Managing Payment Methods

SpotCharge uses Stripe for secure payment processing. You can manage credit cards, view invoices, and update billing information anytime.

Accepted Payment Methods

We accept:

💳 Credit Cards:

Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover

💳 Debit Cards: With Visa/Mastercard/Amex logo

📱 Digital Wallets:

Apple Pay
Google Pay

Powered by Stripe - Bank-level security, PCI-DSS compliant

We do NOT accept:

PayPal
Cryptocurrency
Wire transfers (except enterprise annual plans)
Checks

Adding a Payment Method

During Signup/Upgrade

When upgrading to Premium/Premium Multi:

Select plan and billing cycle
Click "Add Payment Method" button
Enter card information:
- Card number
- Expiration date (MM/YY)
- CVC (3-4 digit code on back)
- Cardholder name
Enter billing address
Click "Save and Subscribe"

Secure processing:

Card details encrypted via Stripe
SpotCharge never stores full card numbers
PCI-compliant checkout

After Signup

To add payment method to Free account:

Dashboard → Subscription
Click "Add Payment Method"
Enter card information
Save (no charge until you upgrade)

Why add payment before upgrading:

Faster checkout when ready to upgrade
Enables 14-day trial auto-conversion
Required for annual billing

Updating Payment Information

Changing Credit Card

To replace existing card:

Dashboard → Subscription
Click "Payment Methods" or "Billing Portal"
Click "Update Payment Method"
Enter new card information
Click "Update"

New card used for:

Next subscription renewal
Any future charges
Pro-rated upgrades

Old card:

Removed from your account
No longer charged

Updating Billing Address

To change billing address:

Dashboard → Subscription → Billing Portal
Click "Update Billing Information"
Enter new address:
- Street address
- City, state, ZIP
- Country
Click "Save"

Why it matters:

Required for tax calculations
Appears on invoices
Fraud prevention

Viewing Invoices

Accessing Invoices

Method 1: Email

Invoice emailed after each payment
Check spam folder if not received
Email subject: "Your SpotCharge invoice for [Month]"

Method 2: Billing Portal

Dashboard → Subscription
Click "View Invoices" or "Billing Portal"
See list of all past invoices
Click to download PDF

Invoice Details

Each invoice includes:

Invoice number (for reference)
Billing date
Amount charged
Payment method (last 4 digits of card)
Billing address
Tax information (if applicable)
Description (e.g., "Premium Monthly - Feb 2025")
Receipt/proof of payment

Download options:

PDF (for printing/records)
Email copy to your accountant

Stripe Billing Portal

SpotCharge uses Stripe's billing portal for self-service payment management.

Accessing Billing Portal

Dashboard → Subscription
Click "Manage Billing" or "Billing Portal" button
Redirects to Stripe billing portal (secure)

What You Can Do

In the billing portal:

✅ Update payment method - Add/replace card ✅ View invoices - Download all past invoices ✅ Update billing info - Change address, email ✅ View subscription details - Current plan, next payment ✅ Cancel subscription - Self-service cancellation

You cannot:

Change subscription tier (do this in SpotCharge dashboard)
Add multiple payment methods (one active card at a time)
Set up automatic backups (use different card if primary fails)

Security

Billing portal is secure:

HTTPS encrypted
Requires authentication (email link or login)
Session timeout after 30 minutes
PCI-DSS compliant

Failed Payments

Why Payments Fail

Common reasons:

Insufficient funds
Expired card
Card declined by bank (fraud prevention)
Incorrect billing address
Card canceled/replaced
International payment restrictions

What Happens

When payment fails:

Day 1 (Payment due):

Charge attempt fails
Email notification: "Payment failed"
Retry scheduled for 3 days later

Day 3:

Auto-retry payment
If successful: Subscription continues
If fails: Second email notification

Day 7:

Final auto-retry
If successful: Subscription continues
If fails: Subscription suspended

Day 10:

Account downgraded to Free tier
Locations/resources beyond Free tier limits become inactive
Final email notification

