Troubleshooting: Billing & Charges

How to Dispute Incorrect Google Ads Charges

💳 Fix Google Ads Addon Billing Errors on Annual Plans

🔍 Overview Some customers on annual Search Atlas plans have reported unexpected charge attempts for the Google Ads addon — even though it is already included in their subscription. This article explains why this can happen, what steps to take immediately, and how to get the issue resolved quickly. ⚠️ Why This Happens This issue is linked to a known billing migration bug. During the transition to an updated billing system, some accounts were incorrectly flagged as missing the Google Ads addon, triggering automated charge attempts through Stripe. This can result in: - Repeated daily charge attempts of $199 to your saved payment method - Your card being blocked by your bank due to multiple declined attempts - The addon appearing as inactive inside the platform despite being part of your plan Our engineering team has identified this issue and fixes are actively being rolled out. However, if you are currently experiencing charge attempts, follow the steps below right away. 🛠️ Immediate Steps to Take 1. Do not cancel your plan. Cancelling your subscription will not stop the erroneous charge attempts and may disrupt your active campaigns and data. 2. Check your plan details. Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to Avatar (top-right) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups to confirm your current plan and included addons. If the Google Ads addon appears as inactive or missing, this confirms the billing migration issue is affecting your account. 3. Contact support immediately. This issue requires manual correction by our billing team. 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. Provide the following details so we can resolve it faster: - Your account email address - The date you first noticed the charge attempts - The charge amount shown (e.g. $199 or $201) - Whether your Google Ads addon appears active inside the platform 4. Notify your bank if needed. If your card has been blocked due to multiple failed attempts, contact your bank to explain the situation and request that the block be reviewed. Once our team corrects the billing record on our end, no further charge attempts will be made. ✅ What Our Team Will Do When you reach our support team, here is what happens next: - We will verify that the Google Ads addon is correctly included in your annual plan - We will manually correct your subscription record in our billing system to stop further charge attempts - We will confirm the addon is re-applied to your account so your campaigns and quota are fully restored - If any charge was incorrectly processed, our team will initiate a refund 📊 Verifying Your Addon Is Active After the Fix Once our team has corrected your account, you can verify the Google Ads addon is working properly by checking the following: - Your Google Ads campaigns should be accessible without a "Limit of 0 campaigns" error - Your billing summary should reflect the addon as included at no extra charge - No further charge attempts should appear on your bank or card statement If you still see errors after the fix has been applied, please reach out to support again so we can investigate further. 💡 Frequently Asked Questions Will I be charged for the addon twice? No. Our team will ensure the addon is correctly recorded as part of your annual plan with no additional fees. Are my Google Ads campaigns safe? Yes. Campaign data is not deleted during billing corrections. Once the addon is re-applied, you will have full access to your campaigns with the addon's expanded quota of up to 100 campaigns. How long does the fix take? In most cases, our billing team can correct the issue within one business day of you contacting support. What if my bank has already charged a dispute fee? Let our support team know. We will do our best to assist and document the issue for any bank communication you may need. 🆘 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 an Erroneous Google Ads Add-On Charge

🔍 Overview If you are on an annual (prepaid yearly) Search Atlas plan and you notice a separate charge of $199–$201 for the Google Ads add-on, this charge was applied in error. The Google Ads feature is included in qualifying annual plans (with 1 connected Google Ads account and up to 10 campaigns) and should not generate an additional recurring fee for those users. This article explains why this happens, what to expect, and how to request a refund. ⚠️ Why This Charge Happens This erroneous charge typically occurs in one of the following situations: - Billing migration issues: When accounts are moved to a new billing system, add-on subscriptions that were cancelled or already bundled can occasionally be reactivated and billed separately. - Trial flag still active: In some cases, an account is incorrectly flagged as a trial during plan setup, causing the base plan and add-ons to be misconfigured. - Annual plan misconfiguration: If your annual plan was not provisioned correctly at checkout, the system may treat the Google Ads feature as a standalone add-on rather than an included benefit. - Upgrade processing delay: Accounts upgraded from a lower tier to an annual plan may temporarily retain the old add-on billing record until the new plan fully propagates. ✅ What You Should Do First Before contacting support, take a moment to verify the following: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and click the top-right avatar menu, then select Billing. 2. Confirm that your current plan is listed as an annual plan and that the Google Ads feature is shown as included. 3. Check your email receipts to identify the exact charge amount and the date it was processed. 4. Note your account email address and the last four digits of the card that was charged — support will need these details to locate your transaction quickly. 💬 How to Request a Refund Once you have your billing details ready, contact the support team directly through the platform. 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 connect, please share the following information so your refund can be processed as quickly as possible: - Your account email address - The charge amount and the date it appeared - A brief note that the Google Ads add-on charge was applied in error on your annual plan Our billing team will verify your plan configuration, confirm the erroneous charge, correct any misconfiguration on your account, and issue a full refund. Refunds are typically processed within 5–10 business days, depending on your payment provider. 🛡️ How We Prevent This From Happening Again After your case is resolved, our team will audit your account to ensure: - The Google Ads add-on is correctly marked as included in your annual plan - No residual billing records from previous plan tiers remain active - Your account provisioning flags are set correctly so no further erroneous charges can occur If you see another unexpected charge after your account has been corrected, please reach out immediately through the chat widget so we can investigate and resolve it right away. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Will I be charged again before the refund is processed? Once our billing team corrects your account configuration, the erroneous add-on subscription will be fully deactivated. No additional charges will be applied while your refund is pending. Do I need to cancel the add-on myself? No. Do not attempt to cancel the add-on from your billing settings, as this could affect your plan features. Let the support team handle the correction to ensure nothing is disrupted on your account. What if the charge amount is different from $199? Amounts may vary slightly (e.g., $201) due to currency adjustments or billing system differences. Any erroneous Google Ads add-on charge on an annual plan is eligible for a full refund regardless of the exact amount.

