Payments

Billing & Payments

How payments work, viewing your history, downloading invoices, refunds, the failed payment grace period, managing cards, cancellations, and what happens to your credits after you cancel.

contactID uses Stripe for all payments. Stripe is a widely-used, PCI-compliant payment processor; contactID never sees your full card number or CVC. For a card you save, contactID keeps only its brand, last 4 digits and expiry date, so you can tell your cards apart. Here is how the checkout flow works.

1. When Stripe Checkout Opens contactID sends you to Stripe’s secure checkout page, in the same tab, for:

First subscription purchase.
Buying website credit packages.
Adding AI credits with Add Credits on the Buy AI Credits page.
Buying lead credit packs on Find websites.
Saving a card for lead credit auto-recharge on Find websites.

When the payment is done, Stripe brings you back to contactID. Some payments never open checkout:

Plan upgrades are charged to the card already on your subscription, with Stripe prorating the difference.
Cards for AI auto-recharge are added in a card form on the Buy AI Credits page.
Updating your subscription card happens in Stripe’s billing portal (Manage payment method on the Plan & Billing page).

Switching your current plan between monthly and annual billing is not available on the dashboard.

2. What Stripe Collects Stripe collects, from you:

Card number, expiry, CVC.
Cardholder name.
Billing address, when Stripe asks for it.

contactID never sees your card number or CVC and does not store your billing address. Stripe stores the card details on their PCI-compliant servers and returns a “customer ID” that contactID uses for future charges; for a saved card, contactID keeps only its brand, last 4 digits and expiry date.

3. Supported Payment Methods

Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover).
Debit cards (same brands).
Apple Pay where enabled by your device.
Google Pay where enabled.

Not supported:

Bank debits and local payment methods such as SEPA Direct Debit, iDEAL and Bancontact (checkout accepts cards only).
PayPal (not integrated with Stripe Checkout on contactID).
Cryptocurrency.
Cash or bank wire for individual purchases (available for enterprise contracts; contact sales).

4. Card Verification On first save, Stripe may run a small verification charge (typically $0.50 or $1) that is immediately refunded. This confirms the card is active and the funds are available. You see the auth-and-refund in your statement.

5. Subscription Renewals For subscription plans:

Your saved card is charged automatically on your renewal date.
Charges use the same amount every cycle (or the annual amount for annual plans).
No user action required.

If the renewal fails, see the article on failed payments.

6. Two-Factor Confirmation On Some Cards Some cards (especially EU cards under PSD2) trigger 3D Secure verification:

A popup asks you to authenticate on your bank’s site.
Enter the code your bank texts or authorizes in your bank app.
The charge proceeds.

You may see 3D Secure once per card, then future charges go through without it.

7. Failed Payments On Initial Purchase If your card is declined:

Stripe shows a specific decline reason.
You can retry with a different card or update the current one.
contactID does not charge you for failed attempts.

8. Currency And Localization

All contactID prices are in USD.
Your card may be charged in USD directly, or your bank may convert to your local currency at their exchange rate plus any fees.
Invoices are always in USD; conversion is on your bank statement side.

9. Receipt And Invoice Every successful payment generates:

A receipt email from Stripe to your account email address, when receipts are switched on in Stripe (contactID itself does not send receipts).
For subscription payments, a Stripe invoice, which you can open and download in Stripe’s billing portal (Plan & Billing > Manage payment method, or Manage billing when you have no active plan).

One-time purchases (website credit packages, AI credits, lead credit packs) do not create an invoice; the receipt is your record. There is no Invoices page in the dashboard.

Related questions:

The Transaction History page shows your subscription payments, website credit purchases, bonuses and website costs in one place. Here is how to access it and what each entry means.

1. Where To See Transaction History

Sign in to your dashboard.
In the sidebar, under Billing & Usage, click Transaction History.
Cards at the top show your Current Balance, Total Spent, Websites Attempted, Successfully Sent, Success Rate and Total Transactions.
The list below shows your 100 most recent entries, newest first.

