# Payments

This page explains how payments work on DanubeData, including accepted payment methods, card verification, automatic billing, and what happens if a payment fails.

## Accepted Payment Methods

All payments are processed securely through **Stripe**. We accept the following payment methods:

| Type | Brands |
|------|--------|
| **Credit Cards** | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Diners Club |
| **Debit Cards** | Visa, Mastercard |

Your card details are encrypted and never stored on our servers. Stripe handles all payment data in a PCI-compliant environment.

## Adding a Payment Method

1. Navigate to **Billing** > **Payment Methods**
2. Click **Add Method** (or **Add Payment Method** if no card is on file)
3. Enter your card details in the secure Stripe form
4. Click **Add Card**

### Card Verification

When you add a new card, a temporary **EUR 1.00 authorization hold** is placed to verify the card is valid and has sufficient funds. This hold is **released immediately** and you will not be charged.

If the verification fails, check that:
- The card number, expiry date, and CVC are correct
- The card has not expired
- The card is not blocked for online transactions
- Sufficient funds are available

## Primary and Backup Methods

You can add several cards and arrange them into a fallback order:

- **Primary method**: Charged automatically when an invoice is generated
- **Backup methods**: Tried automatically, in order, if the primary card is declined
- **Health badge**: Each saved card shows a status badge, so you can spot an expiring or failing card at a glance
- **Expiry reminder**: We email you before a saved card is due to expire, giving you time to replace it

### Setting a Primary Method

1. Go to **Billing** > **Payment Methods**
2. Click **Make Primary** on the card you want to use as default

### Removing a Payment Method

1. Go to **Billing** > **Payment Methods**
2. Click the delete icon on the card you want to remove
3. Confirm the removal

You can remove any card except your last one. If you remove the card currently set as default, a backup is automatically promoted to default.

> **Note**: You need at least one payment method to create resources. If your account still has active resources (for example, serverless containers), remove or settle those first — you'll get a clear reminder rather than an unexpected error.

## How Billing Works

DanubeData uses **hourly billing** with monthly invoicing:

1. **Resource usage is recorded** in 5-minute intervals throughout the month
2. **Invoices are generated** on the 1st of each month for the previous month's usage
3. **Payment is charged immediately** upon invoice generation
4. If the automatic charge fails, you must pay manually within the deadline

### Due Date

Invoices are due **immediately** upon generation. When an invoice is created, we automatically attempt to charge your primary payment method.

If that charge does not succeed, nothing on your account is restricted straight away. You have **21 days** before any resource is stopped, and we retry the charge and email you several times during that window. The full escalation is set out below.

### Billing Currency

All prices and invoices are in **Euro (EUR)**. The billing calculation uses 730 hours per month (365.25 days / 12 months x 24 hours).

### Stopped Instances

Instances are billed at the full rate from the moment creation completes until the instance is **deleted**. Stopping an instance does not reduce or pause billing. To stop being charged for a resource, you must delete it.

## What Happens if the Automatic Charge Fails?

If the automatic charge fails, we'll email you and show an **unpaid-invoice banner** across the dashboard so it doesn't go unnoticed. You can settle the invoice yourself at any time:

1. Log into DanubeData and go to **Billing** > **Invoices**
2. Find the unpaid invoice and click **Pay Now**
3. Complete the payment — you may be prompted for 3-D Secure confirmation if your bank requires it

You can also add or promote a card under **Billing** > **Payment Methods**. When you add a new card or make one your default, we automatically retry any unpaid invoices with it.

> **Note**: You can retry a failed payment a maximum of **5 times**. If you still experience issues after that, please contact support.

## Payment Receipts

Every time an invoice payment succeeds, we automatically email you a receipt showing the amount and the date charged — matching what you see in your billing history. There's nothing to enable, and duplicate receipts are prevented even if a payment is processed more than once.

## Late Payments

If you do not pay your invoice on time, your account will be in arrears. Depending on how late the payment is and your payment history, the following steps may be taken:

### General Consequences of Late Payments

We will first send you payment reminders and warnings by email. If we still do not receive your payment, we may take one or more of these steps:

| Timeline | Action |
|----------|--------|
| **Day 3** | Payment reminder email sent to project owner and admins |
| **Day 7** | Urgent payment reminder |
| **Day 14** | Final warning — suspension notice with 7 days to resolve |
| **Day 21** | **Account suspension** — all resources (VPS, databases, caches) are stopped |
| **Day 30** | Termination warning — 15 days until permanent data deletion |
| **Day 45** | **Account termination** — all resources and data are permanently deleted |

Day numbers are counted from the invoice's due date. If your account is on payment terms or pays by SEPA Direct Debit, the clock starts when those terms or the settlement period lapse — not when the invoice was issued. We also retry the payment automatically at each step up to suspension, so an expired or temporarily declined card often resolves itself without any action from you.

Each time a later invoice is charged successfully to a saved card while an earlier one is still unpaid, we retry the earlier invoice once with your saved payment methods. This happens at any point on the timeline, including after a suspension, and a retry that succeeds settles the invoice and ends the late-payment process for it. Accounts that pay by bank transfer are never charged automatically.

We evaluate each case individually, taking into account your payment history and the circumstances of the late payment.

> **Important**: Once your account is terminated on Day 45, **all data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered**. Update your payment method or contact support immediately if you are having payment difficulties.

### Resolving a Late Payment

1. Go to **Billing** > **Payment Methods** and ensure a valid card is on file
2. Go to **Billing** > **Invoices** and click **Pay Now** on the overdue invoice
3. If your card is being declined, contact your bank or try a different card
4. If your account has been suspended, payment will automatically restore your resources

> If you are experiencing temporary financial difficulties, contact our support team **before** your account reaches suspension. We may be able to offer a grace period extension.

## Promotional Credits

New users receive a **EUR 25.00 signup bonus** when they create their first project. Credits are automatically applied to your monthly invoices before your payment method is charged.

### How Credits Work

- Credits are applied automatically to invoices — oldest expiring credits are used first
- Credits reduce the invoice total **before tax** is calculated
- Unused credits expire **60 days** after the grant date
- View your credit balance and history in **Billing** > **Credits**

### Promotional Codes

If you have a promotional code:

1. Go to **Billing** > **Credits**
2. Enter your code in the **Promotional Code** field
3. Click **Redeem**

The credit will be applied to your account immediately.

## Referral Program

Earn credits by referring others to DanubeData:

- **You earn**: EUR 15.00 in credit for each qualified referral (valid for 90 days)
- **They get**: EUR 10.00 in credit when they sign up (valid for 60 days)
- **Maximum**: 50 referrals per project

### How to Refer

1. Go to **Billing** > **Referrals**
2. Copy your unique referral link
3. Share it with friends and colleagues
4. Once they sign up and qualify (within 90 days), both accounts are credited

## Tax Information

### VAT for EU Customers

- VAT is charged based on your country of residence
- Businesses with a valid VAT number can benefit from the reverse charge mechanism
- Provide your VAT number in **Billing** > **Tax Settings**

### Billing Address

Update your billing address and company details in **Billing** > **Tax Settings**. This information appears on your invoices.

## Budget Alerts

Set spending limits to stay in control of your costs:

1. Go to **Billing** > **Budget**
2. Enable the budget and set your monthly limit
3. Receive notifications when approaching your budget threshold

## Related Documentation

- [Billing Overview](https://docs.danubedata.ro/billing-overview) — How billing works
- [Pricing](https://docs.danubedata.ro/billing-pricing) — Detailed pricing for all resources
- [Invoices](https://docs.danubedata.ro/billing-invoices) — Managing invoices and billing history