Billing: Other Questions

🚫 Fix the Billing Not Active Content Error

💳 Fix a Stuck Payment Session Blocking Login

📰 Track and Release Pending Publication Media Payments

Resolve OTTO Billing Discrepancies and Account Escalations

🔄 Fix a Stuck Payment or Please Wait Screen

🔍 What Is This Issue? When your Search Atlas subscription requires a plan selection or payment update, you may be redirected to a checkout screen. In some cases, clicking a plan — such as the Growth plan — triggers a "Please wait" loading screen that never completes. This can lock you out of your dashboard entirely, making it impossible to pause projects, manage campaigns, or navigate the platform. This article explains what causes the issue and the steps you can take right now to recover access. ⚙️ Why Does This Happen? This loading freeze is a known intermittent issue that can occur during the plan selection or Stripe checkout flow. Common triggers include: - Clicking a plan button while the payment processor (Stripe) is still initialising in the background. - Returning to the platform after a Stripe checkout session times out or encounters an error. - A pre-selected plan passed via a URL parameter conflicting with your account state. - Browser cache or session data from a previous incomplete checkout attempt. 🛠️ Steps to Recover Access 1. Wait 60 seconds. If the "Please wait" screen appeared just after clicking a plan, give it up to one minute before taking any action. Occasionally the request resolves on its own. 2. Refresh the page. Press F5 (Windows) or Cmd + R (Mac) to reload. Do not click the plan button again immediately — let the page fully load first. 3. Clear your browser cache and cookies. Cached session data from a previous checkout attempt can cause the screen to loop. Clear your cache, then close and reopen your browser before logging back in. 4. Try a different browser or an incognito window. Open Search Atlas in a private/incognito window or a different browser entirely. This rules out any browser extension or session conflicts interfering with the checkout flow. 5. Log out and log back in. From any page you can access, log out of your account. Then log back in and navigate to your account settings to attempt plan selection again. 6. Check your email for a payment confirmation. In some cases, the payment processes successfully in the background even though the loading screen appears stuck. Check your inbox for a Search Atlas or Stripe receipt before attempting to pay again. 🚫 How to Pause Projects Before Selecting a Plan If your goal before selecting a plan was to pause active projects, but the stuck screen is blocking access to your dashboard, follow these steps once you regain entry: 1. Log in using the incognito or alternative browser method described above. 2. Navigate to your Projects section from the main sidebar. 3. Open each active project and select Pause before proceeding to update your plan. If you are still unable to reach the dashboard after completing all steps above, our team can pause your projects on your behalf — see the section below. ✅ What to Do If You Are Still Locked Out If none of the steps above restore access, do not attempt the checkout multiple times, as this may result in duplicate charges. Instead, contact our support team immediately so we can manually resolve your account state and, if needed, pause your projects on your behalf. 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.

💳 White-Label Billing, Ownership Transfer & Downgrade Guide

📋 Overview This article covers the most common billing and account management questions for customers using Search Atlas with a white-label configuration. It explains unexpected charges, how to remove the white-label add-on, how to transfer account ownership, and how to downgrade your plan correctly before your next renewal date. 💰 Why Is My Bill Higher Than Expected? If you are on the PRO plan at $399/month but see a charge of $537.60/month, the difference is caused by the White-Label add-on being active on your account. The White-Label add-on is a separate, billable feature that is added on top of your base plan price. Common reasons the add-on may still be active: - It was enabled by a previous account owner and was not removed before ownership changed. - Downgrading your plan does not automatically remove the white-label configuration (this is a known limitation currently being addressed — see the note below). - A white-label child account exists on your account, keeping the add-on in an active state. Known platform behaviour: At this time, downgrading from a PRO or Agency plan to Growth or Starter does not automatically deactivate your white-label configuration. Our engineering team is actively working on auto-deactivation logic for this scenario. Until that change is live, you must manually remove the white-label setup before or alongside your downgrade. 🗑️ How to Remove the White-Label Add-On To stop being charged for white-label, you must remove any active white-label child accounts and disable the white-label configuration on your account. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Navigate to the White-Label Agency Hub from the left sidebar. 3. Locate any existing white-label child accounts listed under your agency. 4. If a child account cannot be deleted directly, contact support via the chat widget (details at the bottom of this article) — our team can manually detach or convert the child account on your behalf. 5. Once all child accounts are removed, disable the white-label configuration from the same hub screen. 6. Confirm that the add-on no longer appears on your billing summary. Important: If the delete option is greyed out or unavailable for a child account, this is a known issue. Do not create a duplicate account or a second subscription to work around it — contact support instead. 🔄 How to Transfer Account Ownership If the Search Atlas account login email and Stripe billing are registered under a previous owner's details, you will need to update both before you have full control of the account. To transfer ownership: 1. Go to the top-right corner of the platform and click your avatar. 2. Select Team Members (or navigate directly to /settings). 3. Invite the new owner's email address as a team member and assign them the Admin role. 4. Once the new owner has accepted the invitation and can log in, contact support to request the following: - Transfer of the primary login email to the new owner's address. - Update of the Stripe billing contact to the new owner's email. Note: Login email changes and Stripe contact transfers require manual action by our support team for security purposes. You cannot complete this step from the settings panel alone. ⬇️ How to Downgrade From PRO to Growth You can downgrade your plan before your next renewal date to avoid being charged at the higher rate. Follow these steps carefully to avoid accidentally creating a second subscription: 1. First, remove your white-label add-on and child accounts as described above. Attempting to downgrade while white-label is active may result in errors or incomplete plan changes. 2. Go to your Billing & Subscription settings. 3. Select the Growth plan and confirm the downgrade. 4. Do not sign up for a new account or a new subscription — all changes must be made within your existing account. 5. Verify that your new plan and updated billing amount are reflected in your account dashboard before your renewal date. If you need to complete this before a specific renewal date (for example, September 26), we strongly recommend initiating the process at least 48 hours in advance and confirming with support that all changes are saved correctly. ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid - Do not create a second subscription to fix billing issues — this will result in double charges. - Do not downgrade without removing white-label first — the add-on may remain active and continue to generate charges. - Do not assume a plan downgrade cancels the white-label add-on — these are managed separately at this time. 🛠️ Still Need Help? If you are unable to delete a child account, need a login or Stripe email transferred, or want our team to confirm your downgrade before your renewal date, we are here to help. 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.

🧾 API Press Release Billing and Distribution Explained

📋 Overview When you submit a press release through the Search Atlas API, charges and distribution follow a specific sequence. This article outlines what to expect and what information to have ready if you need support. 💳 Questions About Charges If you are unsure whether your press release has been charged, or when a charge is applied during the submission process, our support team can look up the status of your order directly. To help us investigate quickly, please have the following ready: - Your press release ID or order reference - The API request details (endpoint used, timestamp of submission) - Any confirmation or error messages returned by the API 🔄 Questions About Refunds If you believe a refund should have been issued for a failed or incomplete press release distribution, our team will need to review the order on our end. Please be prepared to share: - The press release ID - The date and time of the original submission - Any error messages or failure notices you received ⚠️ Questions About Source Page Errors If your press release returned a source page error during syndication, our support team can help identify the cause. When reaching out, include: - The exact error message returned - The URL or domain included in your API request - The timestamp of the failed submission 📞 Need Help? Because the specifics of API press release billing, refunds, and distribution errors depend on your individual order details, a member of our team will need to review your case directly. Please gather the relevant information listed above before reaching out so we can assist you as efficiently as possible. 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.

💳 Fix OTTO Billing and Slider Issues

💡 Overview OTTO billing and slot displays can occasionally show outdated information after reducing your OTTO allocation. For example, your account may have been reduced by two slots, but the billing page may still display the previous charge of $630 instead of the amount for nine slots. 🔍 Why the amount may look incorrect Billing and quota updates may not appear everywhere at the same time. A temporary display issue can cause the following: - The previous slot count remains visible after a reduction. - The billing amount does not immediately reflect the updated number of slots. - A top-up window shows an incorrect price or does not clearly show the amount already owned. These are display or synchronization issues and do not necessarily mean your account was charged incorrectly. ✅ Check your current OTTO allocation 1. Open OTTO SEO from the left sidebar. 2. Select All Sites to review the sites assigned to OTTO. 3. Check the active site count and confirm that the reduced slots are no longer assigned. 4. Open Overview and use Scan if the page appears out of date. 5. Refresh the page, then review the billing or top-up information again. 💰 Understanding a charge after reducing slots Your expected charge should be based on the active OTTO slots after the reduction is fully applied. If you should have nine slots but still see a charge based on eleven, allow time for the billing display and account quota to synchronize. Do not purchase additional slots while the displayed amount is being corrected. First confirm the active slot count and check whether the amount updates after refreshing. 🛠️ Fix the slider display issue If the OTTO slider, slot selector, or related controls appear stuck or display unexpected values: 1. Refresh the page. 2. Return to OTTO SEO → All Sites, then reopen the relevant OTTO settings. 3. Confirm the active and frozen site counts before changing the slider. 4. Make one change at a time and wait for the update to finish. 5. Check the displayed slot count and billing amount again. If a slider or other page control behaves incorrectly across multiple refreshes, avoid repeated changes. The issue may be limited to the interface display rather than your actual allocation. 📋 What to include when reporting a mismatch If the charge and active slot count still disagree, record the following before contacting support: - The number of slots you expect to have. - The number of active slots shown in OTTO SEO → All Sites. - The amount displayed on the billing or top-up screen. - When the slot reduction was completed. - A screenshot showing the mismatch, if available. 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.

💳 Pending Payments and Missing Accounts

💡 What this issue means A subscription payment may remain pending while your bank or payment provider completes processing. During this time, your Search Atlas access or accounts may not appear correctly. Do not submit the payment again while the original transaction is pending. A second attempt could create a duplicate charge. 🔍 Check your billing status 1. Open the account menu from your avatar in the top-right corner. 2. Select Billing, then open the Invoices tab. 3. Review the payment status and look for a recent invoice. 4. Check the Activity Log tab for recent billing updates. 👤 Check your account access If your payment shows as completed but your accounts are missing, confirm that you are signed in to the correct Search Atlas workspace and user profile. You can also open the account menu and select Team Members to confirm that your user is still active and has the expected role. ⏳ If the payment is still pending - Wait for the payment provider to finish processing. - Refresh Search Atlas after the payment status changes. - Do not cancel or retry the payment unless instructed by a team member. - Keep your payment confirmation and invoice details available if the issue continues. 💰 Requesting a refund If you paid today and want a refund, first check whether the payment is pending or completed. A pending payment may not be eligible for processing until it settles. If the charge is completed, submit your refund request through the platform so the team can review the transaction and account status. Refund eligibility and processing time can vary based on the transaction and subscription status. Do not start a payment dispute with your bank while a platform review is in progress. 🛠️ Get help with missing accounts When contacting support, include the workspace name, the email used to sign in, payment date, invoice or transaction reference, and a screenshot of the billing status. Do not share full card numbers or security codes. 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.

⚠️ Troubleshooting Invalid Search Secrets Orders

This article explains how to check your Summit upgrade, locate the Search Secrets Pack, and document an invalid-order error for resolution. 📍 Where to Find It Open the account menu from your avatar in the top-right corner, then open Billing. Use the Plans & Top-ups tab for your Summit upgrade and the Services tab for the Search Secrets Pack. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Open Billing → Plans & Top-ups and confirm whether your Summit upgrade is active, pending, or incomplete. 2. Open the Services tab and use Search to look for Search Secrets Pack. 3. If the pack is unavailable or the order shows Invalid order, do not repeatedly resubmit the purchase. 4. Record the exact error message, the email on the account, your Summit upgrade status, the attempted purchase date and time, and any order or transaction ID shown. 5. Open the platform chat widget, type human teammate, and provide those details so the team can investigate the failed order. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked Your fix is complete when the Summit upgrade shows the expected active status and the Search Secrets Pack appears as available or purchased without the invalid-order message. If either status is still missing, share the exact error details with the human teammate. 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.

🔒 Account Locked After Billing Sync Error

🔍 Why Did This Happen? In rare cases, a billing sync error can cause Search Atlas to incorrectly flag your account as past due — even when your payment has been successfully processed. This typically happens when Stripe (our payment processor) completes the charge, but the confirmation signal is delayed or interrupted before it reaches your account status. The result is that your account becomes inaccessible despite your subscription being fully active. This is a known issue our engineering team has investigated and resolved for multiple customers. Your access can be restored quickly once the sync is corrected. ⚠️ Common Signs of a Billing Sync Error - You cannot log in to Search Atlas even though you recently paid - Your account dashboard shows a "past due" or "subscription inactive" message - Features are disabled or blocked despite a successful renewal - You received a payment confirmation from Stripe or your bank, but Search Atlas does not reflect this - An error message appears when trying to take any action inside the platform ✅ Steps to Resolve the Issue 1. Confirm your payment went through. Check your email for a receipt from Stripe or Search Atlas, or log in to your bank or card provider to verify the charge was processed successfully. 2. Wait up to 15 minutes. Occasionally, the sync resolves automatically after a short delay. Refresh your browser and try logging in again. 3. Clear your browser cache and cookies, then attempt to log in again. Sometimes a cached error state prevents the updated account status from loading correctly. 4. Try a different browser or device. This rules out any local browser issues interfering with your session. 5. Check that your payment method is saved correctly. If you recently updated your card or billing details, an incomplete payment method setup can trigger a sync failure. Navigate to your account billing settings and confirm a valid payment method is on file. 6. Contact support immediately if access is still blocked. Our team can manually trigger a billing sync and restore your account within minutes. See the section below for how to reach us. 🛡️ What Happens to My Data While Locked? Your projects, reports, and all saved data remain completely safe and intact during a billing sync error. A lock caused by this type of issue is a status error only — nothing is deleted. Once your account is unlocked, you will have full access to everything exactly as you left it. 🔄 How We Fix It on Our End Once our support team is notified, we verify your payment status directly in Stripe and manually resync your subscription. In most cases, access is restored within minutes of contacting us. No additional payment is required — you will never be charged twice for a sync error. 💡 How to Prevent This in the Future - Make sure your billing email address is up to date so you receive all payment and renewal notifications - Keep a valid, non-expired payment method saved in your account at all times - If you switch cards or update billing details, confirm the change is saved before your next renewal date - Check your spam or promotions folder for Stripe receipts — missing confirmation emails can be an early sign of a billing issue 🆘 Still Locked Out? Contact Support If you have followed the steps above and your account is still inaccessible, our team will resolve this for you immediately. 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 registered email address and any Stripe payment receipt ready — this helps our team verify your subscription and restore access as fast as possible.

💳 Fix Agency Plan Billing Mismatches and Duplicate Accounts

🔍 Overview After upgrading to the Agency plan, some customers find their account still shows a lower-tier plan (such as PRO), or that charges appear on an old duplicate account. This article explains why this happens and the steps to take to get your plan and billing corrected quickly. ⚠️ Common Causes of a Billing Mismatch - Duplicate accounts: You may have signed up more than once using different email addresses or login methods (e.g., Google sign-in vs. email/password). Payment can be applied to the older account instead of your active one. - Upgrade not linked to the correct account: If you completed checkout while logged into a different account than the one you use day-to-day, the Agency plan is provisioned to that secondary account. - Legacy add-on charges not removed: Some accounts upgraded to Agency from PRO + Google Ads add-on and continued to be billed separately for the add-on, even though the Agency plan includes it at no extra cost. - Incorrect proration after upgrade: In some cases, an upgrade retains the wrong billing date, causing the next invoice to reflect an inaccurate prorated amount. 🛠️ Steps to Identify Which Account Was Charged 1. Check the email address on the payment receipt you received after upgrading. This confirms which account was billed. 2. Log in to Search Atlas using that email address and verify the plan shown on your account dashboard. 3. If the plan still reads PRO or another lower tier, your payment was likely applied to a duplicate or inactive account. 4. Note both email addresses — the one that was charged and the one you actively use — before contacting support. ✅ What Our Team Will Do to Fix It Once you reach our support team, we can take the following corrective actions on your behalf: - Merge or deactivate duplicate accounts so your active account reflects the correct Agency plan. - Manually provision the Agency plan to your correct account if the upgrade was applied to the wrong one. - Remove incorrect add-on charges — the Google Ads add-on is included free with the Agency plan, so any separate charge for it will be zeroed out. - Correct your billing date and proration so your next invoice accurately reflects when your Agency plan started. 🔎 How to Check Your Current Plan in Search Atlas 1. Log in to Search Atlas with your primary email address. 2. Click your account avatar or name in the top-right corner of the platform. 3. Select Billing or Subscription from the dropdown menu. 4. Confirm the plan name shown. It should read Agency if your upgrade was successful. 5. Review the listed add-ons to ensure you are not being billed separately for features already included in the Agency plan. 🛡️ How to Prevent This in the Future - Always ensure you are logged into your primary account before starting a plan upgrade or checkout. - Use a single login method consistently — either your email/password or a social login (such as Google) — to avoid creating duplicate accounts. - Save your payment confirmation email and verify that the email address on the receipt matches your active Search Atlas account. - If you are managing multiple users under an agency, use the team member invitation feature inside the platform rather than creating separate individual accounts. 💬 Still Seeing the Wrong Plan or Charges? If your account still shows the incorrect plan after following the steps above, or if you notice unexpected charges on your invoice, our team can investigate and correct the issue immediately. 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.

