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Billing & Payments

Manage your BrandCast subscription, payment methods, invoices, and billing preferences.

Overview​

The Billing & Payments section helps you:

  • View and change your subscription plan
  • Manage payment methods
  • Download invoices and receipts
  • Track usage and charges
  • Handle payment issues

Accessing Billing Settings​

Navigate to billing in three ways:

  1. Click Settings → Billing
  2. Click Upgrade button (visible when near quotas)
  3. From account dropdown → Billing & Subscription

Current Subscription​

View Subscription Details​

Your subscription dashboard shows:

Plan Information:

  • Current Status: Active
  • Display Count: Total active displays
  • Monthly/Annual pricing
  • Next billing date
  • Payment method on file

Quick Actions:

  • Add/Remove Displays
  • Switch Billing Cycle - Monthly ↔ Annual
  • Pause Subscription - Temporary hold
  • Cancel Subscription - End service

Plan Usage​

Monitor your current usage against plan limits:

Usage Metrics:

  • Displays: 3/5 active (60%)
  • Storage: 750MB/1.5GB (50%)
  • Users: 2/2 active (100%)
  • Stores: 1/1 configured (100%)

Visual Indicators:

  • 🟢 Green (0-75%) - Normal usage
  • 🟡 Yellow (75-90%) - Approaching limit
  • 🔴 Red (90-100%) - At or near capacity

Payment Methods​

Adding a Payment Method​

Add Credit/Debit Card:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing → Payment Methods
  2. Click Add Payment Method
  3. Enter card details:
    • Card number
    • Expiration date
    • CVV security code
    • Billing zip code
  4. Set as default (optional)
  5. Click Add Card

Add Bank Account (ACH): Available for accounts with 10+ displays

  1. Click Add Bank Account
  2. Enter account details:
    • Account holder name
    • Account type (Checking/Savings)
    • Routing number
    • Account number
  3. Verify micro-deposits (1-2 business days)
  4. Confirm amounts to activate

Managing Payment Methods​

Primary Payment Method:

  • Marked with "Default" badge
  • Used for automatic billing
  • Cannot be removed until replaced

Actions for Each Method:

  • Make Default - Set as primary
  • Update - Edit expiration or billing address
  • Remove - Delete if not primary

Payment Method Security​

What We Store:

  • Last 4 digits only
  • Card type/Bank name
  • Expiration date
  • Billing zip code

What We Don't Store:

  • Full card numbers
  • CVV codes
  • Full bank account numbers

Security Features:

  • PCI DSS compliant
  • 256-bit encryption
  • Tokenized storage
  • Fraud detection

Billing History​

Viewing Invoices​

Access your complete billing history:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing → Invoices
  2. View list of all invoices
  3. Each invoice shows:
    • Invoice number
    • Date
    • Amount
    • Status (Paid/Pending/Failed)
    • Payment method used

Downloading Invoices​

Individual Invoice:

  1. Click invoice row to expand
  2. Click Download PDF
  3. Save for your records

Bulk Download:

  1. Select date range
  2. Check invoices to include
  3. Click Download Selected
  4. Receive ZIP file

Invoice Details Include​

Header Information:

  • Your company name and address
  • BrandCast billing information
  • Invoice number and date
  • Payment terms

Line Items:

  • Subscription plan
  • Pro-rated charges (if applicable)
  • Add-ons or extras
  • Discounts applied
  • Sales tax (if applicable)

Payment Information:

  • Payment method used
  • Transaction ID
  • Payment date
  • Amount paid

Changing Your Display Count​

Adding Displays​

When to Add Displays:

  • Opening new locations
  • Adding screens to existing stores
  • Reached storage limits (add displays to increase storage)

Process:

  1. Go to Displays dashboard
  2. Click Add Display
  3. Connect your new screen
  4. Billing updates automatically:
    • Pro-rated charge for remainder of month
    • Volume discounts apply automatically if you cross a tier threshold
    • New features unlock automatically (e.g., 3+, 5+, 10+ displays)

Removing Displays​

Before Removing:

Check that you're within storage limits for your new display count (2GB per remaining display).

Process:

  1. Deactivate display in dashboard
  2. Billing updates immediately
  3. Account credit applied for unused days

Plan Comparison​

View side-by-side comparison:

FeatureYour PlanNew Plan
Displays15 → 50
Storage1.5GB → 10GB
Users4 → 8
Price$75 → $250

Billing Cycles​

Monthly vs. Annual Billing​

Monthly Billing:

  • Pay month-to-month
  • Change plans anytime
  • Higher total annual cost
  • Best for: Testing, seasonal businesses

Annual Billing:

  • Pay full year upfront
  • 10% discount applied
  • Lock in current pricing
  • Best for: Established businesses

Switching Billing Cycles​

Monthly to Annual:

  1. Go to Billing Settings
  2. Click Switch to Annual
  3. Review annual price (10% savings)
  4. Confirm and pay difference
  5. Next renewal in 12 months

Annual to Monthly:

  1. Available at renewal only
  2. Contact support 30 days before
  3. Pro-rated refund if needed
  4. Continues monthly thereafter

Payment Processing​

Automatic Renewals​

How Auto-Renewal Works:

  • Charges occur on same date monthly/annually
  • Payment processed at midnight UTC
  • Email confirmation sent immediately
  • Service continues uninterrupted

Managing Auto-Renewal:

  • Enabled by default
  • Toggle off to require manual payment
  • Receive reminder 7 days before if disabled
  • Service suspended if payment late

Payment Schedule​

Typical Timeline:

  • Day 1: Billing cycle starts
  • Day 28: Reminder email (if auto-renew off)
  • Day 30/31: Payment processed
  • Day 32: Late payment notice
  • Day 37: Service suspension warning
  • Day 45: Account suspended

