# Payments and billing

When you're charged, how receipts work, and what happens if a payment doesn't go through.

Your subscription bills monthly to the card you saved at checkout — and
billing doesn't start until your service is set up and live. Here's when
charges happen, how receipts work, and what to do if a payment fails.

{% callout type="success" title="Never charged at checkout" %}
Checkout only saves your card and your signed agreement. Your first payment
happens once your service is live, not the day you sign up.
{% /callout %}

## The card on file

When you check out, you save a card with our payment processor (Stripe). We
never see or store your full card number. That card is used for your
monthly subscription payments.

You can update your payment method any time from
[your account](/account) — if a card expires or you switch banks, updating
it there keeps your subscription uninterrupted.

## When you're charged

- **Nothing at checkout.** Checkout only saves your card and your signed
  agreement.
- **A one-time setup fee, if the service has one.** Some services list a
  one-time setup fee upfront on their page — it's charged once, separately
  from your recurring subscription, with no hidden costs.
- **First recurring payment once you're live.** Once your service is set up
  and working, your first monthly payment is charged and your billing cycle
  starts.
- **Monthly after that.** Your subscription renews automatically on your
  billing date each month — month-to-month, with no long-term contract.

Before a renewal we'll send a heads-up reminder, so a charge is never a
surprise.

## Receipts and invoices

Every successful payment gets an emailed receipt. Your full invoice and
payment history — across every subscription you have — is always available
in [your account](/account) under **Invoices & payments**. See
[Invoices and receipts](/docs/your-account/invoices-and-receipts).

## If a payment doesn't go through

Cards fail for lots of ordinary reasons — expired card, new card number, a
daily limit. If that happens:

1. We'll let you know by text or email right away.
2. Update your card or retry the payment from [your account](/account) —
   most issues are fixed in under a minute.
3. If we can't reach you, we'll keep following up. A subscription that stays
   unpaid for a while can be paused, and eventually cancelled.

If money is tight one month, don't go quiet — [talk to us](/contact). We're
a small, local business and we'd much rather work out timing with you.

## Setup fees

Some services list a one-time setup fee, spelled out on the service's page
and in your subscription agreement before you sign — not a deposit, and not
refundable once the setup work is done. There are no hidden fees beyond
what's shown on the page: the price you see is the price on your card.