💳 Fix Billing Issues After Upgrading to PRO

🔍 Overview When you upgrade from a Growth plan to a PRO plan mid-billing cycle, Search Atlas calculates a prorated charge — meaning you only pay for the remaining days in your current cycle at the new plan rate. However, in some cases customers have reported that the proration did not correctly account for the amount already paid, or that their monthly rate appeared higher than expected. This article explains how upgrade billing works, what to check, and how to get a correction if something looks wrong. 📋 How Proration Works on a Plan Upgrade When you upgrade your plan partway through a billing cycle, here is what should happen: 1. Search Atlas calculates how many days remain in your current billing cycle. 2. It credits you for the unused portion of your Growth plan payment. 3. It charges you only for the remaining days at the PRO plan rate. 4. On your next renewal date, your full PRO plan monthly rate takes effect. For example, if your Growth plan costs $199/month and you upgrade 15 days into a 30-day cycle, you should receive a credit of roughly $99.50 for the unused Growth days. That credit is then applied against the prorated PRO charge — so you only pay the difference, not the full PRO amount on top of what you already paid. ⚠️ Common Billing Issues After Upgrading The following issues have been reported by customers after upgrading from Growth to PRO: - Previous payment not deducted: The prorated PRO charge appeared on the invoice without applying the credit for the already-paid Growth subscription days. - Incorrect monthly rate displayed: The plan page or invoice showed an unexpected rate (for example, $622/month) instead of the correct PRO plan price. - Quota not resetting after upgrade: Credits or usage quotas did not refresh to reflect the new PRO plan limits immediately after upgrading. - Points deducted but no content generated: Usage points were consumed by a task that failed to produce output, leaving the quota reduced without benefit. ✅ Steps to Take If Your Billing Looks Wrong 1. Check your invoice: Go to account menu (person icon, top-right) → Billing → Invoices and review the most recent charge. Look for a credit line item that reflects your unused Growth plan days. If no credit appears, your billing may not have calculated correctly. 2. Verify your current plan rate: In the top-right avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Billing), confirm the monthly rate matches the PRO plan pricing shown on the Search Atlas pricing page. If the displayed rate is different, note the amount shown. 3. Check your quota usage: Click your avatar in the top-right corner, then go to Billing → Plans & Top-ups to see whether your PRO plan limits are active. If your quota still reflects Growth plan limits or shows usage from before your upgrade without a reset, that is a known issue our team can resolve. 4. Document the discrepancy: Before contacting support, note the date of your upgrade, the amount charged, the amount you expected to be charged, and any screenshots of your invoice or usage page. This speeds up the resolution. 5. Contact support via the chat widget: If you confirm a discrepancy, reach out immediately so our billing team can issue a correction or credit. See the section below for how to reach a human teammate. 🔄 What Happens to Points Used With No Output If your account was charged usage points for a task — such as a content generation request — but no content was actually produced, those points should be restored. This can happen due to a processing error or a system interruption during the task. Our support team can review the usage log for your account and reinstate the points that were deducted without a successful output. 📅 When Will My PRO Quota Reset? Your usage quota resets on your billing renewal date, not on the date you upgraded. If you upgraded mid-cycle, your first full PRO quota will be available at the start of your next billing cycle. If your quota did not increase to PRO limits immediately after upgrading, or if your renewal passed without a reset, contact support so the team can manually trigger the correct quota assignment for your account. 🛠️ Known Issues Already Resolved Our engineering team has already addressed several billing-related bugs, including: - Customers being charged at a Growth or Starter rate after upgrading to PRO. - Incorrect base prices being stored on Growth subscriptions, leading to wrong proration calculations. - Annual upgrade flows showing a Stripe checkout screen instead of updating the subscription directly. If your account was affected before these fixes were deployed, you may still see an incorrect historical charge. Our team can review and correct this retroactively. 💬 Get Help From Our Team 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. When you reach out, please share: the date of your upgrade, the charge amount on your invoice, the rate you expected to be billed, and any screenshots of your billing or usage pages. This helps our team resolve your case as quickly as possible.

💳 Fix Summit Platinum Billing and Plan Mismatches

🔍 Overview Some customers who purchased the Summit Platinum plan through the special offer experienced one or more of the following issues: - Their account was billed $199/month for a Growth plan instead of reflecting the Platinum upgrade - The 30-day unlimited quota and associated Platinum benefits were not applied - Promo codes or HDC (HyperDrive Credits) allocations were missing from their account - Multiple active subscriptions appeared on their account simultaneously - Duplicate or unexpected charges appeared on their billing statement These issues were caused by a known technical conflict in how the Summit offer interacted with certain legacy and annual plan configurations during checkout. All related issues have been identified and resolved on our end. If your account is still affected, follow the steps below. ✅ What Was Causing This The Summit Platinum offer used a dual-tier checkout system that stacked on top of existing subscriptions. For customers on White Label Legacy plans or annual billing cycles, this process could trigger unintended outcomes: - Multiple active subscriptions were created instead of upgrading the existing one - The migration add-on cleanup that runs after purchase fired incorrectly, causing billing events to be recorded as cancellations rather than upgrades - Customers on an annual plan who purchased the same annual Summit offer were not handled correctly by the checkout flow, resulting in plan mismatches - Promo codes and HDC allocations were not automatically applied when duplicate subscriptions were detected Our engineering team has shipped fixes for all of the above scenarios. No further action is required on your part to prevent this from happening again. 🛠️ How to Check Your Account Status Before contacting support, verify the following in your Search Atlas account: 1. Go to account menu (person icon, top-right) → Billing and confirm your current active plan displays Platinum 2. Check that your 30-day unlimited quota is reflected under account menu (person icon, top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Total Quota values, with a 'Quota model details' button) 3. Navigate to Billing → Plans & Top-ups to confirm any HDC allocations or promo credits have been applied 4. Review your billing history to identify any duplicate or unexpected charges If everything looks correct, no further action is needed. If you still see a mismatch or missing benefits, continue to the next section. 📋 What Information to Have Ready To resolve your issue as quickly as possible, gather the following before reaching out: - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account - The date of your Summit Platinum purchase - A screenshot of your current plan shown in account menu (person icon, top-right) → Billing - A screenshot or description of any duplicate charges, including the amounts and dates - Any promo codes you received but were unable to apply ⚡ What Our Team Will Do When you contact support with the information above, a teammate will: 1. Verify your purchase and confirm the correct Platinum entitlements 2. Manually apply any missing HDC credits or promo code benefits to your account 3. Remove any duplicate or incorrect subscriptions from your account 4. Coordinate a refund for any duplicate charges if applicable, processed back to your original payment method 5. Confirm your 30-day unlimited quota is active and correctly attributed Refunds, when applicable, are typically processed within 5–10 business days depending on your payment provider. 💬 Still Need Help? 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.

🔢 OTTO Pixels: Overview, Billing, and Verification

🤖 What Is an OTTO Pixel? An OTTO pixel is a small tracking script that Search Atlas places on a website when you connect it to OTTO, our OTTO SEO automation engine. The pixel allows OTTO to collect on-site performance data—such as crawl signals, indexing status, and engagement metrics—so it can make informed, automated SEO decisions for that domain. Every domain you activate under OTTO receives one pixel. Think of it as the bridge between your live website and OTTO's automation layer. 📊 How OTTO Pixels Relate to Your OTTO Sites Quota OTTO pixels are not billed as a separate line item. They are tied directly to your OTTO Sites quota—the number of domains you are allowed to activate under OTTO on your current plan. - Each activated OTTO site consumes one slot from your OTTO Sites quota. - Each activated site automatically has one OTTO pixel deployed to it. - Your pixel count therefore equals your number of active OTTO sites. In practice, if you have 3 active OTTO sites, you have 3 OTTO pixels in use. You are billed for the OTTO Sites slots included in your plan, not for pixels individually. 🔍 How to Verify Your OTTO Pixel Count You can check exactly how many OTTO pixels (active sites) you have at any time directly inside the platform. 1. In the left sidebar, navigate to OTTO SEO, then open SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. You will see a list of all domains currently connected to OTTO. 3. Each domain shown with an active status has a pixel deployed. Count the active domains to confirm your pixel count. 4. The header or quota indicator on this page also displays how many OTTO Sites slots you have used versus your plan limit (for example, 3 / 5 OTTO Sites). If you need to confirm that a pixel is correctly installed on a specific domain, navigate to that domain's OTTO dashboard. A pixel status indicator will confirm whether the script is detected and firing correctly on the live site. 💳 Billing Implications and Plan Tiers Because pixels map one-to-one with OTTO Sites, your billing exposure is determined entirely by your plan's OTTO Sites allowance and how many you have activated. - Within quota: If your active site count is at or below your plan limit, there are no additional charges related to pixels. - Exceeding quota: If you attempt to activate more sites than your plan allows, you will be prompted to upgrade your plan or deactivate an existing site before proceeding. - Deactivating a site: Removing a domain from OTTO releases that slot back to your quota and stops the pixel from firing. This takes effect immediately. To review your current plan tier and OTTO Sites allowance, click your Avatar (top-right) and open Billing → Plans & Top-ups → Your Plan and Credits → OTTO SEO → OTTO Sites (e.g. 3/4). Your plan details will list the total number of OTTO Sites included. ❓ Common Questions - Are pixels a paid add-on? No. They are included automatically with every OTTO Sites slot on your plan. - Can I have a pixel without an active OTTO site? No. Pixels only exist for domains that are actively connected to OTTO. Deactivating a site removes the pixel. - Why does my pixel count not match what I expected? Check whether any domains were deactivated or if a site connection was removed. Only domains showing an active status in the OTTO SEO V3 section have pixels deployed. - Does the pixel affect my website's performance? The OTTO pixel is lightweight and asynchronous, designed to have negligible impact on page load speed. 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.

💳 The New Search Atlas Billing Dashboard — Complete Overview

The Search Atlas Billing Dashboard gives you complete visibility and control over your subscription, usage quotas, add-ons, and billing history — all from one place. 🧭 How to Access the Billing Dashboard From anywhere in Search Atlas: 1. Click your avatar (👤). 2. Select Billing. You'll land on the Billing area with four primary sections: - Plans & Top-ups - Services - Invoices - Activity Log Each section serves a distinct purpose, explained below. 📦 Plans & Top-ups — Your Subscription Control Center This is the primary overview of your active plan and recurring quotas. What you'll see here - Current plan name and billing frequency - Total monthly cost - Primary actions: - 🔄 Manage Subscription - 🔁 Change Plan - 💳 Add Payment Method 📌 Cancellation behavior Canceling a plan does not immediately deactivate services. Your account remains active until the end of the current billing cycle, after which access and services are disabled. You can also navigate to Billing → Services to cancel. ⚠️ Subscription status shows "Active" after cancellation If your subscription status still shows "Active" after completing the cancellation flow, refresh the page. If the status continues to revert, do not attempt to cancel again — contact support so the billing team can confirm backend state and prevent duplicate cancellation charges. ⚠️ Plan not showing after a completed payment If you completed a payment but your plan does not appear, contact support immediately with your payment receipt. Do not repurchase — this is a known sync issue that the billing team can resolve manually. ↩️ Cancellation flow does not complete If the cancellation flow does not complete successfully, contact support and provide your account email. Alternatively, navigate to Billing → Services to initiate cancellation. 💳 Add Payment Method You can have multiple payment methods on file at the same time. The card marked as primary is billed at each renewal. Newly added cards do not become the default automatically — open Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab to confirm or change which card is primary. If your primary card fails, contact support to request a charge against an alternate card already on file. Note: To remove a saved card yourself, open Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab, go to the payment methods section, click Remove on the card, and confirm Yes, remove card. The Remove button only appears when more than one card is on file — the last/only card cannot be removed this way. To replace your only card, first use Add Payment Method to add a new one, set it as primary, then remove the old card. If you need to remove the only card on file, contact support. 💰 Top-ups (non-recurring credits) In addition to recurring plan quotas, you can purchase top-ups — one-time, non-recurring credit packs that sit on top of your plan (for example, additional AI Quota Generation credits, extra OTTO sites, or extra seats). Top-ups are purchased directly from the Plans & Top-ups view using the top-up buttons next to each eligible quota. Non-recurring credits do not reset on your billing date — they remain on the account until consumed or until you purchase more. 📈 Plan upgrades via a sales representative If you upgraded your plan through a Sales representative and the new plan is not reflected within 24 hours, contact support with your salesperson's name and the agreed plan details so the billing team can apply it manually. 💰 Refund requests Refund eligibility is determined by the billing team on a case-by-case basis, typically covering duplicate charges, accidental top-up purchases, and charges incurred after a confirmed cancellation. To request a refund, contact support through your usual channel and include your payment receipt and account email. Refund decisions are made by the billing team after reviewing the account history. 🔁 Quota Reset Logic At the bottom of the Plans & Top-ups view, a system notice confirms: 🕒 All recurring quotas reset automatically on your next billing date. Non-recurring credits — such as one-time top-up packs — are not affected by billing resets. They remain on the account until consumed or topped up again. See the Top-ups section above for details on purchasing additional credits. 🧩 Quota Breakdown — What Each Limit Controls Each quota block includes a progress bar, a recurring vs. non-recurring distinction, and inline tooltips explaining usage. 💡 Tip for OTTO users: quota consumption is also visible directly on the OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) dashboard (/seo-automation-v3), so you can monitor usage without leaving your workflow. 👥 Team Members (User Seats) Controls how many team members can access your Search Atlas account. - Controls login and workspace access - Managed via recurring seats - Expandable via top-ups 🤖 OTTO SEO — Sites Controls how many sites you can install and activate OTTO SEO on. - Used for OTTO-powered automation - Recurring quota - Removing sites frees capacity ⚙️ AI Quota Generation Used by OTTO for AI-powered execution, including: - Cloud Stacks 🛠️ Services The Services section lists every active add-on and individual service attached to your account, giving you a single place to review and manage them. What you'll see here - All active add-ons and services attached to your plan - Cancelled/inactive services, which can be filtered by status 🎯 You now have a complete map of the Search Atlas Billing Dashboard — from viewing your plan and managing quotas to handling payments, top-ups, and active services. If you run into a billing issue not covered here, contact Search Atlas support with your account email and payment receipt.

