🔍 Overview
Some customers have been incorrectly charged for exceeding their OTTO project limit when they were, in fact, within their allowed quota. These billing errors can stem from a quota display bug, legacy billing issues, or duplicate billing events. This article explains how to verify whether a charge was incorrect and how to request a refund.
📊 Understanding OTTO Project Limits and Overage Charges
Your Search Atlas plan includes a set number of active OTTO projects. If the platform detects that you have exceeded this limit, it may trigger an overage charge on your invoice. However, known billing bugs have caused overage charges to appear even when customers were within their allowed limit. Common causes include:
- Incorrect quota display: The platform may show a higher project count than actually exists on your account, leading to a false overage.
- Legacy billing conflicts: Accounts migrated from older billing systems may experience duplicate billing events or incorrect per-project pricing.
- Cancelled top-up charges not removed: A previously purchased OTTO top-up that was cancelled may have continued to generate monthly charges incorrectly.
✅ How to Verify Your OTTO Project Count
Before submitting a refund request, confirm your actual number of active OTTO projects so you can clearly state your case. Follow these steps:
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) (or navigate directly to /seo-automation-v3).
- Review the list of active OTTO projects displayed on the page.
- Count the total number of active projects and compare this to the project limit included in your current plan.
If your active project count is at or below your plan limit, and you were still charged an overage fee, this is likely an incorrect charge and you are entitled to a refund.
🧾 How to Identify the Incorrect Charge on Your Invoice
To locate the charge in question:
- Navigate to your billing section within the platform.
- Find the relevant invoice by its invoice number (for example, QP-127290).
- Look for a line item referencing an OTTO project overage or an OTTO top-up charge.
- Note the charge amount, date, and invoice number — you will need these when contacting support.
💡 What to Include in Your Refund Request
To help our team resolve your refund request as quickly as possible, have the following information ready before reaching out:
- Your invoice number (e.g., QP-127290)
- The charge amount you believe is incorrect
- Your current OTTO project count as verified in the OTTO SEO section
- The plan limit for OTTO projects included in your subscription
- Any relevant context, such as a recently cancelled top-up or a recent plan change
⏱️ What Happens After You Submit a Request
Once our support team receives your refund request, they will:
- Review your account's billing history and active OTTO project count.
- Verify whether the charge was triggered by a known billing bug or incorrect quota reading.
- Process an approved refund to your original payment method, or apply a credit to your account.
- Confirm the resolution with you via the chat widget.
Refund processing times may vary depending on your payment provider, but our team will keep you informed throughout the process.
🛠️ Get Help from Our Team
If you believe you have been incorrectly charged for an OTTO project overage, our 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.