2. Entry Types Transaction History includes:

Subscription Payment. Your first plan payment, each renewal and each upgrade charge.
Credit Purchase. A website credit package you bought.
Extra Credits. Website credits added as extra credits, such as referral rewards and unused plan credits kept when a plan ends.
Bonus Credit. Bonus credits added to your account, for example by the contactID team.
Wallet Charge. Money the contactID team added to your wallet balance.
Website Completion. A send paid from your wallet balance. Sends that use your free, plan or extra credits are not listed one by one.
Transaction. A plan change, for example a gift plan starting or ending.

Each entry has:

Type.
Description.
Date and time.
Amount.
Balance after the entry, where one applies.

AI credit top-ups and AI auto-recharge payments are not on this page. They are listed under Payment History on the Buy AI Credits page, with date, amount, credits, type (Manual or Auto) and status. Lead credit packs are listed under Recent activity on the Credits tab of Find websites, with the credits added (not the amount paid).

3. Filtering Use the tabs above the list: All, Charges, Website Costs and Bonuses. Subscription payments and credit package purchases appear under All. There is no date filter, status filter or search.

4. Downloading Invoices Transaction History has no download or export buttons. Subscription invoices are in Stripe’s billing portal: on Plan & Billing, click Manage payment method (or Manage billing). See Downloading Invoices.

5. Failed Payments Failed payments are not listed on Transaction History (on the Buy AI Credits page, a failed AI payment shows the status Failed). When a subscription renewal fails, the extension’s credits meter shows Payment Due. Common reasons a card fails:

Insufficient funds.
Card declined by issuer.
Card expired.
Fraud protection triggered.

For subscriptions, see the Failed Payment Grace Period article for what happens next.

6. Refund Records Refunds are not added as separate entries on Transaction History, and the original entry is not marked. On the Buy AI Credits page, a refunded AI payment shows its status as refunded.

7. Handling Discrepancies If a charge on your card statement does not match your history:

Compare the date and amount with Transaction History (subscription payments and website credits) and with Payment History on the Buy AI Credits page (AI credits). Lead credit packs are under Recent activity on the Credits tab of Find websites.
If you cannot match it, contact support with the date, the amount and the line from your bank statement.

Most discrepancies are timing (statement shows a pending charge that has not settled to contactID’s dashboard yet).

8. Retention Payment History records are retained for seven years to comply with tax law. The dashboard shows your 100 most recent Transaction History entries.

Related questions:

Subscription payments come with a Stripe invoice you can download for accounting, expense reporting, or tax purposes. One-time purchases (website credit packages, AI credits, lead credit packs) do not create an invoice. Here is how.

1. Downloading A Single Invoice

Go to Plan & Billing.
Click Manage payment method (or Manage billing if you have no active plan).
Stripe’s billing portal opens and lists your invoices.
Open the invoice you need and download the PDF.

If you have never paid, a message says “No billing history yet. Subscribe or buy credits first to access the billing portal.”

2. Downloading Multiple Invoices There is no bulk export. Download invoices one at a time from Stripe’s billing portal.

3. What Is On The Invoice Every invoice PDF includes:

Invoice number (unique, sequential).
Seller details (the business name and address on our Stripe account).
Your details (your account email, plus any name and address you gave Stripe).
Line items (what you paid for).
Amount.
Payment method (last 4 of card).
Payment date.

Suitable for expense reports at any company.

4. Adding A Billing Address There is no Billing Details page in the dashboard, and the company name on your Profile is not added to invoices. If you need a company name, address or tax ID on your invoices, contact support.

5. Getting An Invoice For A Past Payment You Cannot Find

Look for the payment in Transaction History, in Payment History on the Buy AI Credits page, or under Recent activity on the Credits tab of Find websites (lead credit packs).
If you cannot find it, contact support with the date and amount from your bank statement.
Support can look up and email a copy of the invoice.