💡 Understanding OTTO Site Overage Billing and Pricing

🔍 What Is an OTTO Site Overage? Each Search Atlas plan includes a set number of OTTO SEO sites. If you activate OTTO on more sites than your plan allows, the additional sites are counted as overages and billed at a per-site rate on top of your base subscription. For example, if your plan includes 17 OTTO sites and you are currently running OTTO on 22 sites, you are using 5 overage sites. Those 5 extra sites are charged at the applicable per-site add-on rate, which may result in a significant monthly cost increase. 📊 How Overage Charges Are Calculated Overage billing is based on the total number of sites where OTTO SEO is actively enabled, compared to the number of sites included in your current plan tier. Key points to understand: - Overage sites are any active OTTO sites that exceed your plan's included allowance. - Charges are applied to your subscription on a recurring monthly basis. - Overage rates are set per additional site and may vary depending on your plan tier. - Overages are calculated at the time of billing, based on your active site count at that point. ⚙️ Your Options for Managing OTTO Site Overages If you are being charged for overage sites, there are several ways to bring your costs under control: 1. Free up OTTO site slots. Navigate to Left sidebar → OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) (or go to /seo-automation-v3) and review which sites have OTTO enabled. Note that simply disengaging OTTO on a site does not free the slot or reduce your bill — to free a slot, delete the project (freed right away) or use Deep Freeze (freed after 14 days). To stop a top-up charge, cancel the top-up in Billing → Services. 2. Upgrade to a higher plan tier. If you genuinely need OTTO running on more sites, upgrading to a plan with a larger OTTO site allowance may be more cost-effective than paying per-site overage rates. Our team can help you compare the total cost of upgrading versus continuing on overages. 3. Request a pricing review. In some cases, our team may be able to work with you on adjusted pricing, especially if you are managing a large number of sites or have specific business needs. This is handled case by case and requires a conversation with our team. 🛠️ How to Check Your Current OTTO Site Usage To see exactly how many OTTO sites you currently have active: 1. Go to Left sidebar → OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) or navigate directly to /seo-automation-v3. 2. Review the list of sites displayed. Any site showing an active OTTO status counts toward your total. 3. Compare your active site count to the number of OTTO sites included in your plan. You can find your plan details under Avatar (top-right) → Billing (Plans & Top-ups). 4. To bring your count within your plan limit, delete projects you no longer need (slot freed right away) or use Deep Freeze (slot freed after 14 days); disengaging OTTO alone will not free the slot. 💡 Should You Switch Providers to Avoid Overage Costs? Before making that decision, we encourage you to speak with our team. There may be options available — such as a plan adjustment, a bundle pricing discussion, or a restructured add-on arrangement — that make staying with Search Atlas more cost-effective than it first appears. Overage billing is designed to give you flexibility, not to lock you into unexpected costs, and our team is empowered to explore solutions with you directly. 🚀 Next Steps If you want to discuss your specific situation, review pricing options, or request an adjustment to your OTTO site billing, our team is ready to help. 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.

🔍 Reduce OTTO Sites and Adjust Your Billing Plan

🧭 Overview OTTO sites are billed based on the number of sites allocated to your account, not just the ones actively using OTTO. If your current plan includes more OTTO site slots than you need, you can reduce your site count and adjust your billing plan to match your actual usage. This article walks you through how to do that. Important: Disengaging (deactivating) OTTO on a site does not reduce your OTTO bill or free the site's OTTO quota slot — the project stays counted. To free the slot, delete the project (freed right away) or use Deep Freeze (freed after 14 days). To stop a top-up charge, cancel the top-up in Billing → Services. ⚙️ Step 1 — Check How Many OTTO Sites You Have Active Before making any changes, confirm how many OTTO sites are currently activated on your account. 1. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO → SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. Review the list of sites that have OTTO activated. Each site shown with OTTO enabled counts toward your billed site total. 3. Identify any sites where OTTO is activated but no longer needed — these are the slots you can free up. 🛠️ Step 2 — Deactivate OTTO on Sites You No Longer Need To free up OTTO quota slots, you must delete the project (freed right away) or use Deep Freeze (freed after 14 days). Simply deactivating OTTO on a site does not free the slot or reduce your bill. 1. From the OTTO SEO → SEO Automation page, locate the site you want to remove from your OTTO quota. 2. Open the site and find the OTTO activation toggle or settings. 3. Delete the project to free the slot right away, or use Deep Freeze to free it after 14 days. Note: simply deactivating OTTO on a site does not free the slot. 4. Repeat for any additional sites you no longer need covered by OTTO. Important: Deactivating OTTO on a site stops the OTTO pixel from serving OTTO's changes for that site, though the project's settings, recommendations and history are retained for later reactivation. Note that any changes written directly into the site's CMS are not served by the pixel. Make sure you no longer need OTTO managing that site before proceeding. 📊 Step 3 — Downgrade Your OTTO Sites Plan Once you have deactivated OTTO on the relevant sites, you can adjust your billing plan to reflect the lower number of sites. 1. Click your Avatar (top-right) → Billing (Plans & Top-ups tab). 2. Locate the OTTO SEO section, which displays your current quota (shown as 'Total Quota X / Y') and the number of sites in use. 3. Select the option to downgrade or reduce your OTTO sites allocation. 4. Choose the plan tier or site count that matches your actual usage — for example, if you now only use 6 sites, select a 6-site plan. 5. Confirm the change. Your billing will be updated to reflect the new, lower site count at your next billing cycle. Note: You cannot downgrade your OTTO sites count below the number of sites that currently have OTTO active. Always deactivate OTTO on unused sites first (Step 2) before attempting to reduce your quota. 💡 Why Am I Being Billed for More Sites Than I Use? Your bill is based on the number of OTTO site slots allocated to your account, not just sites where OTTO is actively doing work. If you previously added extra site capacity — for example, through a top-up or plan upgrade — those slots remain billed until you explicitly reduce your quota. Common reasons this happens include: - A site was added to OTTO during testing and never deactivated. - A top-up was purchased for a temporary project and not cancelled afterward (top-ups must be cancelled in Billing → Services to stop the charge). - A previous plan included more OTTO sites than your current needs require. Reviewing your active OTTO sites regularly and keeping your quota aligned with actual usage is the best way to avoid unexpected charges. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Will I lose any data if I deactivate OTTO on a site? Your site's historical data and Search Atlas account information are retained. However, OTTO will stop managing optimisations for that site, and any active OTTO tasks will be paused. When will my billing reflect the downgrade? Plan changes typically take effect at the start of your next billing cycle. You will not usually receive a refund for the current period, but you will stop being charged for the reduced slots going forward. Can I add sites back later? Yes. You can upgrade your OTTO sites quota at any time from Avatar (top-right) → Billing (Plans & Top-ups tab) if your needs change. 💬 Need Help? 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.

🏷️ Promo Codes and Billing Discounts Explained

🏷️ How Promo Codes Work at Search Atlas Search Atlas occasionally offers promo codes as part of special promotions, partnership deals, or seasonal campaigns. These codes provide a discount on your subscription — either as a percentage off your plan price or a fixed amount reduction applied at checkout. Promo codes are not always publicly available. They are distributed through specific channels and for a limited time, so availability can vary. 📣 Where to Find Valid Promo Codes If you are looking for an active promo code, here are the most reliable places to check: - Official Search Atlas emails: Promotional codes are sometimes shared directly with subscribers via newsletter or announcement emails. - Partner websites and affiliates: Search Atlas works with select partners and affiliates who may share exclusive discount codes with their audiences. - Webinars and events: Codes are occasionally distributed during live webinars, product demos, or industry events hosted or sponsored by Search Atlas. - Social media channels: Follow Search Atlas on official social media accounts for any publicly announced promotions. If you received a code through one of these channels, it should be valid for use during the stated promotional period. 💳 How to Apply a Promo Code to Your Billing Once you have a valid promo code, applying it to your subscription is straightforward. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Billing from the Account Menu. 3. Select the plan you want to subscribe to or modify. 4. Click Redeem Promo Code on the Billing page. 5. Enter your code exactly as provided — codes are case-sensitive. 6. Click Apply to confirm the discount before completing your purchase. The discounted price will be reflected in your order summary before you finalize payment. If the discount does not appear, double-check that the code has been entered correctly and that it has not expired. ⚠️ Common Reasons a Promo Code May Not Work If your promo code is not being accepted, consider the following possibilities: - Expired code: Most promo codes have a set expiration date. If the promotional period has ended, the code will no longer be valid. - Plan restrictions: Some codes only apply to specific plans (e.g., annual billing only, or a particular tier). Check the terms associated with your code. - Already used: Many promo codes are single-use and cannot be applied more than once per account. - Typo or formatting error: Ensure there are no extra spaces or incorrect characters when entering the code. ❓ What If You Don't Have a Promo Code? If you do not currently have a promo code, there is no publicly listed code available at all times. However, you can keep an eye on the channels listed above to catch future promotions. Our team may also be aware of any active offers that have not been widely publicised. 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.

🔒 Why Can't I Access Account or Billing?

🧭 Overview If you cannot find the Account menu or the Billing section in Search Atlas, the most common cause is that you are logged in as a team member on someone else's account. Team member accounts do not have billing permissions by default. This article walks you through the two most likely causes and how to fix each one. ✅ Step 1: Check Whether You Are the Account Owner Billing and plan management are only available to the primary account owner — the person who originally created and pays for the Search Atlas subscription. If you were invited to the workspace by someone else, you are a team member and will not see billing options regardless of your role settings. To confirm which type of account you have: 1. Click your profile icon or initials in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Look for an Account or Billing option in the dropdown menu. 3. If neither option appears, you are most likely logged in as a team member on another user's workspace. If you do not see the Account menu at all, proceed to the resolution steps below before assuming a technical issue. 🔑 Step 2: Resolve Team Member Permission Restrictions If you are a team member and need to upgrade the plan, you have two options: - Ask the account owner to upgrade the plan. Share this article with them. The account owner can log in to their own account, navigate to the Account menu, and select Billing to change the plan tier. - Create your own Search Atlas account. If you need independent billing control, sign up for a new account at searchatlas.com using your own credentials. You will then be the primary owner and have full access to billing and plan upgrades. There is no setting inside Search Atlas that grants billing access to team members. This is by design to protect the account owner's payment information and subscription control. 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.

💳 Billing Reviews and Payment Suspensions Explained

🔍 Overview If you have experienced platform issues, unresolved support tickets, or service disruptions that have affected your ability to use Search Atlas, you may be eligible for a billing review. This article explains what qualifies for consideration and the steps to take to request relief on your account. 📋 What Qualifies for a Billing Review Search Atlas takes service disruptions seriously. The following situations may be considered for a billing adjustment or temporary payment suspension: - Ongoing platform bugs that prevent core features from functioning as expected - Multiple unresolved support tickets spanning an extended period (for example, issues reported since a specific date that remain open) - Significant degradation of service that limits your ability to complete key workflows - Repeated poor support experiences that were not resolved in a timely manner Each case is reviewed individually. Submitting a request does not guarantee an automatic waiver or suspension, but all escalated billing concerns receive a formal review from our team. ⚙️ How Billing Reviews Work When you contact our support team to request a billing review, a teammate will look into your account and the issues you have reported. Based on that review, they will work with you to determine an appropriate resolution, which may include a credit, a charge waiver, or a temporary payment suspension. Our team will communicate the outcome to you directly. ⏸️ Account Suspension vs. Charge Waiver It is important to understand the difference between these two options so you can describe what you need when you reach out: - Charge waiver: A credit applied to your account for a billing period affected by service issues. - Payment suspension: A temporary hold on upcoming charges while an issue is being investigated. - Account cancellation: A permanent closure of your account. This is a separate process and cannot be reversed once completed. Our team will help you choose the option that best fits your situation. 📝 What to Have Ready When You Escalate To help our team process your billing review as quickly as possible, please have the following information ready before reaching out: - Your account or project name as it appears in Search Atlas - The specific dates or billing periods affected by the service disruption - A list of open or unresolved support ticket numbers related to the issue - A brief description of how the disruption impacted your use of the platform (e.g., which features were unavailable or broken) - Any screenshots or error messages you have saved that document the issue Having these details on hand will allow our team to locate your account history and assess your case without delays. 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.

💳 Fix Common Account and Billing Issues

🔍 Overview Billing and account issues can occasionally occur due to payment method errors, subscription sync delays, or plan change processing problems. This article covers the most common billing scenarios and what you can do to resolve them quickly. 💳 Payment Method Not Accepted or Missing If you are unable to add a payment method or your saved card is no longer appearing, this may be caused by a sync issue between your account and our payment processor. - Try a different card or payment method if your current one is being declined. - Clear your browser cache and attempt to add the payment method again in a fresh session. - Check that your billing details (name, address, card number) are entered exactly as they appear on your bank statement. - If the issue persists after trying the above steps, this may require manual account correction by our team. 📋 Account Still Showing Wrong Plan After Payment In some cases, a successful payment may not immediately reflect the correct plan in your account. Your dashboard may still prompt you to choose a plan or show the previous plan tier. 1. Wait up to 10 minutes and refresh your browser — billing sync can occasionally take a few minutes to process. 2. Log out of your account completely, then log back in to trigger a fresh session. 3. Navigate to Account Menu (top-right avatar) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups to confirm which plan is currently active. 4. If your account still does not reflect the correct plan after 10–15 minutes, contact our support team for immediate manual correction. ⚠️ Charged for the Wrong Plan After a Downgrade If you recently downgraded your subscription and were charged at your previous, higher plan rate, do not worry — our team can investigate and correct this. - Note the date you requested the downgrade and the charge date from your bank or email receipt. - Have your account email address ready when you contact support. - Our team will verify the downgrade request, confirm the correct billing amount, and arrange any applicable adjustment. 🔄 Quota Top-Up or Seat Changes Not Reflected If you have purchased additional quota, upgraded seats, or made other add-on purchases that are not showing in your account, this is a known sync issue that requires manual verification. - Confirm the purchase by checking your email for a payment receipt from Search Atlas. - Refresh your account and check the relevant section (seats, quota usage) in your settings. - If the update has not applied within 15 minutes of a confirmed payment, escalate to our support team with your receipt details. 🛠️ General Troubleshooting Steps Before contacting support, try these quick fixes for most billing-related problems: 1. Hard refresh your browser using Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac). 2. Try a different browser to rule out browser-specific issues. 3. Disable browser extensions, especially ad blockers, which can interfere with payment forms. 4. Check your email inbox for any payment confirmation or account notification from Search Atlas. 5. Review your account settings via the top-right avatar menu to confirm your current plan and billing status. 📞 When to Contact Support Some billing issues cannot be self-resolved because they require direct access to your account records or payment processor settings. Contact our team immediately if: - You were charged an incorrect amount and need a billing adjustment. - Your payment was confirmed but your plan has not updated after 15 minutes. - You are unable to add any payment method despite trying multiple cards. - Your account appears cancelled or restricted despite an active subscription. - Purchased quota, seats, or add-ons are not reflected in your account. 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.

⚠️ Fix Payment Failure Alerts and Dashboard Sync Issues

🔍 Overview Some customers receive repeated payment failure emails and dashboard alerts warning about service cancellation — even when their next payment date is weeks away. This article explains why this happens and what steps you can take to resolve it. ❓ Why Is This Happening? This issue is caused by a sync discrepancy between our payment processor (Stripe) and the Search Atlas subscription system. In some cases, these two systems fall out of sync — a state sometimes called a split-brain state — where one system believes a payment has failed while the other shows your account as active and in good standing. Common reasons this occurs include: - A payment retry was triggered automatically by the billing system before your actual due date. - A temporary communication error between Stripe and the Search Atlas platform caused an incorrect status to be recorded. - A previous failed payment attempt (for example, a declined card from an earlier billing cycle) is still being processed in the background, even though your current payment method is valid. - Your subscription was recently changed, upgraded, or renewed, which can occasionally cause a brief status mismatch during the transition. ✅ What You Should Check First 1. Check your actual payment due date. Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to your billing or subscription settings to confirm when your next payment is genuinely due. If the date shown is in the future and no payment is currently overdue, the alert is likely a false trigger. 2. Verify your payment method is up to date. Confirm that the card or payment method on file is valid, not expired, and has sufficient funds. Even if no payment is due immediately, an outdated card can trigger retry logic in the billing system. 3. Check for duplicate alerts. If you are receiving the same failure email multiple times, this points to a retry loop in the billing system rather than a genuine payment issue on your end. 4. Review your account status on the dashboard. If your dashboard shows your account as active while the emails say otherwise, this confirms a sync discrepancy — not an actual service problem. 🛠️ How to Resolve the Discrepancy If you have confirmed your payment is not overdue and your payment method is valid, follow these steps: 1. Do not cancel or re-enter your subscription manually unless advised by our support team. Doing so may create additional billing records and worsen the sync issue. 2. Take a screenshot of the failure email (including the date and time received) and your dashboard showing your current account status and next payment date. This will help our team investigate quickly. 3. Contact our support team immediately using the live chat widget (see below). Our team has the tools to manually reconcile your subscription status between Stripe and the Search Atlas platform and stop the erroneous alerts. 🚫 Will My Service Be Interrupted? If your payment is genuinely not overdue and your account dashboard shows an active status, your service should not be interrupted. However, because the billing system may continue sending retry emails during a sync discrepancy, we strongly recommend reaching out to our support team as soon as possible so the issue can be resolved before any automated action affects your account. 🔄 Preventing This in the Future - Keep your payment method up to date at all times, even between billing cycles. - If you change your card or billing details, allow up to 24 hours for all systems to reflect the update. - If you receive a payment failure email that does not match your expected due date, treat it as a potential sync issue and contact support promptly rather than waiting. 💬 Need Further Help? 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.

