🔍 Overview
Some customers have reported being charged after receiving confirmation that their billing had been cancelled or a refund had been issued. This article explains why this can happen, what steps to take, and how our team will resolve it for you.
⚠️ Why Charges May Continue After a Refund or Cancellation
In most cases, unexpected recurring charges after a cancellation are caused by one or more of the following known issues:
- Stacked recurring top-ups: Following a billing system migration, some accounts had multiple "Recurring Top-Up" charges bundled into their subscription incorrectly. These charges continued to fire each billing cycle even after a refund was issued.
- Add-on charges not fully deactivated: Certain add-ons — such as OTTO top-ups or Google Ads integrations — were not fully removed from the subscription during migration, causing them to re-bill automatically.
- Old payment method still active: For accounts migrated to our new billing system, the previous default card may still be on file and continue to be charged even after a new card was added or the account was updated.
- Refund issued without subscription cancellation: In some cases, a refund was processed manually but the underlying subscription or add-on was not cancelled, allowing the charge to recur in the next billing period.
📋 What Information to Gather Before Contacting Support
To help our team resolve your issue as quickly as possible, please have the following ready when you reach out:
- Your account email address and account ID
- The invoice numbers for all disputed charges (for example: LENSRESR-0004, LENSRESR-0005, LENSRESR-0006)
- The dates and amounts of each unexpected charge
- Any previous confirmation you received stating that billing would stop or a refund would be issued (for example, a chat transcript or reference number)
- The name or last four digits of the card that was charged
🛠️ Steps Our Team Will Take to Resolve Your Case
Once you contact support, here is what you can expect:
- Verification: Our billing team will confirm your account history and cross-reference all disputed invoices against your subscription records.
- Charge investigation: We will identify the root cause — whether it is a stacked top-up, an unremoved add-on, or a lingering payment method — and stop any future charges immediately.
- Refund processing: All confirmed erroneous charges will be refunded. Refunds typically appear on your statement within 5–10 business days, depending on your card issuer.
- Confirmation provided: You will receive written confirmation of each refund processed and confirmation that the recurring charge has been fully cancelled.
🚫 How to Prevent This From Happening Again
While our engineering team is actively fixing the underlying billing issues, you can take the following steps to protect your account:
- Request written confirmation: Any time a refund or cancellation is agreed upon, ask the support agent to confirm the specific invoices, amounts, and the cancellation of the underlying subscription or add-on.
- Check your billing settings: After a cancellation, log in to your Search Atlas account and review the Billing section (Avatar in the top-right → Billing → Plans & Top-ups) to confirm that all add-ons and recurring top-ups show as inactive.
- Monitor your next billing cycle: After a cancellation is confirmed, check your bank or card statement on your next expected billing date to ensure no new charge has appeared.
- Update your default payment method: If you have changed your card details, verify in the Billing section that the new card is set as your default and the old card has been removed.
💬 Need Immediate Help With a Disputed Charge?
If you have been charged after a cancellation or refund was confirmed, our billing team is ready to help you right away. 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 invoice numbers and account details ready so we can process your refunds without delay.