6. VAT And Tax contactID’s checkout does not calculate or add VAT, GST or sales tax today, and there is no field for a VAT number or tax ID. Prices are charged in USD, as listed.

Related questions:

contactID’s refund policy balances customer flexibility with fair business practice. Here is exactly when refunds are available, how to request one, and how they are processed.

1. Refund Eligibility Summary

Credits already used: Not refundable. The work was performed.
Subscription fees for a period that has already started: Not automatically refundable.
Charges made in error, duplicated, or caused by a failure on our side: We investigate and correct them.
Unused lead credit packs (Find websites): Refundable through support within 14 days of purchase; see Buying Lead Credits And Refunds.
Everything else (unused website credit packages, AI wallet balance, AI auto-recharge events): At our discretion, case by case. One refund does not create a right to another.
Free tier credits: Not refundable (you did not pay for them).

2. How To Request A Refund

Email [email protected].
Include:

– Your account email. – The transaction details (date, amount and what it was for). – The reason for the refund request.

Support reviews and responds within 2 business days.

Approved refunds are processed to the original payment method within 5 business days.

3. Subscription Refunds Subscription fees for a period that has already started are not automatically refundable. If you no longer want the plan, cancel it (it runs to the end of the period you paid for and does not renew). To move to a smaller plan, cancel and subscribe to the smaller plan after your current period ends.

4. Credit Package Refunds

Credits already used: Not refundable.
Unused credits: A refund is at our discretion, case by case.
Unused credits otherwise stay valid for as long as your account remains active.

5. AI Wallet Refunds Same as credit packages:

AI balance already used: Not refundable.
Unused purchased balance: A refund is at our discretion, case by case.

6. Annual Plan Special Rules

Immediate cancellation is not available while prepaid time remains. The plan runs to the end of the year you paid for, with no further charges.
If you need to exit earlier, contact [email protected].
There is no automatic partial refund for the unused part of the year.

7. Refunds For Duplicate Or Erroneous Charges If you were charged twice for the same thing (typically a network hiccup where a retry succeeded but the original also completed):

Immediate full refund of the duplicate.
Contact support with the date and amount of both charges.

8. Refunds And Credits Already Consumed When a refund is approved:

Credits the refund paid for may be removed from your balance. If the refund is for a $10 package (66 credits), up to 66 credits can come off your balance. Lead credits bought on Find websites are removed automatically, in proportion to the amount refunded.
Credits you already used are not refundable, so a refund covers at most what is left.
A fully refunded payment no longer counts as a purchase for the signature line. If it was your only payment and you have no live plan or waiver, “Sent via contactID extension” is added to your messages again. A chargeback has the same effect while it is open or if it is lost.

9. Chargebacks Vs Refunds If you file a chargeback with your bank instead of contacting support:

contactID is charged a fee by the payment processor.
Your account may be suspended pending resolution.
Legitimate refund requests are always faster and cleaner through support directly.

Related questions:

When a subscription renewal payment fails (usually a declined card), contactID does not immediately suspend your account. There is a grace period to fix the problem. Here is how it works.

1. What Triggers The Grace Period Grace period begins as soon as a subscription renewal payment fails at Stripe. Your subscription is marked past due, and Stripe retries the card automatically over the following days.

2. Grace Period Duration

As long as Stripe keeps retrying the payment. contactID does not end your plan on a fixed day; the plan ends only if Stripe gives up.

During grace period:

Your account stays active.
All features work.
Batches can still run.
You keep access to all your credits and data.

3. What Happens During Grace Period

The extension’s credits meter shows Payment Due; clicking it opens the Plan & Billing page.
The Plan & Billing page keeps showing your plan, with the Manage payment method button.

There is no countdown banner, so update your card as soon as you see Payment Due.

4. Fixing The Payment Method

On the dashboard, go to Plan & Billing and click Manage payment method.
Stripe’s billing portal opens. Add a new card or update the existing one.
Stripe charges the updated card on its next attempt.
If it succeeds, grace period ends and account continues normally.