💳 OTTO Google Ads Add-On: Unexpected Monthly Charge Explained

The separate recurring charge on your account is the OTTO Google Ads (PPC) add-on — an optional, monthly recurring subscription billed independently from your core annual plan. Both charges appear in the same billing account but are separate line items. What Is the OTTO Google Ads Add-On? OTTO PPC automates Google Ads management. Every self-serve plan (Starter, Growth, and Pro) includes 1 connected Google Ads account and up to 10 campaigns; the add-on raises this to effectively unlimited account connections and up to 100 campaigns. It renews monthly regardless of whether your primary plan is billed annually or monthly. Why Is This Charge Appearing? The add-on was activated when you or a team member: - Enabled OTTO PPC from the Search Atlas dashboard. - Connected a Google Ads account and confirmed the add-on during setup. Review Your Billing History 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner and go to Billing (Billing page). 2. Scroll to Billing History for a full list of charges with dates. 3. Look for line items labeled OTTO Google Ads or OTTO PPC. 4. The earliest occurrence marks when billing started; count the entries to determine total months charged. Cancel the Add-On 1. Go to the avatar in the top-right corner → Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab. 2. Locate the OTTO Google Ads or OTTO PPC quota row and use its Add-on button to manage the subscription. 3. Click Cancel Add-On or Manage next to the line item. 4. Confirm the cancellation when prompted. Access continues until the end of the current billing period, after which no further charges apply. If you cannot find the cancel option, contact Support via the in-app Help Widget with your billing email and the charge amount. Refund Eligibility Refunds for add-on charges are assessed case by case. Contact Support as soon as possible if the add-on was activated without your knowledge — the team can review the activation history and determine eligibility for recent charges.

💳 Fixing Incorrect Google Ads Add-On Charges

🔍 Overview Some customers have reported being charged for the OTTO Google Ads add-on even though their plan included a free promotional period. If this has happened to you, this article explains why it may occur, how to request a refund, and how to cancel the add-on to prevent future charges. ⚠️ Why This Charge May Have Appeared The OTTO Google Ads add-on is included at no cost for customers on certain promotional offers. However, a billing error can sometimes cause the standard charge to be applied before the promotional period has ended. This is a known issue and our team is able to review your account and issue a refund where applicable. ✅ How to Request a Refund If you believe you were charged incorrectly for the OTTO Google Ads add-on, reach out to our support team through the chat widget to get it resolved. To help us process your refund as quickly as possible, please have the following information ready before reaching out: - Your account email address. - The date the charge appeared on your billing statement. - The charge amount as it appears on your statement. - Confirmation that you are within an active promotional period. Our team will verify your promotional offer, confirm the incorrect charge, and process a refund to your original payment method. Refund timelines may vary depending on your payment provider. 🛑 How to Cancel the Google Ads Add-On If you would like to cancel the OTTO Google Ads add-on to prevent any future charges — whether your promotional period is ending soon or you simply no longer need the feature — reach out to our support team through the chat widget to request a cancellation. When you reach out, let us know the date you would like the cancellation to take effect. Important: Cancelling the add-on will remove access to OTTO Google Ads features from your account. Make sure you no longer need these features before confirming the cancellation. 💡 Tips to Avoid Future Billing Surprises - Keep a note of your promotional offer end date so you know when standard billing will resume. - Review your billing statements regularly inside your account settings. - If you receive any unexpected charge, reach out to our support team promptly through the chat widget so it can be reviewed and resolved. 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 OTTO Google Ads Addon Charges

