## **🔍 Why Did I Get Charged After Cancelling?**

If you see a charge on your account after cancelling your Search Atlas subscription, don't worry — there are a few common reasons this can happen. This article explains the most likely causes and the steps you can take to get it resolved fast.

## **📅 Common Reasons for a Post-Cancellation Charge**

- **Billing cycle timing:** Cancellations take effect at the end of your current billing period. If your billing date fell shortly after you submitted the cancellation request, the final charge may have already been scheduled and processed before the cancellation was applied.
- **Cancellation not fully confirmed:** A cancellation is only complete when you receive a confirmation email or see a confirmed cancellation status in your account dashboard. If you closed the browser before finishing all the steps, the cancellation may not have been saved.
- **Add-on or legacy plan charge:** Some accounts have separate billing lines for add-ons (such as OTTO Google Ads) or legacy plans that may process independently from your main subscription. Cancelling your core plan does not automatically cancel associated add-ons.
- **Billing migration issue:** If your account was recently moved to a new billing system, a duplicate subscription or missed cancellation flag can occasionally result in an unexpected charge. Our team actively investigates and resolves these cases.
- **Multiple active subscriptions:** In rare cases, two active subscriptions can exist on a single account, especially after plan changes or account transfers. If only one was cancelled, the second may still be billing.

## **✅ What to Do If You Were Charged Unexpectedly**

1. **Check your cancellation confirmation:** Log in to your Search Atlas account and go to **Avatar (top-right) > Billing** (Billing page). Verify that your subscription status shows as **Cancelled** and note the effective cancellation date.
2. **Review your billing history:** In the same Billing section, look at your recent invoices to identify exactly which plan or add-on generated the charge and on what date.
3. **Compare dates:** Check whether the charge date falls before or after your confirmed cancellation date. If it falls after, this is likely an error that our team will need to investigate and refund.
4. **Gather your details:** Before contacting support, have the following ready: the charge amount, the date it appeared, the last four digits of the card charged, and your account email address. This speeds up the investigation significantly.
5. **Contact support immediately:** Reach out to our team as soon as possible so we can investigate and process any eligible refund promptly.

## **⏱️ How Long Does a Refund Take?**

Once our team confirms that a charge was made in error, refunds are typically processed within **5–10 business days**, depending on your bank or card provider. You will receive confirmation once the refund has been initiated on our end.

## **🛡️ How to Prevent This in the Future**

- Always complete every step of the cancellation flow and wait for a **confirmation screen or email** before closing the page.
- If you have any add-ons (such as OTTO SEO, OTTO Google Ads, or additional user seats), cancel each one individually through the Billing section.
- Take a screenshot of your cancellation confirmation for your own records.
- Check your next billing date before cancelling to understand whether one final charge may still be due for the current period.

## **💬 Still Need Help?**

If you have reviewed the above and still believe you were charged in error, our billing team is ready to investigate and make it right. 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.