5. If Grace Period Expires If all of Stripe’s retries fail and Stripe ends the subscription:

Subscription moves to Pay-as-you-go.
Unused included plan credits are kept as extra credits.
Extras and PAYG credits stay (you paid for those separately).
AI wallet balance stays.
Your account is not deleted. All data (agents, activity, settings) is preserved.

You can re-subscribe any time and everything picks up where it left off.

6. Reactivating After Grace Expiry

Go to Plan & Billing.
Pick a plan.
Complete payment.
Your account is fully reactivated within seconds.

Your plan cycle restarts from the reactivation date, not the original renewal date.

7. Common Failure Causes

Card expired. Most common. Update to a card with a future expiration date.
Insufficient funds. Add funds or use a different card.
Card blocked by issuer. Call your bank; contactID cannot override a bank block.
Fraud protection triggered. Confirm with your bank that the contactID charge is legitimate.

8. Preventing Failed Payments

Keep your card up to date. Update it with Manage payment method on the Plan & Billing page before it expires.
contactID does not send card-expiry reminders and has no notification settings.
Your subscription is charged to its own card only; contactID does not fall back to other saved cards (cards on the Buy AI Credits page are used for AI credits only).

9. Grace Period For Extras And AI Wallet Grace period only applies to subscription renewals. Failed one-time purchases (credit packages, AI top-ups) simply do not go through; no grace period, no account impact.

Related questions:

Your cards live in three places: the card your subscription renews on is managed in Stripe’s billing portal, the cards for AI credits are on the Buy AI Credits page, and the card for lead credit auto-recharge is on the Credits tab of Find websites. Here is how.

1. Where To Manage Payment Methods

Subscription card: sign in to your dashboard, go to Plan & Billing and click Manage payment method (Manage billing if you have no active plan). Stripe’s billing portal opens, where you add or replace the card. It opens once you have subscribed or bought website credits at least once.
AI credit cards: go to Buy AI Credits. The Payment Methods card lists every saved card with:

– Card brand and last 4 digits. – Expiration month/year. – A Default badge on the default card, and an Expired badge on expired cards.

Lead credit auto-recharge card: on Find websites, open the Credits tab. The Auto-recharge card shows the saved card with Replace and Remove, or Add a card, which opens Stripe’s secure page.

2. Adding A New Card

On Buy AI Credits, click Add Payment Method.
A card form opens on the page (secured by Stripe).
Enter card details and click Save Card.
The new card appears in the list.

You can save up to 10 cards. The first card you save becomes the default. For your subscription, add the card in Stripe’s billing portal instead.

3. Setting A New Default The default card on the Buy AI Credits page is preselected for AI auto-recharge (you can pick another card in the Auto-Recharge settings). It is not used for:

Subscription renewals (they use the card in Stripe’s billing portal).
One-off purchases (Stripe’s checkout page asks for a card).

To change default:

Click Set Default on the card you want as default.
The previous default is unmarked.

4. Removing A Card

Click Remove on the card row.
Confirm.

Any card on the Buy AI Credits page can be removed. If it was the card for AI auto-recharge, auto-recharge moves to your default card, or turns off if there is no default card or it has expired. To switch your subscription card, add the new one in Stripe’s billing portal.

5. Card Expiration contactID does not send card-expiry reminders. On the Buy AI Credits page an expired card shows an Expired badge and cannot be picked for auto-recharge. If your AI auto-recharge card has expired, auto-recharge turns itself off the next time it would run, without a notice; add a new card and switch Enable Auto-Recharge back on.

Update or replace before expiration to avoid failed renewals.

6. Card Auto-Update Stripe’s Card Updater service automatically syncs your saved card details with:

Renewed cards from your bank.
Reissued cards with new numbers due to fraud.
Changed expiration dates.