🔍 Overview If you recently signed up for an annual plan — such as the Summit special offer — and noticed an unexpected OTTO Google Ads addon charge of $199/month on your bill, you are not alone. This article explains why this charge can appear and what steps to take to get it resolved quickly. ⚙️ Why This Charge Appears In some cases, a known provisioning issue causes the OTTO Google Ads addon to be created as a separate subscription rather than being included as part of your base annual plan. This can happen when: - You sign up using a special promotional or discounted offer (such as the Summit plan). - Your account is migrated or set up during a billing system transition. - A configuration error causes the addon to be applied independently instead of bundled into your plan. The result is that Stripe (our payment processor) may attempt to bill you for the OTTO Google Ads addon as a standalone monthly charge, even though it should be covered by your annual plan. 🛠️ What You Should Do If you see an unexpected OTTO Google Ads addon charge on your account, follow these steps: 1. Do not cancel your plan. Cancelling may complicate the correction process. 2. Check your billing details by navigating to Avatar (top-right) → Billing and reviewing active subscriptions and addons. 3. Contact our support team immediately using the live chat widget (see below). Our team can identify whether this is a provisioning error and issue a correction or refund as appropriate. ✅ What Our Team Will Do Once you reach out, a member of our team will: - Review your account configuration and billing records. - Confirm whether the OTTO Google Ads addon charge was applied in error. - Remove the duplicate or incorrectly provisioned addon subscription. - Process a refund for any incorrect charges that were collected. - Ensure your annual plan is correctly configured going forward. 💡 Frequently Asked Questions Will I lose access to OTTO Google Ads features while this is being corrected? No. Our team will ensure your access is maintained throughout the correction process. How long does it take to receive a refund? Refunds typically appear within 5–10 business days depending on your bank or card provider, once our team has processed the correction. Could this happen again after it is fixed? Once our team corrects your account configuration, the issue will not recur. The fix involves restructuring the addon as part of your base plan rather than as a separate subscription. 📞 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.

💳 Google Ads Addon Incorrect Charge Refund

🔍 What Happened If you previously cancelled the Google Ads addon — or if your Agency plan already includes it at no extra cost — you may have noticed a $199 charge on a recent invoice. This was caused by a billing system migration that inadvertently reset addon status for a subset of accounts. The charge is not the result of any action you took, and you are eligible for a full refund. 🧾 How to Check Your Invoice Before requesting a refund, confirm the unexpected charge by reviewing your most recent invoice: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner and select Billing. 3. Open your latest invoice and look for a line item labeled Google Ads Addon or OTTO Google Ads. 4. Note the date and amount of the charge — typically $199 per billing cycle. If you see this line item and meet any of the criteria below, you qualify for an automatic refund: - You previously cancelled the Google Ads addon. - You are on an Agency plan that already includes the addon at no additional cost. - You never manually activated or used the Google Ads addon. 💬 Requesting Your Refund Our team is proactively identifying and refunding all affected accounts, but you can speed things up by reaching out directly: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to be connected with a live support agent. 3. Mention Google Ads addon refund and include your account email or workspace name. A teammate will verify your account, confirm the incorrect charge, and process your refund. Most refunds appear on the original payment method within 5–7 business days, depending on your bank or card issuer. 🛡️ Preventing Future Charges We are rolling out a permanent fix that zeroes out the addon cost for all accounts that already include it free. In the meantime, here is what you can do to make sure the addon stays off: 1. In the left sidebar, navigate to Ads → Launchpad. 2. Check whether the Google Ads addon shows as Active or Enabled. 3. If it is active and you did not enable it, use the chat widget to let us know. We will disable it and flag your account so the charge does not recur. For Agency-plan customers, no action is needed on your part — the addon is included in your plan and the backend fix will remove the charge automatically on your next billing cycle. 📌 Frequently Asked Questions Will I be refunded for multiple months of incorrect charges? Yes. If you were charged more than once due to this issue, our team will calculate the total and refund every incorrect charge. I cancelled the addon in 2023. Why did it reappear? The billing migration reset cancellation flags for a small group of accounts. Your cancellation is now being honored again, and you will not be charged going forward. Does this affect my OTTO SEO or other Search Atlas features? No. This issue is limited to the Google Ads addon billing line. All other subscriptions, features, and data in your account are unaffected. How long does the refund take? Once processed, most refunds appear within 5–7 business days. If you do not see the credit after 10 business days, reach out via the chat widget and we will follow up with your payment provider. 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.