💳 Billing Relief Options During Service Disruptions

🔍 Overview If you have experienced ongoing platform issues or service disruptions that have affected your ability to use Search Atlas, you may be eligible for a billing review, a payment deferral, or a temporary account suspension. This article explains your options and how to request them quickly. ⚠️ What Qualifies for a Billing Review A billing review may be appropriate when one or more of the following apply: - You experienced verified platform outages or technical disruptions that prevented normal use of the product. - Core features were unavailable or significantly degraded for an extended period. - You submitted support requests related to the disruption that were not resolved in a timely manner. - The disruption began on or around a specific, documented date (for example, July 3 or later). Our team reviews each case individually. Having clear details ready — such as the dates affected, the features impacted, and any prior support conversations — will help us process your request faster. 💳 Billing Relief Options Available to You Depending on your situation, the following options may be available: 1. Charge waiver or credit: If a disruption significantly limited your access to the platform, our billing team can assess whether a full or partial waiver of your next charge — or an account credit — is appropriate. 2. Payment deferral: If you need more time before your next billing cycle is processed, we can review a short-term deferral while your issue is being investigated or resolved. 3. Account suspension: If you prefer to pause your account temporarily rather than continue paying during an unresolved disruption, our team can assess suspension eligibility based on your plan and account standing. Please note that billing relief decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and are not automatically applied. You must submit a request through our support team. 📋 What to Prepare Before Reaching Out To help our team resolve your request as efficiently as possible, have the following information ready: - Your account email address and plan name. - The date the disruption started and whether it is still ongoing. - A brief description of which features were affected and how. - Any previous support ticket numbers or chat references related to the issue. - Your preferred resolution: waiver, credit, deferral, or suspension. 🛠️ How to Submit Your Request Our billing and account teams do not accept requests by phone or email. All billing review and suspension requests must be submitted through the live chat widget inside the platform. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Locate the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Type human teammate to be connected directly with a member of our team. 4. Explain that you are requesting a billing review or account suspension due to a service disruption, and share the details you prepared above. Our team will review your case, confirm any verified disruptions on our end, and follow up with the outcome of your request — typically within one business day. ⏱️ What Happens After You Submit Once your request is received, here is what to expect: - A team member will review your account history and cross-reference it with any known platform incidents during the reported period. - If a disruption is confirmed, your billing relief option will be applied or scheduled before your next charge date where possible. - You will receive confirmation of the outcome via the chat conversation or your account dashboard. - If your request requires escalation to the billing department, the agent will set a clear expectation for response time. 💡 Tips to Avoid Future Billing Surprises - Report issues as soon as they begin — early documentation strengthens your case for billing relief. - Keep a note of your billing cycle date so you know when to act if a disruption is ongoing near your renewal date. - Check the Search Atlas status page or in-app notifications for updates on known incidents. 🙋 Need Immediate Help? 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.

💳 Resolve Billing Issues Without a Phone Call

💡 Why We Don't Offer Phone Support We know billing questions can feel urgent, and speaking with someone directly seems like the quickest fix. However, Search Atlas handles all support — including billing — through our in-platform live chat. This lets our team pull up your account details instantly, share screenshots, send links, and keep a written record of every resolution. In most cases, live chat gets you a faster, more accurate answer than a phone call would. 🔍 Common Billing Issues We Can Solve Quickly Our support team is fully trained to resolve billing questions in real time. Here are the most common issues customers reach out about: - Incorrect charges or unexpected amounts — We can review your billing history and explain every line item. - Subscription plan discrepancies — If your account features don't match what your plan should include, we can investigate and correct this. - Payment failures or expired card errors — We'll help you update your payment method and confirm your subscription is active. - Billing system errors — Our team has visibility into real-time billing data and can identify and escalate technical issues on your behalf. - Under-billing or over-billing concerns — We can audit your account charges and apply corrections where needed. 🛠️ How to Update Your Billing Information If you need to update a payment method or review your current plan before contacting support, follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the dashboard. 3. Select Billing from the dropdown menu. 4. Go to Plans & Top-ups and review your current plan, next billing date, and payment method on file. 5. Click Add Payment Method to add or change a card. 6. Save your changes and confirm the update was successful. If you don't see the option you need, or something looks incorrect on this page, contact our support team right away (see below). 📊 What Information to Have Ready To help our team resolve your billing issue as quickly as possible, have the following ready before you open a chat: - The email address linked to your Search Atlas account - The approximate date of the charge or issue you're seeing - The amount charged (if disputing a specific transaction) - A brief description of what you expected versus what happened The more context you provide upfront, the faster our team can investigate and resolve your issue — often in a single conversation. 💬 How to Reach a Human Right Now You do not need a phone number to speak with a real person on our team. Our live chat connects you to a human support teammate in real time, during business hours. 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. Once connected, let the teammate know you have a billing question and share the details listed above. They can view your account, check your billing history, and resolve most issues during the same conversation.

💳 Manage Your Account and Billing Settings

Overview This article covers common account and billing topics in Search Atlas. Because billing configurations vary by account and plan, many questions require a quick check of your account settings or a conversation with our support team who can review your specific account details. Viewing Your Current Plan and Billing Details To review your active subscription, billing cycle, and payment history, click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Billing (/billing). There you should be able to see your current plan tier, next renewal date, and past invoices available for download. Updating Your Payment Method If you need to add or replace a payment method, click your avatar in the top-right corner, select Billing, and open the Plans & Top-ups tab, then use Add Payment Method. Ensure your payment method is valid before your next renewal date to avoid service interruptions. Changing Your Plan If you need to upgrade or downgrade your subscription, click your avatar in the top-right corner, select Billing, and open the Plans & Top-ups tab (Billing) for plan management options. Review any confirmation details carefully before finalising a change, as timing and proration rules may vary by plan. Managing Team Members and Seat Access If your billing question relates to user seats or team access, click your avatar in the top-right corner, select Settings (/settings), and open the Team Members tab. Adding team members may affect your billing depending on your plan's seat limits. Review your plan details before making changes. Common Billing Questions - I was charged unexpectedly. Check your billing history by clicking your avatar in the top-right corner and selecting Billing (Activity Log / Invoices tabs). Charges typically correspond to plan renewals, upgrades, or seat additions. If you cannot identify the charge, contact our support team with the date and amount of the charge so we can investigate. - My payment failed. Click your avatar in the top-right corner, select Billing, and open the Plans & Top-ups tab to update your payment method via Add Payment Method. If the issue persists after updating, contact support with your account name and the date the failure occurred. - I need a VAT invoice or receipt. Download invoices directly from the Billing section (Avatar → Billing). If you need a specific invoice format or have a billing document request, contact our support team with your account details and what you require. - I want to cancel my subscription. Navigate to Avatar → Billing for self-serve options. If you cannot locate a cancellation option or need assistance, contact our support team directly and have your account name and the reason for cancellation ready. - I have a billing discrepancy or dispute. Gather the relevant invoice details, dates, and amounts and contact our support team so they can review your account and resolve the issue. 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.

⬇️ How to Downgrade Your Subscription Before Billing

⬇️ Overview If you need to reduce the number of sites on your Search Atlas subscription — for example, moving down to a 2-site package — you can request a downgrade before your next billing date. Acting quickly is important: changes must be processed before your renewal date to avoid being charged at your current plan rate. 📋 Before You Begin Check the following before requesting your downgrade: - Know your billing date. You can find this in your account under the top-right avatar menu → Billing. If your billing date is tomorrow, submit your request immediately. - Remove projects you no longer need. Ensure you have only the sites you want to keep active. Removing extra projects before the downgrade prevents data conflicts. - Understand what changes. Downgrading to a 2-site package means any projects beyond the new limit must be removed or archived prior to the plan change taking effect. 🛠️ How to Request a Downgrade Search Atlas subscription downgrades are handled by the support team to ensure your billing is adjusted correctly. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 4. Let the team member know: - The package you want to downgrade to (e.g., 2-site plan) - Your current billing date - Which projects you want to keep active 5. The team member will confirm the change and ensure it is applied before your billing date. ⏰ Timing Is Critical Downgrade requests submitted on the same day as your billing date may not be processed in time to prevent a charge at your current plan rate. If your billing date is tomorrow or very soon: - Contact support right away — do not wait. - Clearly state that your billing date is imminent so the team can prioritise your request. - Keep a record of your chat conversation as confirmation that the request was submitted before the billing date. 💡 What Happens After the Downgrade Once your downgrade is confirmed by the support team: - Your account will be updated to the 2-site plan at the start of your next billing cycle. - You will be charged the lower plan rate on your next renewal date. - Any projects beyond the 2-site limit that were not removed may be archived automatically — ensure you back up any important data beforehand. - Features or limits tied to your previous higher-tier plan (such as keyword tracking volume or additional users) will adjust to match the new plan. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Can I downgrade mid-cycle and get a refund for the difference? Refund eligibility for mid-cycle downgrades depends on your billing terms. Ask the support team when you submit your request and they will advise you on your specific situation. Can I upgrade again later? Yes. You can upgrade your plan at any time from the top-right avatar menu → Billing or by contacting support via the chat widget. What if I only want to remove one site but keep my current plan? You can remove individual projects from your dashboard without changing your subscription. Go to Projects, select the project you want to remove, and delete it. Your plan and billing remain unchanged. 🆘 Need Help? 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.

💳 Fix Growth Plan Billing Sync and Payment Issues

🔍 Understanding the Billing Sync Issue Sometimes your Search Atlas dashboard may display your Growth Plan as active while the underlying billing system registers it as cancelled. This mismatch is usually caused by one of the following: - A payment method that was declined or expired at the last renewal attempt - A temporary sync delay between the payment processor and your account dashboard - An incomplete plan upgrade or reactivation that did not fully process When this conflict exists, your account may appear functional on the surface but key features — including OTTO SEO integration — may stop working or become restricted. ⚠️ Symptoms to Watch For - Dashboard shows your Growth Plan as active, but you receive a cancellation notice or email - You are not being charged on your expected billing date - OTTO SEO is disconnected, unresponsive, or showing errors - Feature access feels inconsistent or certain tools are suddenly unavailable 🛠️ Step-by-Step: How to Resolve the Issue 1. Check your billing status: Go to Avatar (top-right corner) → Billing in your Search Atlas dashboard. Look for any warning banners, past-due notices, or a status that contradicts what you expect. 2. Review your payment method: Navigate to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Add Payment Method) and confirm your card or payment details are current. Look for expiry dates, incorrect billing addresses, or cards flagged by your bank. 3. Update or re-enter your payment method: Remove the existing payment method and add a new one (or re-add the same card with refreshed details). Save the changes and confirm the update is accepted. 4. Manually trigger a payment retry: If a past-due invoice is listed under Avatar (top-right corner) → Billing → Invoices, click Pay Now to retry the charge immediately. A successful payment should resync your plan status within a few minutes. 5. Reactivate your plan if needed: If your plan still shows as cancelled after payment, go to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Billing) and select Reactivate Plan. Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm your Growth Plan. 6. Reconnect OTTO SEO: Once your billing status is confirmed as active, go to the OTTO SEO section of your dashboard. If it is still disconnected, click Reconnect or toggle the integration off and back on to refresh the connection. 7. Clear your browser cache: After making any billing changes, do a hard refresh (Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) or clear your browser cache to ensure the dashboard reflects the latest account status. 💡 Why Your Card May Have Been Declined Even a valid card can be declined for reasons unrelated to your balance. Common causes include: - Your bank flagging the charge as unusual or from an unfamiliar merchant - International transaction restrictions on your card - Temporary holds or fraud prevention blocks placed by your bank - The billing address on file not matching your bank records If your card is being declined, contact your bank to confirm there are no blocks on the transaction, then retry the payment inside Search Atlas. 📊 What Happens to Your Data During a Sync Issue Your projects, reports, and saved data are not deleted during a billing sync issue. They remain stored in your account and will be fully accessible again once your subscription status is successfully reactivated. OTTO SEO campaigns may pause automatically but will resume from where they left off after reconnection. 🚀 Preventing This Issue in the Future - Keep your payment method up to date, especially before card expiry dates - Enable billing notifications in Settings → Notifications so you receive advance warnings before a renewal attempt - Check your billing dashboard periodically to catch any pending invoices early 🙋 Still Seeing the Problem? If you have followed all the steps above and your Growth Plan status is still mismatched, your OTTO integration remains broken, or you are unsure which invoice to pay, our support team can investigate the account-level sync directly. 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.

💳 Fix Billing Errors and Restore Account Access

🔍 What This Article Covers If your AI points are not increasing, you cannot add new companies to OTTO, or you were charged without receiving full service access, this guide will help you understand what happened and how to get it resolved quickly. ⚠️ Common Signs of a Billing or Access Problem - AI points balance is frozen or not refreshing after your billing cycle - You are unable to add new companies or projects inside OTTO - You were charged for one or more billing periods but features remained locked or inaccessible - Your account shows an active subscription but behaves as if it is on a free or restricted plan 💡 Why These Issues Happen Billing and access issues on Search Atlas accounts are typically caused by one of the following: - Payment processing delays: A charge may be collected by your bank before the platform has fully confirmed and activated the associated entitlements on your account. - Subscription sync errors: Occasionally, a plan upgrade or renewal does not correctly sync with the features tied to your account, leaving credits and permissions in a locked state. - Duplicate charges: If a payment method was updated or a retry was triggered, you may see multiple charges for the same billing period without a corresponding double allocation of credits or access. - Account-level configuration issues: In some cases, a backend setting tied to your subscription tier fails to apply correctly after a charge is processed. 🛠️ Steps to Take Before Contacting Support 1. Check your billing history: Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Billing (Billing page with Plans & Top-ups, Services, Invoices, Activity Log tabs). Confirm the dates and amounts of recent charges. 2. Note the exact features affected: Write down which tools are not working — for example, AI points not increasing, OTTO company slots unavailable, or dashboard features locked. This speeds up the resolution process. 3. Check for any account notifications: Look for any banners or alerts inside the platform that reference a payment failure, pending renewal, or account restriction. 4. Try a hard refresh: Sometimes a browser cache issue can make features appear unavailable. Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to force a full refresh. 5. Confirm you are logged into the correct account: If you manage multiple workspaces or team accounts, make sure you are viewing the account associated with the subscription in question. 💰 If You Were Charged Without Receiving Service Access If you were billed for two or more months and did not have access to the features included in your plan, you are entitled to a review and potential credit or refund for the affected period. To initiate this, you will need to provide the following information to our support team: - The billing dates and amounts you were charged - A description of which features were unavailable and for how long - Any error messages or screenshots you captured during that time Our team will investigate the payment records and account logs, then apply any applicable service credits or process a refund for the period in which service was not delivered. 🤖 AI Points Not Increasing After a Billing Cycle AI points are refreshed automatically at the start of each new billing cycle. If your points did not increase after your renewal date, this is most likely caused by a sync error between the payment confirmation and the credit allocation system. This is not resolved by waiting — it requires a manual correction by our support team. Please contact us as soon as you notice the issue so we can apply the correct balance retroactively. 🏢 Unable to Add New Companies to OTTO The number of companies you can manage inside OTTO is determined by your active subscription tier. If you are unable to add a new company and believe your plan allows for it, this may indicate that your subscription entitlements did not update correctly after your last payment. Our support team can verify your plan limits and unlock the correct number of company slots for your account. 📋 What to Have Ready When You Contact Support - Your account email address - The dates and amounts of any disputed charges - A clear description of which features are not working - Any screenshots or error messages (attach them in the chat if possible) 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.