Auto-update covers most card replacement scenarios. If it doesn’t work (rare), you’ll get a failed renewal and can update manually.

7. Multiple Cards Useful if you want:

A personal card for AI wallet top-ups and a corporate card for subscription.
Multiple business cards for different cost centers.

One-off purchases ask for a card on Stripe’s checkout page. AI auto-recharge uses the card picked in its settings, and your subscription renews on the card in Stripe’s billing portal.

8. Card Fraud And Security If you suspect card fraud on contactID:

Contact your bank first to freeze the card.
Contact contactID support with details.
We can freeze all charges to your account pending resolution.

Stripe monitors for anomalous charge patterns and flags suspicious activity, but user reports are the fastest signal.

Related questions:

Cancelling ends your contactID subscription without deleting your account. Here is how, when it takes effect, and what happens to your credits and data.

1. Where To Cancel

Sign in to your dashboard.
Go to Plan & Billing.
In the card for your current plan, click Cancel subscription.
Pick the main reason you are leaving (required) and click Continue to Cancel.
Confirm with Yes, Cancel.

2. When Cancellation Takes Effect By default:

Monthly plans: Runs to the end of the current billing month. On the renewal date, no charge occurs and the plan moves to Pay-as-you-go.
Annual plans: Runs to the end of the annual cycle you paid for. On the annual renewal date, no charge occurs and the plan moves to Pay-as-you-go.

3. Immediate Cancellation There is no immediate cancellation in the dashboard and no prorated refund: your plan always runs to the end of the period you paid for. Annual plans cannot be cancelled immediately while prepaid time remains. If you need to stop earlier, contact support.

4. What Happens To Your Credits

Included plan credits for the current cycle: Stay usable until the cycle ends. Any you have not used by then become extra credits and stay yours.
Purchased extras: Stay yours forever. Cancellation does not affect them.
PAYG credits: Stay yours forever.
AI wallet balance: Stay yours forever.

5. What Happens To Your Data Cancellation does not delete your data:

Agents: Preserved.
Activity history: Preserved (subject to retention limits).
Settings and configurations: Preserved.
Custom AI prompts: Preserved.

You can pick up any time by re-subscribing.

6. Reactivating A Cancelled Subscription

Before the period ends: on Plan & Billing, click Reactivate. Your plan continues and renews as before, with no new payment.
After the period ended: on Plan & Billing, pick a plan and complete payment. Your subscription starts fresh from today.

Your data is untouched.

7. Cancelling Vs Downgrading

Cancel: Stop subscribing entirely. Move to Pay-as-you-go.
Downgrade: Not available on the dashboard. Lower plans show Current plan is higher, and choosing one says “Downgrades are not supported yet. Please cancel your current plan first, then subscribe to the new plan.”

If you want a smaller plan, cancel now and subscribe to the smaller plan after your current period ends.

8. Pay-as-you-go After Cancellation Cancelled accounts move to Pay-as-you-go:

Any free credits you had left stay.
Your extras and AI wallet balance stays.
You can send until you run out of credits.
The extension’s credits meter shows Pay-as-you-go, with a link to buy credits.

9. Deleting Your Account After Cancelling Cancellation and account deletion are separate:

Cancel: Stop subscribing. Keep data.
Delete: Permanent removal. Data is gone.

See the article on deleting your account for the details of deletion.

Related questions:

Cancelling stops future charges; it does not take away credits you paid for.

1. Until The Period Ends Your plan stays active until the end of the paid period. Included credits remain usable until then, the signature line stays off, and the import limit stays at your plan’s level.

2. After The Period Ends Your account moves to pay-as-you-go. Included credits that were not used are converted into extra credits, so nothing is lost; extra credits and wallet balance stay as they are and never expire. The signature line does not come back, because any past payment removes it for good (it returns only if you never paid, for example when the plan was a gift). The per-import limit becomes 50.

3. Changing Your Mind Before the period ends you can reactivate from the Plan & Billing page and nothing changes.

Related questions: