💡 Overview
Seeing a charge you did not expect is stressful, especially when your credits have not refreshed after a plan payment. This article explains why subscription and top-up charges can look like duplicates, what to check first, and how to ask our team to review your billing.
A common example: a customer's trial ends and the monthly plan fee is charged (for example, 199). The plan credits do not appear as expected, so the customer buys top-ups to keep working. A further charge (for example, 298) then appears and looks unauthorized. This guide helps you sort out what happened and get it resolved quickly.
🔍 Why You Might See Multiple Charges
Plan payments and credit top-ups are separate charges. Each one appears as its own line on your bank or card statement. Here are the most common reasons for several charges close together:
- Trial conversion: Your paid plan starts automatically when your trial ends, and the first monthly fee is charged at that point.
- Credits not refreshed: If your plan credits do not show up after the payment, you may buy top-ups to keep working. Each top-up is a separate charge.
- Multiple purchases: More than one top-up purchase, or a retried payment, can appear as separate transactions.
- More than one account: If you signed up with different email addresses, each account can carry its own subscription and charges.
- Automatic top-up settings: If any automatic top-up or saved payment option is active on your account, it can trigger charges without a new manual purchase.
✅ What to Check Before Contacting Us
A few quick checks help our team resolve your case faster:
- Open the Billing or Subscription section of your account and review your current plan, renewal date, and payment history.
- Match each charge on your bank statement to an entry in your payment history. Note the date and amount of each one.
- Check your current credit balance and whether it changed after each payment.
- Search your inbox, including spam, for receipts from Search Atlas. This shows whether you have more than one account.
- Check whether any automatic top-up or similar setting is turned on.
🛑 What to Do If Your Credits Did Not Refill
If you were charged for your plan but your credits did not refresh, pause any further top-up purchases and contact us first. Buying more credits before the original issue is fixed can lead to extra charges that you then need to have reviewed.
- Take a screenshot of your credit balance.
- Note the date and amount of your plan payment.
- Tell us what you were trying to do when you noticed the missing credits.
💬 How to Request a Billing Review or Refund
Our team can look into your account and billing history to see what happened. Refund requests are reviewed individually, so the more detail you share, the faster we can help. When you reach out, please include:
- The email address on your Search Atlas account (and any other emails you may have used to sign up).
- The date and amount of each charge you are asking about.
- The last four digits of the card used, if you can see them. Never share your full card number.
- Whether the charge was a plan payment or a top-up purchase.
- A screenshot of your credit balance and of the charges on your statement.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.
⏱️ What Happens Next
- Our team checks your account, plan status, credit activity, and payment history.
- We confirm which charges were valid and whether any were duplicated or made in error.
- If a refund is appropriate, we process it to your original payment method. Your bank may take several business days to show the refund on your statement.
- If your credits were not applied correctly, we work to correct your balance.
🔒 If You Believe a Charge Was Unauthorized
If you do not recognize a charge at all, tell us right away in the chat widget so we can check whether it is linked to your account. You may also want to review who has access to your account and update your password. If you suspect fraud on your card, your bank can also advise you on protecting it.
🛠️ Tips to Avoid Billing Surprises
- Note your trial end date and decide before it ends whether you want to continue.
- After your plan renews, confirm your credits refreshed before buying any top-ups.
- Use a single email address for your account to avoid duplicate subscriptions.
- Review your Billing page regularly and turn off any automatic purchase settings you do not want.
- Keep your receipts so you can match charges to your statement.
❓ Quick Answers
- Are plan charges and top-ups the same thing? No. They are separate charges for separate purchases.
- Will I automatically get a refund? Refunds are reviewed case by case after our team checks your account.
- How soon should I contact you? As soon as you notice an issue. Earlier reports are easier to investigate and resolve.
We want your billing to be clear and fair. If something does not look right, reach out and we will look into it with you.