💳 Fix Token Refresh Delays After Billing

🔍 What Is This Issue? After your billing date, you may occasionally notice that your account still shows zero tokens even though your subscription is active. This happens when there is a short delay between your payment being processed by your bank or card provider and Search Atlas receiving confirmation of that payment. Until confirmation is received, the platform cannot automatically trigger a token refresh. This is a temporary situation and does not mean your subscription has lapsed or that there is a problem with your account plan. ⚙️ Why Does This Happen? Token balances are refreshed automatically once a successful payment is confirmed. Delays can occur for several reasons: - Bank processing times: Some banks and card networks take extra time to authorise and settle a transaction, especially around weekends or public holidays. - Card verification checks: Your bank may place a brief hold on the payment while it runs fraud or verification checks. - Billing retry cycles: If an initial charge attempt did not go through, the billing system will retry automatically. Tokens are only refreshed after a successful charge is confirmed. - Timing of the billing run: Payments are processed in batches. If your renewal falls at the edge of a billing cycle, there may be a short window before the system updates your token balance. ✅ What You Should Do First 1. Wait up to 1 hour. Most delays resolve automatically once payment confirmation is received. Check your token balance again after a short wait. 2. Check your payment method. Log in to your Search Atlas account, go to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups, and confirm your card or payment method is valid, not expired, and has no outstanding issues. 3. Review your billing history. In the Top-right corner (avatar) → Billing → Invoices tab, check whether the latest invoice shows a status of Paid or Pending. A pending status means the payment has not yet been confirmed. 4. Check with your bank. If your invoice shows pending for more than a few hours, contact your bank or card provider to confirm there are no holds or declines on the transaction. 🚀 How to Trigger a Manual Token Refresh If your payment shows as Paid in your billing history but your tokens have still not refreshed after 1 hour, you can request a manual refresh from our support team. This is the fastest way to restore full access to your account without waiting for the next automated cycle. 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. 🛠️ How to Prevent This in the Future - Keep your payment method up to date. An expired card is the most common reason a payment does not process on time. Update your card details in Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups before your renewal date. - Use a card with sufficient funds or credit. Ensure your account has enough available balance to cover the subscription charge on your billing date. - Enable bank notifications. Turn on transaction alerts with your bank so you are immediately aware if a payment is declined or held. - Check your billing date in advance. You can find your next renewal date in the Top-right corner (avatar) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab of your account settings. Plan ahead if you know your card is due to expire soon. 📊 Summary Token refresh delays after billing are almost always caused by a short lag between payment submission and payment confirmation. In most cases, waiting up to one hour resolves the issue automatically. If your invoice shows as paid and tokens are still not available, our support team can apply a manual refresh immediately. 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.

💡 Understanding OTTO Allocation, Billing, and Account Escalations

🔍 Overview This article explains how OTTO site allocation works, how billing structures are reviewed for legacy or Founder-rate accounts, how Universal Credits are assigned, and what to expect when you have an open account escalation. If you have a complex multi-issue escalation — such as a pricing rate review combined with a credits allocation request — this guide will help you understand the process and set clear expectations. ⚙️ How OTTO Site Allocation Works OTTO SEO is Search Atlas's AI-powered on-page automation engine. Each subscription plan includes a defined number of active OTTO sites — these are websites on which OTTO can actively deploy and manage SEO optimizations. - Active sites consume one OTTO slot each. You can view and manage your active sites within your account. - If you need more active site slots than your current plan provides, you can upgrade your plan or request a review through the support team. To manage your current sites, you can review and adjust which sites are active within your allocation from within the platform. 📊 Universal Credits: What They Are and How They Are Assigned Universal Credits are a flexible resource pool used across Search Atlas tools — including content generation, keyword research, and other AI-powered features. Credits are allocated based on your subscription plan tier. - Your current credit balance and usage are accessible within your account. - If you believe your credit allocation does not match your plan entitlement, this is reviewable by our support team. - Requests for additional credit allocation outside of standard plan limits require a manual account review. 💰 Founder Rates, Legacy Pricing, and Plan Reviews Search Atlas has offered special pricing to early customers and agency partners, including Founder rates and location-adjusted pricing. These rates are tied to the specific plan terms agreed upon at signup. If you are on a legacy or Founder-rate plan and have noticed a pricing change, here is what you should know: 1. Pricing changes on legacy plans are rare but may occur when a plan is modified, a subscription lapses and is renewed, or promotional terms expire. 2. Restoration of a previous rate requires a manual review by our billing team, who will verify the original terms and determine eligibility for reinstatement. 📋 What to Have Ready When Escalating Because OTTO allocation, billing structure, and pricing restoration issues require backend review, our team will need specific information to assist you efficiently. Please have the following ready when you reach out: - Your account email address and the name of your workspace or project - A description of the issue — for example, whether it relates to site allocation, a credits discrepancy, or a pricing rate change - Any relevant screenshots or details about when the issue began 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.

💳 Billing & Account Management FAQ

Update your plan, add team seats, manage payments, and resolve billing issues — all from the Search Atlas Billing panel. 📈 How to Upgrade Your Plan You can upgrade at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately and prorate automatically. 1. Click your avatar (👤) in the top-right corner. 2. Select Billing from the dropdown. 3. Click Change Plan. 4. Select the plan you want and confirm the upgrade. Important: Use the email address associated with your Search Atlas account at checkout. Using a different email creates a duplicate account and your new subscription will not link to your existing workspace. Already on an annual plan with a promotional offer? Contact your account manager or support to have the offer applied manually — this cannot be completed self-serve. Plan not updated after 15–30 minutes? Contact support with your payment receipt or Stripe charge ID — some upgrades require manual activation by the billing team. Billing Cycle Impact Upgrading resets your billing cycle to the upgrade date. Prorated charges may apply for the remaining duration of your current cycle. Recently migrated to the new billing system? Your renewal date may appear incorrect for up to 24 hours. If it does not correct itself, contact support with your account email to verify your next billing date. Aligning Your Renewal Date To align your renewal to a specific date, contact support before upgrading — do not rely on timing self-serve upgrades to achieve this. Upgrading a Child Account (White Label Agencies) Agency owners can upgrade child accounts (for example, Starter → Pro) directly from the agency dashboard. Locate the child account, select the new plan, and confirm the upgrade. If the plan still shows Starter after 15 minutes, contact support with the child account ID — a known issue affecting migrated agency accounts requires manual backend correction. 📉 How to Downgrade Your Plan Downgrades take effect at the end of your billing cycle. You retain full access to your current plan's features and limits until the renewal date, when the account automatically switches and any features or seats above the new plan's limit are deactivated. 1. Click your avatar (👤) in the top-right corner. 2. Select Billing from the dropdown. 3. Click Change Plan. 4. Select the plan you want and confirm the downgrade. Your downgrade is confirmed and takes effect at your next renewal date. 👥 How to Add Team Seats Invite a Team Member 1. Click your avatar (👤) → Settings → Team Members. 2. Click + Add Member. 3. Enter the team member's email address. 4. Assign a role: Viewer or Admin. 5. Click Send Invite. The invitee must accept the email invitation before their seat is consumed. Purchase Additional Seats (Top Up) If you have used all seats included in your current plan, go to Billing → Plans & Top-ups → Top Up to purchase more. Additional seats are billed monthly at $35 USD per seat, per month. Each seat allows one additional team member to access your account. 💳 How to Update Your Payment Method Use this to add a new credit card or replace an expired one. 1. Click your avatar (👤) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab . Find the Payment Method area on the right side. Click Add Payment Method or Edit . Enter your card details and save. The new card is used for all future renewals. What to Do if a Payment Fails If a charge fails or your account enters quota-deficit after a failed renewal: 1. Go to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups and confirm the card is valid and not expired. 2. Retry the charge from the Billing page. 3. If the account is still inactive after 24 hours, contact support to request a manual charge. 🧾 How to View or Download Invoices Your full invoice history is available in the Billing panel. 1. Click your avatar (👤) → Billing. 2. Select the Invoices tab. 3. Click Download in the Actions column for any invoice. If no invoices appear, no charges have been processed on the account yet. 📦 How to Purchase Additional Quotas (Top-Ups) Top-ups activate instantly and can be purchased at any time. 1. Click your avatar (👤) → Billing. 2. Scroll to the Quotas section. 3. Click Top Up on the quota you want. 4. Select the amount and confirm payment. Your quota updates immediately after payment. 💡 Why Did My OTTO Sites Cost Change in February 2026? In February 2026, OTTO Sites pricing was adjusted for customers not on gold plans. If you noticed a change to your OTTO Sites cost, this update is the likely reason. For details, refer to the OTTO Sites pricing page, or contact support if you believe a negotiated rate was not honoured on your account. 🛑 How to Cancel Your Subscription You can cancel at any time. Your account stays active until the current billing period ends. 1. Click your avatar (👤) → Billing. 2. Select Services. 3. Click the three vertical dots in the Action column. 4. Click Cancel. You'll retain access to all features until your billing period ends. ⚠️ Common Billing Issues & What to Do A small number of upgrades, renewals, and payment-method changes require manual intervention by the billing team. Find your situation below. Upgrade stuck on Starter or "order processing" Wait 30 minutes for the change to propagate. If the plan has not updated after that time, contact support with your Stripe charge ID or receipt email so the billing team can complete activation manually. Plan not renewed on the expected date Confirm your default payment method under Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups is current and not expired. If the plan is not reinstated within 1 hour of the renewal date, contact support to trigger the renewal manually. Billing section not visible or features not enabled after payment This can occur when an account is mid-migration to the new billing system, or when a top-up payment failed. Contact support with your account email and the date of payment so the billing team can complete the activation. Payment-method change caused a failed charge or reduced quota Always add the new card first and confirm it is set as the default before removing the old one. If a charge has already failed and your quota was reduced, contact support to have the charge retried and the quota restored. Duplicate charge Contact support immediately with the two charge amounts, dates, and the last four digits of the card charged. The billing team can verify and process a refund, typically within 3–5 business days. 🚫 Login Redirects Me to the Pricing Page 🎯 You now have everything you need to manage your Search Atlas billing and subscription. If you need further assistance, contact the Search Atlas support team directly.

🛠️ Fix a Stuck Payment Screen and Platform Confusion

Overview If you're seeing a "Please wait" screen that never moves, or if the platform feels unfamiliar after signing up, you're not alone. These two issues often happen together — a payment page stalls during initial setup, leaving you unsure where to go next. This article walks you through what to do if you get stuck at the payment screen and how to reach support if it doesn't resolve. What to Do If the Payment Screen Is Stuck Before taking any action, wait at least 60 seconds — the screen sometimes takes a moment to finish processing. Do not refresh the page immediately, as this can interrupt the checkout flow. 1. Check your email. If you received a confirmation or welcome email from Search Atlas, your payment went through successfully and your account is ready. Go to searchatlas.com and log in directly rather than waiting on the stuck screen. 2. Hard-refresh the page. Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to reload without using cached data. 3. Try a private or incognito window. This bypasses stored cache and many browser extensions in a single step. 4. Switch browsers. If the issue persists, try accessing the platform in a different browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If you complete these steps and still cannot access your account, do not attempt to re-enter your payment details. Contact support first to confirm whether a charge was applied before trying again. Getting Oriented Once You're Inside If the platform feels unfamiliar after signing up, our support team can walk you through where to find the tools you need and how to set up your first project. Don't hesitate to reach out — getting started guidance is something we're happy to provide directly. 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.

💳 Investigating Unpaid Remittances and Payment Delays

📋 Overview If you are expecting a payment and it has not arrived after 3–4 weeks, there are several common reasons why a remittance may be held or delayed. This article walks you through the most frequent causes, how to investigate the issue on your end, and when to escalate to our team. 🔍 Common Reasons for Payment Delays - Verification pending: Your account or payment details may still be under review. Payments are held until identity or billing verification is complete. - Incorrect payment information: A mismatched bank account number, routing number, or billing address can cause a remittance to fail or stall. - Minimum payout threshold not met: Some accounts require a minimum balance before a payment is released. Check your account settings for your current threshold. - Outstanding invoice or balance due: If your account has an unpaid balance, outgoing payments may be paused until it is resolved. - Processing delays from payment providers: Third-party payment processors (such as banks or wire transfer services) can introduce delays of 3–7 business days beyond our standard processing window. - Public holidays or weekends: Payments initiated near a public holiday or weekend may take longer to clear through banking systems. ✅ Steps to Investigate Your Delayed Payment 1. Check your payment details: Go to Avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Add Payment Method) and confirm that your bank account number, routing number, and billing address are accurate and up to date. 2. Review your verification status: Navigate to your profile or billing section and confirm that all required verification steps have been completed. Look for any pending action items or alerts. 3. Confirm your payout threshold: In your billing or payment settings, review the minimum payout threshold. Ensure your current balance meets or exceeds this amount. 4. Check for outstanding balances: Review your invoices to confirm there are no unpaid amounts on your account that may be blocking the release of funds. 5. Review your payment history: Look at your transaction or payment history log to see the status of recent remittances. A status of Pending or Processing means the payment has been initiated but has not yet cleared. 6. Allow for standard processing time: Our standard payment processing window is up to 10 business days. If you are within this window, the payment may still be on its way. ⏱️ What Counts as a Significant Delay? A payment that has been in a Pending or Processing state for more than 10 business days after the expected release date is considered a significant delay and warrants escalation. Delays of 3–4 weeks with no status update are not normal and should be investigated by our support team promptly. 📝 Information to Have Ready Before Contacting Support To help our team resolve your payment issue as quickly as possible, please gather the following before reaching out: - The expected payment date or the date the payment was initiated - The payment amount in question - Your payment method (e.g., bank transfer, wire, PayPal) - Any transaction or reference IDs visible in your payment history - A screenshot of the payment status if available 🛠️ How to Get Your Payment Released Once you have reviewed the steps above and confirmed that the delay is beyond the standard processing window, our support team can investigate the remittance on the back end, liaise with the payment processor if needed, and manually trigger a release where eligible. Do not attempt to cancel and re-submit a payment without speaking to our team first, as this can cause further delays. 💬 Still Need Help? 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.

💳 Understanding Billing After Challenge Purchases

🔍 Why Was I Charged After the Challenge? When you purchase a Search Atlas challenge such as the Get to the Top of Google Challenge, the offer includes access to the Search Atlas platform for the duration of the challenge. At the end of the challenge period, your account automatically transitions to a monthly subscription to keep your tools, data, and progress uninterrupted. This means a recurring monthly charge — typically $99/month — will apply unless you cancel before the billing date. This automatic renewal is noted in the purchase terms at checkout. 📋 What the Purchase Includes - Full platform access for the duration of the challenge - All SEO tools, keyword tracking, and reporting features - Automatic continuation as a monthly subscriber when the challenge ends ⚠️ Why This Charge May Feel Unexpected Many customers focus on the challenge itself and may not notice the subscription continuation terms during checkout. Here are the most common reasons customers are surprised by the charge: - The billing date arrived shortly after the challenge ended - The transition from a one-time challenge to a monthly plan was not clearly noted at the time of purchase - A charge appeared on a card statement under an unfamiliar description We understand this can feel unexpected. If this applies to you, our team is happy to review your account and discuss your options. 🛠️ How to Request a Refund If you were charged and did not intend to continue with a monthly subscription, follow these steps to request a refund: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account at app.searchatlas.com. 2. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 4. Share your account email, the date of the charge, and the amount charged. 5. Let the team member know you are requesting a refund for an unintended automatic renewal. Our team will review your account history and respond as quickly as possible. Refund eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis and may depend on how recently the charge occurred and whether the subscription has been used during the billing period. ✅ How to Cancel to Avoid Future Charges If you do not wish to continue your subscription, it is important to cancel before your next billing date to avoid being charged again. Here is how to cancel: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner to open the Account Menu. 3. Select Billing. 4. Click Cancel Subscription and follow the on-screen prompts to confirm. Once cancelled, you will retain access to the platform until the end of the current paid period. You will not be charged again after cancellation is confirmed. 💡 Tips to Avoid Unexpected Charges in the Future - Always review the billing terms on the checkout page before completing a purchase. - Set a personal reminder a few days before any trial or challenge period ends. - Check your Billing & Subscription settings after any promotional purchase to confirm your renewal date. - Contact support proactively if you are unsure whether a plan auto-renews. 🤝 Still Need Help? 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.