Fixing Failed Payments

Step 1: Update Payment Method

Dashboard → Subscription
See "Payment Failed" banner
Click "Update Payment Method"
Enter new/updated card
Click "Retry Payment"

Step 2: Verify Charge Succeeded

Check for success confirmation
Verify email receipt
Check card statement in 1-2 days

Step 3: Reactivate (If Suspended)

If payment succeeds during grace period (Days 1-10): Auto-reactivated
If suspended (Day 10+): Must re-subscribe and re-upgrade

Preventing Payment Failures

✅ Use card that auto-renews

Business cards with high limits
Primary credit card (not debit)

✅ Set calendar reminders

Renewal date reminder
Check card expiration quarterly

✅ Update before expiration

Replace card 1 month before expiring
Update immediately when you get replacement card

✅ Enable email notifications

Payment reminders
Failed payment alerts
Invoice receipts

Billing Cycle and Dates

Monthly Billing

How it works:

Charged on same day each month
Example: Sign up Jan 15 → Charged 15th of each month

Renewal date:

Shows in Dashboard → Subscription
Email reminder 3 days before renewal

Annual Billing

How it works:

Charged once per year
Example: Sign up Jan 15, 2025 → Next charge Jan 15, 2026

Renewal reminder:

Email 30 days before renewal
Email 7 days before renewal
Option to switch to monthly or cancel

Changing Billing Cycle

To switch monthly ↔ annual:

Dashboard → Subscription
Click "Change Billing Cycle"
Select new cycle
Confirm (pro-rated adjustment)

Learn more →

Taxes

Sales Tax

Charged based on billing address:

US: State sales tax (varies by state)
Canada: GST/HST/PST (varies by province)
EU: VAT (varies by country)

Tax-exempt organizations:

Provide tax-exempt certificate
Email to billing@spotcharge.io
We'll manually remove tax from future invoices

VAT (International)

For EU customers:

VAT added based on country
Reverse charge for business customers with valid VAT ID
Provide VAT ID to remove VAT

To add VAT ID:

Dashboard → Subscription → Billing Portal
Tax ID section
Enter VAT ID
Validates automatically
Future invoices won't include VAT

Refunds

Eligible for Refund

✅ Annual billing downgrade mid-year - Pro-rated refund ✅ Duplicate charge (billing error) - Full refund ✅ Service issue on our end - Pro-rated credit or refund

Not Eligible

❌ Monthly billing (no refunds for unused time) ❌ Downgrade after using features (you got what you paid for) ❌ Changed mind after trial ended

Requesting a Refund

Contact support@spotcharge.io
Provide:
- Account email
- Invoice number
- Reason for refund
Review within 2-3 business days
Refund processed to original payment method
Appears in 5-10 business days

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use a different card each month? A: No. One active payment method. Update card before renewal if needed.

Q: Can I split payment across multiple cards? A: No. Full charge to single payment method.

Q: Do you accept PayPal? A: Not currently. Only cards and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay).

Q: What if my card is stolen and I get a new one? A: Update payment method immediately to avoid failed payment.

Q: Can I pay annually with invoice/PO? A: Premium Multi annual plans can pay via invoice. Contact sales@spotcharge.io.

Q: Why was I charged $1? A: Authorization hold to verify card. Refunded within 24 hours. Not an actual charge.

Q: Can I get a receipt for tax purposes? A: Yes. Download invoice PDF from billing portal or email.

Q: What if I'm charged after canceling? A: Contact support immediately. We'll refund unauthorized charges.

Security & Privacy

Payment security:

Stripe processes all payments (PCI Level 1 certified)
SpotCharge never stores full card numbers
SSL/TLS encryption for all transactions
3D Secure for international cards

Data privacy:

Payment data stored by Stripe, not SpotCharge
We see only last 4 digits of card
Billing address used for tax calculation only
No sharing with third parties

Need Help?

Questions about payments or billing? We're here to assist.

Contact Support or check our Help Center