Failed Payments​

Common Failure Reasons:

  • Insufficient funds
  • Expired card
  • Incorrect billing address
  • Bank decline
  • Fraud protection trigger

What Happens:

  1. Immediate retry (once)
  2. Email notification sent
  3. 24-hour grace period
  4. Second retry attempt
  5. 3-day warning issued
  6. Support team contact
  7. Service suspension (day 7)

Resolving Failed Payments:

  1. Update payment method
  2. Click Retry Payment
  3. Or pay manually
  4. Service restored immediately

Discounts and Credits​

Available Discounts​

Automatic Discounts:

  • Annual billing: 10% off
  • Non-profit: 20% off (verification required)
  • Education: 15% off (verification required)

Promotional Codes:

  1. Go to Billing Settings
  2. Click Add Promo Code
  3. Enter code
  4. Discount applies to next bill

Account Credits​

How Credits Work:

  • Applied automatically to next bill
  • Shown as negative line item
  • Cannot be refunded as cash
  • No expiration date

Credit Sources:

  • Downgrade refunds
  • Service credits
  • Referral bonuses
  • Promotional credits

Sales Tax​

Tax Calculation​

Automatic Tax Handling:

  • Based on billing address
  • Calculated per local regulations
  • Updated with rate changes
  • Shown separately on invoice

Tax-Exempt Organizations:

  1. Go to Billing → Tax Settings
  2. Upload exemption certificate
  3. Wait for verification (1-2 days)
  4. Tax removed from future bills

International Billing​

Supported Countries:

  • United States
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • European Union
  • Australia
  • (More coming soon)

Currency and VAT:

  • Billed in USD
  • VAT added where required
  • Currency conversion by your bank
  • VAT ID can be added for EU

Cancellation and Refunds​

Pausing Your Subscription​

Temporary Suspension:

  • Keep your data and settings
  • Displays go offline
  • No charges during pause
  • Maximum 3 months
  • One pause per year

To Pause:

  1. Go to Billing Settings
  2. Click Pause Subscription
  3. Select resume date
  4. Confirm pause

Cancelling Your Subscription​

Before Cancelling:

  • Export your data
  • Download invoices
  • Save configurations
  • Transfer ownership (if needed)

Cancellation Process:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing
  2. Click Cancel Subscription
  3. Select cancellation reason
  4. Choose immediate or end-of-cycle
  5. Confirm cancellation
  6. Receive confirmation email

What Happens:

  • Immediate: Service stops, pro-rated refund
  • End of cycle: Service continues until paid period ends
  • Data retained for 30 days
  • Can reactivate within 30 days

Refund Policy​

Eligible for Refund:

  • Annual plans cancelled within 14 days
  • Service outages exceeding SLA
  • Billing errors
  • Duplicate charges

Not Eligible:

  • Monthly plans (except first month)
  • Cancellation after 14 days (annual)
  • Partial month usage
  • Add-on services

Requesting a Refund:

  1. Contact support within 30 days
  2. Provide invoice number
  3. Explain refund reason
  4. Receive decision within 48 hours
  5. Refund processed in 5-10 days

Payment Security​

PCI Compliance​

Security Measures:

  • Level 1 PCI DSS certified
  • Annual security audits
  • Encrypted payment processing
  • No storage of sensitive data

Fraud Prevention​

Protection Features:

  • Address verification (AVS)
  • CVV verification
  • 3D Secure authentication
  • Unusual activity monitoring
  • Geographic restrictions

If Fraud Suspected:

  • Transaction blocked
  • Email verification required
  • May need to contact bank
  • Support team assistance available

Troubleshooting​

Payment Won't Process​

Common Solutions:

  1. Verify card details correct
  2. Check expiration date
  3. Confirm billing address matches
  4. Ensure sufficient funds
  5. Contact bank about blocks
  6. Try different payment method

Invoice Not Received​

Check These First:

  • Spam/Junk folder
  • Correct email on file
  • Email notifications enabled

Get Invoice Copy:

  1. Go to Billing → Invoices
  2. Find specific invoice
  3. Click Resend Email
  4. Or download PDF directly

Subscription Status Unknown​

Verify Status:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing
  2. Check "Subscription Status"
  3. Should show "Active"
  4. If "Suspended", update payment
  5. Contact support if unclear

Wrong Amount Charged​

Steps to Resolve:

  1. Review invoice details
  2. Check for pro-ration
  3. Verify plan changes
  4. Look for credits applied
  5. Contact support with invoice #

Billing Best Practices​

  1. Use Annual Billing

    • Save 10% automatically
    • Predictable budgeting
    • Price protection

  2. Add Backup Payment

    • Prevent service interruption
    • Automatic failover
    • Peace of mind

  3. Enable Notifications

    • Payment confirmations
    • Upcoming renewal alerts
    • Failed payment warnings

Budget Management​

Monitor Usage:

  • Check quotas weekly
  • Set calendar reminders
  • Review usage reports
  • Plan for growth

Control Costs:

  • Right-size your plan
  • Remove unused features
  • Consolidate users
  • Archive old content

Record Keeping​

Maintain Records:

  • Download invoices monthly
  • Save payment confirmations
  • Track plan changes
  • Document support tickets

Getting Help​

Billing Support​

Contact Methods:

Response Times:

  • Billing emergencies: 1 hour
  • Payment issues: 4 hours
  • General questions: 24 hours
  • Refund requests: 48 hours

Information Needed​

When contacting support, provide:

  • Account email
  • Invoice number (if applicable)
  • Description of issue
  • Error messages
  • Screenshots

Next Steps​