💳 Canada Pro Plan Payment Options Explained

🌎 Overview Canadian customers sometimes ask whether a payment plan or instalment option is available when purchasing the Search Atlas Pro annual plan or a promotional annual offer (such as a Summit Special). This article explains what is currently available and how to proceed with your purchase. 💳 Payment Plan Availability for Canada At this time, traditional instalment-based payment plans are not available for Canadian customers on the Pro annual billing cycle. Annual plans for customers in Canada must be paid in full at checkout using a supported payment method. Supported payment methods at checkout include: - Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) - Debit cards with a Visa or Mastercard logo 🏷️ What About Promotional Annual Offers? Promotional offers — such as Summit Specials or limited-time annual discounts — follow the same billing rules. If you are a Canadian customer purchasing a promotional annual plan, full payment is required at the time of checkout. Instalment options are not applied to these offers for accounts in Canada. If you already hold an active annual plan and see a promotional offer advertised, note that eligibility may vary based on your current subscription status. Our team can confirm whether a specific promotion applies to your account. 📊 Annual Plan vs. Monthly Billing — Key Differences - Annual plan: Billed once per year as a single payment; offers the best value and lowest effective monthly rate. - Monthly plan: Billed each month; no long-term commitment required. If paying the full annual amount upfront is not feasible, switching to the monthly billing cycle may be a practical alternative. While the monthly rate is higher than the annual per-month equivalent, it spreads costs into smaller, regular payments with no large upfront charge. 🔄 How to Switch to Monthly Billing 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Billing. 3. Review your current plan and select the option to change your billing cycle. 4. Choose the monthly billing option and confirm your selection. Changes take effect at the start of your next billing period. Your access and features remain unchanged during the transition. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Will payment plan options be added for Canada in the future? We are always evaluating ways to expand payment flexibility for customers in all regions. Updates will be announced in the platform and on our website when new options become available. I was charged the wrong amount or my billing looks incorrect — what should I do? If you notice a discrepancy in your billing amount, renewal date, or plan details, contact our support team right away so we can investigate and resolve it promptly. Can I get a refund if I change my mind after purchasing an annual plan? Refund eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Reach out to our support team as soon as possible if you have concerns about a recent charge. 🛠️ Need More Help? 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.

🔧 Clearing Stuck Payment Sessions for Login Access

🔍 What Is a Stuck Payment Session? A stuck payment session happens when a payment or checkout process does not complete properly. This can prevent you from accessing your dashboard and may block you from joining your company's team account. Common signs include: - Inability to access your dashboard after a checkout attempt - A checkout or plan selection screen appearing when you expected to join an existing team - Being redirected back to a checkout screen each time you try to log in 🛠️ What Causes This Issue? A stuck payment session is a backend issue that occurs when your account's session state becomes locked during a payment or checkout flow. This can happen if a checkout process is interrupted or does not finalize correctly. Because the session is locked on the server side, simply logging out and logging back in may not resolve the issue on its own — our support team typically needs to clear the stuck session for you. 📋 What to Have Ready When Contacting Support To help our team resolve this as quickly as possible, please gather the following details before reaching out: - Your account email address — The email you use to log in to Search Atlas. - Your team or company name — The name of the team account you are trying to join or access. - Description of what you see — Note any screens, messages, or behavior you encounter when you try to log in. - When the issue started — The approximate date and time you first encountered the problem. With this information, our team can locate your account, identify the stuck session, and clear it so you can regain access. 💬 Still Need Help? 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.

🐛 Fix Subscription Downgrade and Duplicate Billing Issues

🔍 Overview A known checkout bug can occasionally cause your subscription to switch from an annual plan to a monthly plan without your intent — sometimes resulting in duplicate charges or unexpected billing cycles. This article explains how to identify the issue and get it corrected by our team. ⚠️ Signs You May Be Affected - Your plan shows as monthly when you originally purchased an annual subscription. - You received a charge that does not match your expected billing amount or cycle. - Your invoice history shows two charges within a short time period. - Your auto-renewal date appears earlier than expected. 📊 Step 1: Review Your Current Plan and Billing Details Navigate to your account's billing or subscription section and check your active plan type and next renewal date. Review your recent invoice history to confirm whether any duplicate payments or unexpected charges appear. 🧾 Step 2: Identify the Discrepancy Compare what you currently see against your original purchase confirmation. Look for the following: - Plan type mismatch: If your current plan shows monthly but you purchased annual, a downgrade may have occurred during checkout. - Unexpected charge amount: A monthly plan is typically billed at a higher per-month rate than the prorated cost of an annual plan. - Duplicate charge: If you see two charges with similar amounts close together in your invoice history, both may need to be reviewed. 🚀 Step 3: Contact Support for a Correction Because billing corrections — including plan restoration and refunds for duplicate charges — require action from our billing team, you will need to reach out directly. Do not attempt to cancel and resubscribe manually, as this may create additional charges or reset your billing cycle incorrectly. When you connect with the team, have the following ready to speed up the resolution: - The date you originally purchased your annual plan. - The charge amounts and dates visible in your invoice history. - A screenshot of your current plan details (optional but helpful). 🔄 Step 4: Confirm the Fix Once our billing team has reviewed your account, they will restore your correct plan type and process any applicable refund for duplicate charges. Confirm that your plan type and next renewal date reflect the corrected annual subscription before closing the conversation. 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.

🖼️ Fix billing_not_active Error in Image Alt Text

🔍 What Is This Error? When you try to generate image alt texts using AI — either in bulk or one at a time through OTTO or the Site Audit — you may see a billing_not_active error. This can happen even if your subscription is active and you have remaining AI quota. The error is caused by a billing date sync issue on the platform side, not by anything you have done wrong. ⚙️ How to Fix It 1. Refresh your browser. Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to perform a hard refresh and clear any cached session data. 2. Sign out and sign back in. Log out of Search Atlas completely, then log back in. This forces the platform to re-verify your billing status and often resolves the error immediately. 3. Retry the alt text generation. Navigate back to the image alt text feature — either through OTTO or the Site Audit — and try generating alt texts again. 4. Wait a few minutes if the error persists. In some cases, the billing sync takes a short time to update. Wait 3–5 minutes, then try again. 📍 Where to Find Image Alt Text Generation You can access AI image alt text generation in two places inside Search Atlas: - OTTO: Open your OTTO dashboard, go to the Image Optimization section, and use the bulk or individual alt text generation option. - Site Audit: Navigate to your site audit report, find the Image issues section, and trigger alt text generation from there. 🚫 Known Causes to Rule Out Before contacting support, confirm the following are not contributing to the issue: - Billing date mismatch: If your billing renewal date recently passed, there may be a brief window where the system incorrectly flags your account. Signing out and back in usually resolves this. - Image blocked by CDN: Some images hosted behind a content delivery network (CDN) cannot be accessed by Search Atlas for alt text generation. If a specific image consistently fails, its CDN settings may be blocking the request. This is separate from the billing error. - Unexpected errors on individual images: If only one or two images fail while others succeed, the issue is likely with those specific images rather than your billing status. ✅ After the Fix Once you have signed back in and the billing status is correctly recognised, your AI image alt text generation should work normally. Your existing AI quota is not affected by this error — any failed generation attempts do not consume your credits. 💬 Still Seeing the Error? If the steps above do not resolve the issue, our team can investigate your account billing status directly. 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.

💸 How to Check Your Payment Release Status

This article explains what determines when your payment is released, what to do if a remittance appears unpaid, and how to verify that a payout has been processed successfully. If you have been waiting on a payment or received a remittance that hasn't cleared yet, the steps below will help you take the right action. 🔍 Common Causes of Payment Delays - Pending remittance: A remittance may show as unpaid if it has been generated but not yet processed within the current payment cycle. - Quota or threshold not met: Some accounts require a minimum earning threshold before a payout is triggered. If your balance has not reached that threshold, the release will be held until the next eligible cycle. - Account or billing details incomplete: Missing or unverified payment information can put a release on hold. - Processing window: Payments are typically released on a set schedule (for example, weekly or monthly). A remittance generated near the end of a cycle may not be paid out until the following cycle opens. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account, click your Avatar (top-right), and select Billing. 2. Navigate to the payments or remittances section to view your current payout history and any outstanding remittances. 3. Check the status column next to each remittance — look for labels such as Pending, Processing, or Paid. 4. If a remittance shows as Pending, note the date it was generated and compare it to your account's standard payment cycle window. 5. Confirm that your payment method and billing details are complete and verified. If any information is missing or flagged, update it before the next cycle closes. 6. If your remittance status has not changed after the expected cycle end date, proceed to the confirmation step below before contacting support. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked Once a payment has been successfully released, you should see the remittance status update to Paid in your Billing → Invoices / Activity Log section. The corresponding amount should also appear in your connected payment account (such as your bank or payment provider) within any processing time stated on that record. If the status still shows Pending or Processing beyond your expected cycle end date, or if no status update appears after you have corrected any account details, that is the right moment to reach out to our team with the specific remittance ID and date for fastest resolution. 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.

💳 Resolve Account & Billing Issues Quickly

🔍 Why This Article Exists Some support conversations are closed due to agent unavailability before an issue is fully resolved. This article helps you understand what information to have ready so that when you reconnect with our team, your account or billing issue can be addressed as quickly as possible. 📋 Step 1: Identify Your Issue Type Before reaching out, pinpoint which category your issue falls into. This saves time and helps our team resolve it faster. - Subscription & Plan: You were charged unexpectedly, your plan changed, or you want to upgrade, downgrade, or cancel. - Payment Method: Your card was declined, you need to update payment details, or a charge failed. - Invoice & Receipts: You need a copy of an invoice, a refund, or clarification on a charge amount. - Account Access: You cannot log in, your account is locked, or your subscription appears inactive despite payment. - Team Members & Seats: You cannot add or remove team members, or seat limits are causing access problems. - Credits & Usage: Your credits were deducted incorrectly, or your usage does not match what you expected. ⚠️ Step 2: Prepare These Details Before Contacting Support Because these escalations sometimes close before an agent becomes available, having the right information ready when you reconnect will prevent further delays. Please prepare the following before reaching out: - Your account email address (the one used to log in) - The specific issue type from the list in Step 1 - The date the issue occurred or when you first noticed it - Any error messages you received, copied exactly as they appeared - Any relevant transaction IDs, invoice numbers, or charge amounts from your email receipts or bank statement - A brief description of what you already tried to resolve the issue Having these details ready ensures that once an agent is available, they can act immediately without needing to ask follow-up questions that could cause further delays. 📋 Step 3: Reconnect With Our Team Account and billing issues — including unexpected charges, payment failures, invoice requests, and access problems — require direct review by our support team. There are no self-serve steps that can resolve all scenarios, and our agents are best positioned to look into your specific account. 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.

💱 Search Atlas Currency Display vs Google Ads Billing

💡 Overview Search Atlas displays cost-related data — such as estimated CPC (cost-per-click) values — in US Dollars (USD) by default. This is a platform-wide display setting and is separate from the billing currency configured in your Google Ads account. If your Google Ads account is set to GBP (£), EUR (€), or any other currency, you may notice a difference between the figures shown in Search Atlas and what appears in your Google Ads billing dashboard. This article explains why that happens and what to expect. 🔍 Why Search Atlas Uses USD Search Atlas sources keyword and advertising data from aggregated global datasets. To ensure consistency across all users and regions, the platform standardises cost metrics — such as CPC estimates and keyword competition values — in USD. This approach means: - All users see the same benchmark data regardless of their location or billing currency. - Comparisons between keywords, markets, and competitors remain accurate and consistent. - Data sourced from third-party providers is normalised into a single currency to avoid conversion discrepancies. This is a display convention, not a billing or payment setting. Search Atlas never charges you in a currency different from what you agreed to at subscription. 📊 How This Differs from Google Ads Billing Your Google Ads account has its own billing currency, which is set when the account is first created and cannot be changed after that point. The currency shown in Search Atlas for CPC and traffic value estimates is not pulled directly from your personal Google Ads account — it reflects aggregated market data standardised in USD. Because of this: - A keyword showing $2.50 CPC in Search Atlas does not mean you will be billed $2.50 in Google Ads. - Your actual Google Ads spend will appear in your billing currency (e.g. GBP, EUR, AUD) inside the Google Ads platform. - Exchange rates and regional auction dynamics mean actual costs may vary from the estimates shown. Always refer to your Google Ads billing dashboard for authoritative spend figures in your local currency. 🛠️ Can I Change the Display Currency in Search Atlas? At this time, Search Atlas does not offer a per-user or per-account option to switch the display currency from USD to another currency. The USD display is a platform-wide setting applied to all cost-related metrics. If this is a feature you would like to see, you are welcome to submit a feature request through the chat widget. ✅ What You Should Do 1. Use Search Atlas USD figures as directional estimates — they are useful for comparing relative keyword value and competitiveness, not for calculating exact spend. 2. Apply a conversion rate manually if you need a rough local-currency equivalent. For example, multiply the USD CPC estimate by the current USD-to-GBP exchange rate to get an approximate GBP figure. 3. Validate actual costs in Google Ads — use your Google Ads account's reporting tools for precise billing figures in your local currency. 4. Do not adjust your Google Ads budget based solely on Search Atlas CPC estimates without accounting for currency differences and regional auction variations. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Will Search Atlas ever bill me in USD if my account is in GBP? No. Your Search Atlas subscription is billed in the currency agreed to at sign-up. The USD display applies only to data metrics within the platform. - Are the CPC values in Search Atlas accurate? They are estimates based on aggregated data and are best used for comparative analysis rather than exact budget planning. - Can I request a currency toggle feature? Yes — share your feedback via the chat widget and our team will log it as a feature request. 💬 Need More Help? 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.

🧮 Calculate OTTO Site Billing and Compare Plan Costs

📋 Overview When you need more OTTO sites than your current plan includes, you have two options: purchase OTTO site add-ons or upgrade to a higher-tier plan. This article explains how to approach that comparison so you can choose the option that costs less for your situation. 💡 Understanding OTTO Site Allocation Every Search Atlas plan includes a set number of OTTO sites. If you need more, you can either: - Add OTTO site packs on top of your current plan, or - Upgrade your base plan, which includes a higher OTTO site allowance at a fixed monthly price. The cheapest choice depends on how many total OTTO sites you need. Use the steps below to work out your personal comparison. 🔢 How to Compare Your Options To figure out whether adding OTTO site packs or upgrading your plan is cheaper, follow these steps: 1. Check your current plan's base price and included OTTO site count. You can find both in the Billing section of your Search Atlas account. 2. Check the price of the next plan tier and how many OTTO sites it includes. This is available on the pricing page inside your account or on the Search Atlas website. 3. Calculate how many additional sites you would need on your current plan. Subtract your included sites from your total required sites to get the extra sites needed. 4. Look up the add-on price per OTTO site for your account. Add-on pricing may vary by plan tier and pack size — the exact current rate is shown at checkout when you select additional sites in your billing settings. 5. Compare the two totals. Add the add-on cost to your current base price, then compare that figure against the price of the upgraded plan. Example formula: New Monthly Total (add-on route) = Current Plan Price + (Extra Sites Needed × Add-On Price Per Site) If the upgraded plan's price is lower than or close to that total, upgrading is likely the better value. If the add-on cost is small, staying on your current plan may be more economical. 📍 Where to Find Your Exact Pricing Because plan prices, included OTTO site counts, and add-on rates can change and may differ by account type or promotional pricing, always verify the current figures directly in your account: - Go to Billing in your Search Atlas dashboard to see your active plan details and the add-on pricing available to you. - Visit the Plans or Upgrade page to compare all available plan tiers and their included OTTO site allocations side by side. - When you select additional OTTO sites at checkout, the per-site cost and total are shown before you confirm any purchase. If the pricing shown in your account does not match what you expected, or if you have received a custom quote, please verify those figures with our team. 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.

💳 Resolve Payment Failures and Dashboard Sync Issues

🔍 Why You See Early Failure Emails Our billing system attempts to charge your card several days before the actual due date (July 11 in your example). If that first attempt fails, you immediately receive a payment‑failure email and a warning about possible service interruption. This is expected behavior — it gives you time to update payment details before the real due date. 🔁 Automatic Retry Schedule After a failed charge, the system automatically retries at set intervals (typically 24 hours, 72 hours, and 5 days later). You will receive an email for each retry attempt. If all retries fail, the subscription moves to a cancelled state and service stops on the due date. This retry logic applies to both subscription plans and monthly top‑ups (Linear QP-700). 📊 Dashboard Shows Conflicting Status The dashboard may still display "Active" or "Payment Pending" while retries are in progress. This temporary mismatch happens because the dashboard syncs with the billing engine once per hour. Wait for the next sync cycle or refresh the page after a successful retry to see the correct status. A known desync between the billing engine and the dashboard — caused by invalid primary keys and duplicate entries — has been resolved (Linear QPB-119), and a separate issue where the payment screen incorrectly showed "Payment Failed" after a successful checkout has also been fixed (Linear QPB-566). ✅ Steps to Resolve the Issue 1. Open the billing page from the Top-right corner (avatar) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab. 2. Verify the card on file: check expiry date, CVV, and available balance. 3. If the card is expired or declined, click Add Payment Method and enter a valid card. 4. After updating, use the Retry Payment button to trigger an immediate charge instead of waiting for the next automatic attempt. This manual retry capability was added as part of the Retry Payment API implementation (Linear QP-1679). 5. Confirm the payment succeeds — you will see a green "Paid" badge and the warning emails will stop. 🛡️ Prevent Future Failures - Keep a backup payment method on file. - Set a calendar reminder a week before your renewal date to verify card details. - Enable email notifications for billing events in Settings → Notifications. 💬 Need More Help? 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.

