one business day.
- Refund processing: Once confirmed, we issue the refund immediately. Refunds normally appear on your original payment method within 5–10 business days, depending on your bank or card issuer.
- Confirmation: You will receive an email confirmation once the refund has been issued.
We do not charge any fees to process a refund, and there is no dispute process required on your end — simply contact us through the chat widget.
🛡️ How to Prevent This in the Future
To make sure your cancellation is fully processed and no future charges occur, follow these steps at the time of cancellation:
- Cancel all add-ons separately before cancelling your main subscription. Go to Settings → Billing → Add-ons and disable each one individually.
- Request a cancellation confirmation. After cancelling, you should receive an email confirming the cancellation. If you do not receive one within a few minutes, contact support immediately.
- Screenshot your cancellation confirmation screen. Keep a record of the date and any confirmation number shown on screen — this speeds up any future investigation.
- Check your bank statement in the 30 days following cancellation to confirm no further charges appear.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
I no longer have access to the platform. How do I contact support?
If your account is fully closed and you cannot log in, try accessing the platform login page at searchatlas.com — the chat widget is available on the login screen as well. Alternatively, log in with any active credentials and open the chat widget from the bottom-right corner.
Will I need to raise a chargeback with my bank?
Please contact us before raising a chargeback. We can resolve confirmed billing errors quickly and directly, which is faster than a bank dispute process and avoids potential complications with your payment method.
What if I was charged for an add-on I did not know was still active?
Add-on charges are still eligible for a refund review if you cancelled your main subscription and were not aware the add-on was billed separately. Share the details with our support team and we will investigate.
📞 Contact Support
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.