🛠️ Fix OTTO Site Count and Billing Discrepancy

🔍 Overview Some customers have noticed a mismatch between the number of OTTO sites they are being billed for and the number of sites that actually appear in their account. For example, you may be billed for 12 sites but only see 11 in the platform, or find that adding a previously removed site prompts an unexpected charge. This is a known backend issue that requires our team to correct manually. ⚙️ What Causes This? This discrepancy is caused by a backend quota or billing sync issue. Known related problems include: - OTTO site quotas showing a higher or lower number than what was originally purchased. - Re-adding a site triggering a new charge even when a billing slot already exists for it. These issues cannot be self-resolved from within the platform because they require a backend correction by a specialized team. 📊 How to Check Your OTTO Site Count Before reaching out, confirm the discrepancy on your end: 1. Navigate to OTTO SEO → All Sites (OTTO SEO Projects) to view all sites currently connected to OTTO. 2. Count the number of active sites listed there. 3. Compare that number to the quantity of OTTO sites shown on your billing dashboard. 4. If the billed quantity is higher than your active site count, or if adding a site you previously had prompts an unexpected charge, you have a discrepancy that needs to be corrected. 🚀 How to Get This Fixed Because this issue requires a backend correction, our specialized team can resolve it once they are made aware of it. Follow these steps to get your discrepancy corrected as fast as possible: 1. Gather the following details before reaching out — having these ready will allow the team to escalate your case immediately: - The number of OTTO sites you are currently being billed for. - The number of active OTTO sites you can see in your account. - The domain(s) that are missing or causing an unexpected charge. - A brief description of what action triggered the discrepancy (for example, re-adding a removed site). 2. Open the chat widget inside the Search Atlas platform and send a message to our support team. Include all the details listed above in your first message so no back-and-forth is needed. 3. If you prefer, you can also email us at support@searchatlas.com with the same details. 4. Our support team will confirm receipt and escalate your case to the specialized internal team who performs the backend correction. You do not need to take any further action after submitting your report. 5. You will be notified once the correction has been applied and your site count and billing are back in alignment — no additional charge is applied for the correction. 💡 What to Expect Once our team receives your report, the discrepancy is escalated to a specialized internal team who performs a backend correction. The fix brings your site count and billing back into alignment. To help our team resolve this as quickly as possible, make sure to include all the details listed above — specifically the billed site count, the active site count you see in the platform, and the affected domain(s) — when you first reach out. If you are unsure whether you have a discrepancy, follow the steps in the How to Check Your OTTO Site Count section above before contacting support. If you need further assistance, our team is happy to help — reach out via the in-platform chat at any time.

🔍 Understanding OTTO Site Billing and Account Adjustments

🧾 Overview of OTTO Site Billing Your plan includes a set number of active OTTO sites. Each active site counts toward your billing quota. If the number of sites on your bill does not match the sites you are actively using, a billing discrepancy may have occurred — and it can be corrected. Common reasons for a mismatch between billed sites and active sites include: - Sites that were previously active but not fully deactivated or frozen - Billing records that were not migrated accurately to the current billing system - Discrepancies introduced during plan changes or renewals 📊 How to Check Your Active OTTO Site Count Before contacting support, review your current active site count in the platform and compare it to the quantity shown on your invoice or billing dashboard. Note how many sites are in an active state versus a frozen or inactive state. If the active count in your account is lower than the quantity you are being charged for, you likely have a billing discrepancy that qualifies for an audit and adjustment. ❄️ Freezing Unused Sites to Reduce Your Billed Count Sites must be set to a frozen or inactive status to be excluded from your active billing quota. Simply not using a site does not automatically remove it from your count. To freeze a site, locate the site or sites you no longer need in your account and change their status to frozen or inactive. Once a site is frozen or inactive, it will no longer count toward your active quota on future billing cycles. Freezing a site does not automatically trigger a refund for past charges — a manual audit is required for retroactive adjustments. 🛠️ Known Billing Issues Some accounts have experienced discrepancies related to OTTO site billing, including mismatches between the number of sites billed and the number of sites actively in use. These discrepancies can stem from plan changes, renewals, or billing migration issues. If you believe your account has been affected, a billing audit and manual correction can be performed by the support team. 📋 What to Have Ready When Escalating Because billing corrections require a manual backend audit, please gather the following before contacting support: - Your account or project name - The number of active sites shown in your account - The number of sites you are currently being billed for (from your invoice or billing dashboard) - Any relevant invoice dates or billing cycle information - A description of when you first noticed the discrepancy 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.

💳 Understanding Unexpected Billing Increases on Your Plan

🔍 Overview If your monthly invoice is higher than expected, this article explains the most common reasons for a billing increase and walks you through how to review your charges, verify your plan limits, and take action before your next payment date. 📋 Common Reasons Your Bill May Have Increased Billing increases typically fall into one of the following categories: - Quota overage charges: Your account exceeded the number of OTTO sites, user seats, or other resources included in your current plan, and additional usage was charged automatically. - Plan change or renewal adjustment: A plan upgrade, renewal at a new rate, or removal of a promotional discount may have changed your base price. - Recurring top-ups: If you previously purchased top-ups (additional credits or resources), these may be bundled into your next billing cycle as a recurring charge. - Promo code or trial expiry: A discount or free-trial period ended, reverting your account to the standard plan price. 🗂️ How to Review Your Current Plan and Usage 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Billing from the dropdown menu. 3. Open the Plans & Top-ups tab to view your active plan, included quotas, and any overage details. 4. Click Manage Subscription to see a full breakdown of what is included in your current plan and what is being billed as an add-on. 🧾 How to Review Your Invoice History 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Billing, then open the Invoices tab. 3. Compare your most recent invoice against previous months to identify new line items or charge increases. 4. Open the Activity Log tab to see a timestamped record of all billing events on your account, including top-up purchases and subscription changes. ⚠️ Will a Payment Process While This Is Under Review? Search Atlas processes payments automatically on your scheduled billing date. Disputing or questioning a charge does not automatically pause a pending payment. If you believe a charge is incorrect and want to ensure no payment processes until it is reviewed, you must contact our support team immediately so we can investigate and, if appropriate, place a hold on the upcoming charge before it is processed. To get help right away, 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. ✅ Steps to Take If Your Bill Looks Incorrect 1. Check your plan quotas under Billing → Plans & Top-ups to confirm how many OTTO sites, user seats, and other resources your plan includes. 2. Check your usage to see if any resources exceeded your plan limits during the billing period. 3. Review your invoices and activity log for any top-up purchases or subscription changes you may not recognise. 4. Contact support immediately if the charge still appears incorrect, especially if your billing date is approaching and you want the payment reviewed before it processes. 💡 Tips to Avoid Unexpected Charges - Regularly review your usage against your plan quotas in the Plans & Top-ups tab. - Remove OTTO sites or deactivate user seats you no longer need to stay within your plan limits. - If you purchased a one-time top-up, confirm whether it was set as a recurring charge in your subscription settings. - Check the Activity Log monthly to stay informed of all billing activity on your account. 🆘 Still Need Help? 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.

💳 Fix a Persistent Payment Failure Banner

🔍 Why This Banner Appears A Your payment has failed banner may appear on your dashboard even if you believe your account and payment method are in good standing. This banner typically indicates that the platform has detected an issue with your subscription's billing status. ✅ What to Do Next Because resolving a persistent payment failure banner requires backend verification of your billing and subscription status, this issue needs to be handled directly by our support team. When you reach out, please have the following information ready to help us resolve it as quickly as possible: - The exact wording of the banner or error message you are seeing on your dashboard - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account - The date and time you first noticed the banner - Whether you have recently updated your payment method or completed a checkout flow 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.

🔧 Reduce OTTO Sites and Adjust Your Billing

🧾 Understanding OTTO Sites and Top-Ups Your base Search Atlas plan includes a set number of OTTO sites. If you need more sites than your plan allows, you can purchase top-ups — each top-up adds one additional active OTTO site to your account. For example, if your base plan includes 5 OTTO sites and you purchased 2 top-ups, your total is 7 active sites. If you are only using 6, you are paying for one top-up you do not need. Removing that top-up will reduce your billing accordingly. ✅ Before You Start: Check Your Active Sites Before requesting a top-up removal, confirm how many OTTO sites are currently active on your account so you do not accidentally reduce below your actual usage. 1. Navigate to the OTTO or OTTO SEO section of the platform. 2. Review the list of sites that have OTTO activated. Count only the sites with an active OTTO status. 3. Make a note of this number — this is the minimum number of sites your plan must support after the adjustment. 🛠️ How to Remove an OTTO Site Top-Up Reducing your OTTO site top-ups and adjusting your billing plan requires assistance from our support team. This is not currently available as a fully self-service action. To get this resolved, have the following information ready before reaching out: - The name of your project or account as it appears in Search Atlas. - The number of OTTO sites currently active (from your count above). - The number of top-ups you want to remove and the resulting total you want to keep. Once you contact support with these details, our team can reduce your OTTO site count and adjust your billing plan accordingly. 📊 How Top-Ups Map to Extra Sites The table below explains how top-ups translate to additional OTTO sites above your base plan allowance: - 0 top-ups: You use only the sites included in your base plan. - 1 top-up: 1 extra site beyond your base plan allowance. - 2 top-ups: 2 extra sites beyond your base plan allowance. Each top-up is billed individually, so removing one top-up reduces your bill by the per-top-up rate. Always ensure the number of active top-ups is equal to or greater than the number of sites that exceed your base plan limit — otherwise, OTTO may be deactivated on one or more sites. 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.

🧾 Fix OTTO Billing Error Despite Active Payment

🔍 What This Error Means If OTTO displays a billing error when you try to access your Tasks or use the AI Generate feature — yet your payment is up to date and your card has been charged — the issue is almost never with your subscription itself. In most cases, your browser is holding on to outdated cached data that conflicts with your current account status, causing OTTO to incorrectly flag a billing problem. This guide walks you through the steps to resolve the error quickly without contacting support in most cases. ⚡ Step 1: Hard-Refresh Your Browser A hard refresh forces your browser to reload the page and discard any temporarily stored data. Try this first — it takes only a few seconds. - Windows / Linux: Press Ctrl + Shift + R - Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + R After the page reloads, navigate back to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar and open SEO Automation inside it, then check whether the error has cleared. 🧹 Step 2: Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies If a hard refresh does not resolve the error, clear your browser's full cache and cookies for the Search Atlas platform. Follow the steps for your browser below. Google Chrome 1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select Settings. 2. Go to Privacy and security → Delete browsing data. 3. Set the time range to All time. 4. Check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data. 5. Click Delete data. Mozilla Firefox 1. Click the three-line menu and select Settings. 2. Go to Privacy & Security → scroll to Cookies and Site Data. 3. Click Clear Data, check both options, then click Clear. Microsoft Edge 1. Click the three-dot menu and select Settings. 2. Go to Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data. 3. Set the time range to All time, check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data, then click Clear now. Safari (Mac) 1. In the menu bar, click Safari → Settings → Privacy. 2. Click Manage Website Data → Remove All. 3. Then go to Safari → Develop → Empty Caches. (If the Develop menu is not visible, enable it under Safari → Settings → Advanced.) 🪟 Step 3: Try a Private or Incognito Window Open a private or incognito browser window — this loads the platform without any cached data or stored cookies. Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, then open SEO Automation inside it (URL: /seo-automation-v3). If OTTO works correctly in private mode, the issue is confirmed to be cache-related and clearing your cache as described in Step 2 will permanently resolve it. 🌐 Step 4: Try a Different Browser If the error persists after clearing your cache, open Search Atlas in a different browser entirely. This rules out any browser-specific extension or configuration that may be interfering with your session data. 🔄 Step 5: Log Out and Log Back In Refreshing your session can resynchronise your account status with OTTO's billing check. Log out of Search Atlas completely, close the browser tab, reopen the platform, and log back in. Then navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar and open SEO Automation inside it, then attempt to access your Tasks or AI Generate again. ✅ Confirming the Issue Is Resolved After completing the steps above, confirm the following work without errors: - Accessing your OTTO Tasks from the SEO Automation page under OTTO SEO in the left sidebar - Running AI Generate on any task - No billing error banner or modal appearing If all three work as expected, no further action is needed. Your subscription was active throughout — the error was caused solely by stale cached data in your browser. 🚨 If the Error Persists After All Steps In rare cases, the issue may involve an account-level sync problem between your payment processor and your OTTO subscription status. If you have completed all steps above and the billing error is still appearing, our team can manually verify and correct the sync on your account. 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.

💡 OTTO Plan Pricing, Comparison & Billing Guide

🔍 Overview of OTTO Site Pricing OTTO SEO allows you to activate automation on individual websites. You can scale your OTTO usage in two ways: by adding individual site activations or by upgrading to a higher-tier plan that includes multiple sites at a bundled rate. Understanding the difference helps you choose the most cost-effective option for your needs. Because specific pricing figures and plan tiers are updated periodically, the most accurate and current numbers are always displayed inside your Search Atlas account. To view live pricing, log in and navigate to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups, where the full plan comparison table — including per-site costs for individual activations and each bundled tier — is shown in real time. 📊 Individual Site Activations vs. Bundled Plans Individual OTTO site activations are available for accounts that manage a small number of websites. However, once you need to activate OTTO on multiple sites, a bundled plan can quickly become more economical. Search Atlas offers higher-tier plans that include activations for multiple sites at a reduced per-site rate compared to purchasing activations individually. To compare your options and find the plan that best fits your needs, follow these steps: 1. Log in to Search Atlas. 2. Go to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups. 3. Review the available plan tiers listed on that page, which show the number of OTTO site activations included and the monthly cost for each option, so you can directly compare the per-site rate of individual activations against each bundled plan. 4. Select the plan that covers the number of sites you need and proceed through the on-screen upgrade flow. 🛠️ How to Access OTTO and View Your Active Sites 1. Log in to Search Atlas. 2. Navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, then open SEO Automation inside it. 3. Your dashboard shows all sites where OTTO is currently activated, along with their statuses. 4. To add a new site activation or review plan options, navigate to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups and follow the on-screen prompts. 💳 How Billing Works When You Upgrade Search Atlas applies billing adjustments when you upgrade mid-cycle. The exact mechanics — including how any remaining time on your current plan is handled and when your new plan takes effect — are displayed during the upgrade flow inside Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups. Review the on-screen summary before confirming your upgrade so you know precisely what you will be charged. If the charge you see at the time of upgrade looks different from the standard plan price, this is typically expected due to mid-cycle adjustments. The upgrade flow will show a breakdown of any credits or adjustments applied before you confirm. 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.

💳 Fix Recurring Subscription Payment Issues

🔍 Why your payment may not be charged An active, funded card does not always mean the recurring subscription payment will process. The subscription may be linked to a different payment method, have a past-due or paused status, use a different billing date, or require a payment retry. For migrated accounts, the subscription may also still be associated with an older card even after a new default payment method was added. A discount, promotional price, or billing configuration change can also affect the amount shown or charged. 🧾 Check your subscription and payment method 1. Open the account menu from your avatar in the top-right corner. 2. Select Billing, then open the Plans & Top-ups tab. 3. Review the subscription status, recurring amount, next billing date, and payment method. 4. Select Manage Subscription to review the subscription details. 5. If needed, select Add Payment Method and confirm that the intended card is available and current. 🔄 What to do when the card is correct 1. Confirm the card has not expired and can accept recurring online payments. 2. Check with your card provider for declined recurring, international, or online transactions. 3. Review the Billing area for an unpaid invoice or payment failure notice. 4. Do not remove the current payment method until you confirm another valid method is available. 5. After updating payment details, allow time for the billing system to retry the payment. Avoid repeatedly adding and removing cards, as this can make it harder to identify the payment method connected to the subscription. 📅 If the same issue happened last month Recurring billing problems that repeat each month usually indicate a subscription-level issue rather than a lack of funds. The subscription may be using an old payment method, have a failed retry state, or show a billing amount that does not match the current plan configuration. Take a screenshot of the subscription status, recurring amount, next billing date, and any invoice or payment error shown in Billing. This information helps the team identify whether the payment needs to be retried or the subscription needs to be corrected. ✅ Confirm the charge was successful Open the account menu, select Billing, and review the Invoices tab for the affected billing period. You can also check the Activity Log for payment attempts, failures, or subscription updates. A successful card authorization may take some time to appear as a completed invoice. If no payment attempt or invoice appears by the expected billing date, the subscription may not be synchronized correctly. Do not assume that manually paying another invoice will resolve the recurring subscription; the underlying subscription status should be reviewed. 💬 Get help with an unresolved charge Include your account or workspace name, the expected monthly amount, the affected billing dates, the last four digits of the intended card, and screenshots of the Billing status and invoice details. Never share your full card number or security code. 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.

💳 Fix OTTO SEO Billing Errors Fast

🔍 Overview Billing errors related to OTTO SEO V3 and OTTO SEO can occur for a variety of reasons, including payment processing issues, plan mismatches, or usage overages. This article walks you through the most common billing errors, how to resolve them yourself, and when to escalate to our support team. ⚠️ Common OTTO SEO Billing Errors Before reaching out for help, check whether your issue matches one of these common scenarios: - Duplicate charges: Your payment method was charged more than once for the same billing period. - Incorrect plan amount: The amount charged does not match your selected OTTO SEO V3 or OTTO SEO plan. - Failed payment not reflected: A payment failed but your account still shows a balance due or was unexpectedly downgraded. - Missing credits or usage limits: OTTO SEO credits were deducted incorrectly or your usage limit appears lower than your plan allows. - Upgrade or downgrade not applied: A recent plan change was not reflected in your invoice or available features. 🛠️ Step-by-Step Troubleshooting 1. Check your billing history. Navigate to the top-right avatar → Billing inside the Search Atlas platform. Review your invoices to confirm the charge amounts and dates. 2. Verify your current plan. Go to top-right avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Billing) and confirm that the plan listed matches what you signed up for. If you recently upgraded or downgraded, allow up to 24 hours for changes to fully process. 3. Review your OTTO SEO credit usage. Open the top-right avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups and check your credit balance and usage log. Confirm whether credits were consumed by scheduled tasks, automations, or manual actions. 4. Check your payment method. Under the top-right avatar → Billing (Plans & Top-ups tab), use the Add Payment Method button to make sure your card or payment details are current and valid. An expired card can trigger failed payments that result in account restrictions. 5. Clear your browser cache and reload. Sometimes display errors cause billing figures to appear incorrectly. A hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) can resolve visual discrepancies. 📋 Information to Have Ready Before Contacting Support If you cannot resolve the billing error on your own, gathering the following details in advance will help our team resolve your issue faster: - The invoice number or transaction ID from your billing history - The date and amount of the incorrect charge - A brief description of what you expected to be charged versus what was actually charged - Your current plan name (e.g., Starter, Pro, Agency) and any recent plan changes - Screenshots of the billing error or incorrect charge, if available 🔄 How Billing Disputes Are Handled Once our support team receives your billing dispute, here is what to expect: - Acknowledgement: A team member will review your account and billing records, typically within one business day. - Investigation: Our billing team will cross-reference your plan, usage data, and payment processor records to identify the root cause. - Resolution: Depending on the error type, we may issue a credit to your account, process a refund, or correct your subscription details. You will be informed of the outcome directly through the chat. Please note that refund eligibility is subject to our billing policy. Our team will advise you on the available options based on your specific situation. 💡 Tips to Prevent Future Billing Errors - Keep your payment method up to date, especially before your renewal date. - Review your OTTO SEO credit usage regularly to avoid unexpected overages. - When changing plans, confirm the change is reflected under top-right avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Billing) before assuming it has taken effect. - Enable billing notifications in your account settings so you receive alerts for upcoming renewals and payment failures. 🙋 Still Need Help? 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.

💡 OTTO Site Downgrade and Plan Billing Trade-offs

🔍 Overview If you want to reduce the number of OTTO website seats on your account back down to your plan's default allocation — this article explains how seat reductions work, what happens to your billing, and what to consider before making changes. ⚙️ Understanding OTTO Website Seats OTTO seats determine how many websites you can actively manage with OTTO SEO automation. When you add extra OTTO sites beyond your plan's default allocation, those additional seats are billed as add-ons on top of your base plan cost. - Default seats: Each plan includes a set number of OTTO sites, and this varies by tier. The Growth Plan, for example, includes two OTTO sites (projects) by default. - Add-on seats: Any sites added beyond your plan's default are charged as separate line items on your subscription. - Removing seats: Deactivating or deleting an OTTO site releases its slot, but it does not automatically cancel the recurring add-on (top-up) charge. The top-up must be cancelled separately from your billing settings. 💡 Can I Stay on the Growth Plan With Only Two OTTO Sites? Yes. Downgrading your OTTO site seats does not require you to downgrade your overall plan. You can remain on the Growth Plan and simply remove the extra OTTO site seats you no longer need. Your plan features, limits, and pricing will stay the same — only the add-on seat charges will be removed. This is the recommended approach if your goal is purely to reduce costs related to extra OTTO sites, without losing access to any Growth Plan features. 📊 Billing Impact of Removing OTTO Seats Before removing seats, it is important to understand how the billing change takes effect: - Prorated credits: Depending on where you are in your billing cycle, you may receive a prorated credit toward your next invoice when seats are removed. - Immediate vs. end-of-cycle changes: Seat reductions typically take effect at the end of your current billing period. The extra sites will remain active until that date. - No refunds for mid-cycle removal: Seat charges already billed for the current cycle are generally not refunded. The reduction applies from the next renewal date. 🛠️ How to Reduce Your OTTO Website Seats 1. Navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, then open SEO Automation (or go to /seo-automation-v3). 2. Review the OTTO sites currently active on your account and identify which ones you want to remove. 3. Deactivate OTTO on the sites you no longer wish to manage. This disconnects OTTO automation from those sites. 4. To stop the recurring add-on charge, click your Profile avatar → Billing → Services, find the OTTO top-up, open the ⋮ menu, and choose Cancel. Note that top-ups are also cancelled automatically when your main plan's cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period. Deep Freeze does not cancel the top-up. 5. If the seat count or billing amount does not reflect your changes, use the chat widget to confirm the update has been applied correctly. ⚠️ Important Considerations Before Downgrading Seats - Active OTTO deployments: Deleting a site will stop OTTO automation for that site and release the slot, but the recurring top-up charge will continue until cancelled separately. Any changes OTTO has already deployed will remain on the site, but no new automated actions will occur. - Reconnecting later: If you remove a site seat and later want to re-add it, you will need to purchase the seat again at the current add-on price, which may differ from what you originally paid. - Multiple sites on one domain: Make sure you are deactivating OTTO on the correct property. Check the site list in OTTO SEO V3 carefully before making changes. - Plan seat limit: Once you return to your plan's default seat allocation, adding any new OTTO sites will again be treated as add-ons and billed accordingly. 💬 Need Help With Your Specific Account? Seat and billing changes can vary depending on your subscription start date, billing cycle, and any custom plan terms. 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.

🎉 What Happens After Your Final Lifetime Subscription Payment

Congratulations on completing your Lifetime subscription payments! Once your final payment has been processed, your access to Search Atlas continues indefinitely — no further payments are required to keep using the platform. Here is what you can expect after your final payment: - Uninterrupted access: Your Search Atlas account remains fully active and you can continue using all included features without any additional charges. - No recurring billing: You will not be billed again as part of your Lifetime subscription. Your account is paid in full. - Additional credits: If you find that you need more credits beyond what is included with your plan, you can purchase additional credits directly from the Credits section within your account. If you have any questions about your account status, your included credits, or anything else related to your Lifetime subscription, feel free to chat with a human teammate using the live chat widget in the app.

🔒 Login Blocked by Payment Processing Screen

🔍 What Is This Issue? Some customers find themselves unable to log in after a payment attempt. Instead of reaching the dashboard, they are stuck on a screen showing a message similar to "We're still processing your payment" or "Please wait". The page does not load further, and the account remains inaccessible. This happens when a payment session does not complete correctly — for example, if the connection between our platform and the payment processor is interrupted mid-checkout. Your account can end up in a suspended state even if you attempted to pay. ⚠️ Why This Happens This issue is caused by a payment processing loop where: - A payment was initiated but did not successfully complete or was not confirmed by our system. - The platform continued waiting for payment confirmation that never arrived. - As a result, the account was placed in a locked or past-due state, blocking dashboard access entirely. Our engineering team has addressed several related causes of this bug, but if your account is currently stuck, you will need our billing team to manually clear the session and reactivate your account. 🛠️ How to Resolve This Because this issue involves a payment session that failed at the system level, it cannot be resolved by refreshing the page, clearing your browser cache, or logging out and back in. Before reaching out to our team, please try the following self-service steps — they may resolve the issue without any manual intervention: 1. Wait 15–30 minutes and try logging in again — in some cases, the payment processor confirmation is delayed. If the payment did go through, your account may automatically unlock once our system receives the confirmation. 2. Check your email inbox for a payment receipt or failure notice — if you received a payment receipt from our billing system, your payment was processed. If you received a failure notice, your card was not charged and you can safely attempt payment again once your account is accessible. If you received neither, proceed to the next step. 3. Do not attempt multiple new payments — making additional payment attempts while your account is stuck may create further complications. Wait until the existing session is cleared before trying again. 4. Check your card or bank statement — confirm whether a charge actually went through. If no charge appears and your account remains locked after 30 minutes, the session needs to be manually cleared by our billing team. 5. Contact our support team — if the steps above have not resolved the issue, this requires manual intervention from our billing team. Reach out via the support contact options available on our website or login page. 6. Share your account email address — our team will use this to locate your account, verify your payment history, and confirm which session is causing the block. 7. Our billing team will manually process or clear the payment — once our team has reviewed your account, they will either manually process the outstanding payment or clear the stuck session, whichever is appropriate. No action is required from you during this step. 8. Log in once you receive confirmation — after the billing team completes the manual resolution, you will be able to log in and access your dashboard normally. ✅ After Your Account Is Reactivated Once you have regained access, it is a good idea to verify your billing details are up to date to prevent this from happening again. You can review your payment method and subscription status inside your account's billing settings. If you are unsure where to find these, ask our support team to point you in the right direction.

💳 Why Your Account Shows a Creation Date After Your Payment Date

If your enterprise account shows a creation date that is later than your payment date, this is a known display issue — not a billing error. Your payment history and charges are accurate; only the account creation timestamp was affected by a recent migration. Status note: Our team is actively investigating additional billing anomalies related to this migration. This article will be updated as more information becomes available. Last updated: 2026-05-26. 🔎 Am I Affected? This display issue applies to a specific group of accounts. You are likely affected if all of the following apply: - You have an enterprise account. - Your account was part of the recent enterprise migration (approximately 60 enterprise accounts were migrated). - Your Activated at date falls within the migration window rather than your original sign-up date. If you are not an enterprise account or were not part of the migration but are seeing unexpected charges, this may be a separate issue — please contact support with your account ID for individual review. ⚠️ What Caused the Timestamp Mismatch During a recent migration of enterprise accounts, the system recorded the migration date as each account's Activated at date instead of the original account activation date. The Paid date — when your first payment was processed — was not changed and remains correct. This leaves affected accounts displaying: - Activated at: the date the account was migrated (which may be weeks or months after your original activation) - Paid: the date your original payment was processed (which correctly pre-dates the migration) The result is a date order that appears as though you were charged before your account existed. You were not — your subscription was active on the date shown as Paid. 💳 Your Billing May Need a Review For most affected accounts, only the creation date display was altered. However, a subset of migrated accounts also experienced billing discrepancies including incorrect add-ons or invoice amounts. If your current invoice total does not match your expected subscription cost, please contact support immediately so we can audit your account against your original plan. A correct Paid date confirms when your subscription was activated. To verify charge amounts, review your invoice history in Billing → Invoices and compare totals to your contracted plan. 📋 How to Review Your Account Dates To confirm which dates your account is displaying: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Navigate to Top-right corner (avatar) → Billing → Invoices tab. 3. Locate the Activated at and Paid date fields in your account details. If your Paid date is earlier than your Activated at date, and your Activated at date falls within the migration window rather than your original sign-up date, your account is showing the migration timestamp issue described in this article. ❓ Related Migration Issues Some customers have reported additional issues that stem from the same migration event. If any of the following apply to you, please contact support: - My subscription shows as cancelled but I was billed: Some migrated subscriptions were incorrectly marked as cancelled while billing continued. Contact support and reference "migrated subscription showing as cancelled" for an expedited escalation path. - I see duplicate subscription charges: A subset of migrated accounts had duplicate subscription records created, resulting in overcharges. Check your Billing → Invoices page for multiple active subscriptions on the same account and contact support with both subscription IDs for review. 🛠️ How to Request a Corrected Creation Date If you need your account's creation date updated to reflect your original activation date, contact the Search Atlas support team: 1. Open a support chat from within your account dashboard. 2. Provide your account email address. 3. Specify that you are requesting an Activated at date correction for a migrated enterprise account. The support team will verify your original activation date and update the displayed Activated at date on your account. 🌀 You now know that an Activated at date appearing after your payment date on an enterprise account is a display issue caused by a recent migration. While charges are accurate for most affected accounts, a subset experienced billing discrepancies — if your invoice total does not match your expected plan, contact the Search Atlas support team directly from your account dashboard.

⚠️ Custom OTTO Advanced Pricing Display Issue on Billing Dashboard

If your billing dashboard shows a price higher than your contracted OTTO Advanced rate, this is most likely a display bug — not an overcharge. Contact billing support immediately if you believe an incorrect charge has been applied; our team will verify your account and process a refund if needed. This article applies to customers with a written or contracted custom OTTO Advanced rate. If you are on a standard plan and believe your price changed, contact support to determine whether a product pricing update applies to your account. 🔍 What's Happening Customers with custom or negotiated OTTO Advanced pricing may see the standard catalog price on their billing dashboard instead of their contracted rate. - Who is affected: Accounts with a custom or negotiated OTTO Advanced pricing arrangement. - What you see on the dashboard: The standard catalog price (the publicly listed price at searchatlas.com/pricing), which is higher than your contracted rate. - What is actually happening: In most cases this is a display-only discrepancy. If you believe you have been incorrectly charged, contact billing support immediately so we can verify your account and issue a refund if needed. Our billing team will verify the charge in your payment records to confirm no overcharge occurred. 🛠️ Workaround Steps No self-service workaround is available — your account and billing settings require no changes on your end. Our billing support team will contact you directly via the email on your account within 2–3 business days to: 1. Confirm your correct contracted rate. 2. Verify the charge in your payment records and confirm whether any incorrect charges have been applied. 3. Keep you updated on when the billing dashboard will reflect the accurate amount. If you do not hear from us within that window, open a support ticket referencing this article. 📡 Engineering Status Our engineering team is aware of this issue and is actively working on a fix. Your correct negotiated pricing is already stored in our system — the ongoing work is to ensure the billing dashboard accurately renders that rate, and where applicable, that the charge in your payment processor matches your contracted amount. There is no ETA yet for the fix. This article will be updated as soon as a resolution is in place. 📞 When to Contact Billing Support Contact our billing support team right away if any of the following apply: - You have not been contacted by our team and want to confirm your contracted rate. - You believe an incorrect charge has been processed on your account. - You need written confirmation of your agreed pricing for your records. If you believe you have already been charged an incorrect amount, reply to this article or contact billing support with your invoice number. Our team will audit your Stripe record and process a refund if an overcharge is confirmed. Note: Some enterprise accounts are also seeing unrelated invoice display issues (incorrect line-item names or billing dates). If you notice those problems in addition to pricing, mention them when you contact billing support so they can be resolved in one interaction. Wait for billing support outreach before making any changes to your plan or subscription — contact us directly and a billing support team member will verify your pricing and handle any account review needed. 🌀 We know that seeing an unexpected price is unsettling, and we're committed to making this right. Our team is actively working to fix the billing dashboard display, and a billing support team member will reach out to confirm your correct rate — if you have any questions in the meantime, contact us directly and we'll prioritize your account.