Billing and Subscription Management - Complete Guide

Overview

Learn how to manage your TradieLink subscription, update payment methods, change plans, and handle billing issues through our secure Stripe integration.

Accessing Your Subscription Settings

To manage your subscription and billing:

1. Sign in to your TradieLink dashboard
2. Navigate to Account > Subscriptions
3. Or access via the main navigation menu

Understanding Your Current Plan

Plan Details Overview

Your subscription dashboard displays:

• Current Plan: Your active subscription tier (e.g., Ripper Basic, Bonza Pro, Cracker Enterprise)
• Monthly/Annual Price: Your billing amount and frequency
• Business Pages Included: Number of pages your plan supports
• Next Billing Date: When your subscription renews
• Plan Features: Detailed breakdown of what's included

Available Plan Tiers

Ripper Basic Plan:

• Perfect for individual tradies starting out
• 1 business page included
• Various contact forms
• Standard customer support
• 14-day free trial

Bonza Pro Plan:

• Ideal for growing trade businesses
• 1 business page included
• Analytics dashboard
• Customer reviews
• Portfolio showcase
• Various contact forms
• Priority customer support

Cracker Enterprise Plan:

• For established trade businesses and companies
• 10 business pages included
• Analytics dashboard
• Customer reviews
• Portfolio showcase
• Various contact forms
• Custom domains
• Dedicated account management

Managing Your Subscription

Upgrading Your Plan

To upgrade your subscription:

1. In the Choose Your Plan section, review available options
2. Compare features, pricing, and business page limits
3. Click "Upgrade" on your desired plan
4. You'll be redirected to our secure Stripe checkout
5. Complete the payment process
6. Your upgraded features activate immediately

Upgrade Benefits:

• Immediate Access: New features available right away
• Prorated Billing: You only pay the difference for the current billing period
• Data Preservation: All existing content and data remains intact
• Zero Downtime: Your business pages stay online during the upgrade
• Feature Unlock: Advanced tools become available instantly

Downgrading Your Plan

For plan downgrades:

1. Email our support team at support@trde.link
2. Specify your desired plan change in the email
3. Our team will process the change at your next billing cycle
4. You'll receive confirmation once the change is complete

Important Downgrade Considerations:

• Business Page Limits: Ensure you're within the new plan's page limit (Basic: 1 page, Pro: 1 page, Enterprise: 10 pages)
• Feature Access: Some advanced features may become unavailable (analytics, reviews, portfolio, custom domains)
• Data Retention: Basic data remains, but advanced features may be limited
• Timing: Changes typically take effect at your next billing cycle
• Refunds: Prorated refunds may apply for annual subscriptions

Billing Management Through Stripe

Understanding Stripe Integration

TradieLink uses Stripe for all payment processing, ensuring:

• Bank-Level Security: Your payment information is protected by industry-leading encryption
• PCI Compliance: Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified
• Global Acceptance: Support for major credit cards and payment methods worldwide
• Reliable Processing: 99.99% uptime for payment processing

Accessing the Billing Portal

To manage your billing:

1. In your subscription settings, click "Manage Billing"
2. You'll be securely redirected to the Stripe Customer Portal
3. This portal allows you to:
   • Update Payment Methods: Add, remove, or change credit cards
   • View Invoice History: Access and download all past invoices
   • Update Billing Information: Change billing address, company details, and tax information
   • Download Receipts: Get PDF receipts for accounting and tax purposes
   • Manage Automatic Billing: Control subscription settings

Payment Methods Management

Supported Payment Types:

• Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
• Debit Cards: Major bank-issued debit cards
• Digital Wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay (where available)

Adding a New Payment Method:

1. Click "Add Payment Method" in the Stripe portal
2. Enter your card details securely
3. Verify the billing address matches your bank records
4. Save the payment method
5. Set as default if desired

Updating Existing Payment Methods:

1. Select the payment method to update
2. Edit billing address or card details
3. Save changes to update your account
4. Test with a small charge if needed

Invoice and Receipt Management

Accessing Your Invoices

Through Stripe Portal:

1. Click "Manage Billing" to access Stripe
2. Navigate to "Billing History"
3. View all invoices and payment history
4. Download invoices in PDF format
5. Email invoices to your accounting team

Invoice Details Include:

• Service Period: Exact billing cycle covered
• Plan Information: Subscription tier and features
• Prorated Charges: Any mid-cycle upgrades or changes
• Tax Information: Applicable taxes based on your location
• Payment Method: Last 4 digits of the payment method used
• Transaction ID: Unique identifier for payment verification

Billing Information Management

Company Details:

• Business Name: As it should appear on invoices
• ABN/Tax ID: For business tax purposes
• Billing Address: Where invoices should be sent
• Contact Email: For billing notifications and receipts

Tax Settings:

• GST/VAT Registration: If applicable to your business
• Tax Exemption: Upload exemption certificates if eligible
• Regional Tax: Automatic calculation based on billing address

Payment Issues and Resolution

Common Payment Problems

Declined Transactions:

Insufficient Funds:

• Check account balance or credit limit
• Contact your bank to authorize the transaction
• Try a different payment method
• Update to a valid card if yours has expired

Bank Security Blocks:

• Contact your bank to approve TradieLink/Stripe charges
• Add Stripe as a trusted merchant
• Temporary international transaction holds
• Fraud protection triggering false positives

Billing Address Mismatch:

• Ensure address exactly matches bank records
• Include apartment/suite numbers correctly
• Verify postal/ZIP codes
• Update address with your bank if needed

Failed Payment Recovery:

If a payment fails:

1. Grace Period: Your account remains active for 7 days
2. Email Notifications: You'll receive immediate notification of the failure
3. Retry Attempts: Stripe automatically retries the payment
4. Manual Update: Update your payment method in the billing portal
5. Contact Support: Reach out if you need assistance resolving the issue

Resolving Billing Disputes

Chargeback Prevention:

• Contact support before disputing charges with your bank
• We can provide detailed transaction information
• Most issues can be resolved without chargebacks
• Chargebacks can affect account standing

Refund Requests:

1. Email support@trde.link with your request
2. Include account details and reason for refund
3. Provide transaction ID if available
4. Allow 3-5 business days for review
5. Refunds typically process within 5-10 business days

Subscription Lifecycle Management

Free Trial Management

14-Day Free Trial:

• No Credit Card Required: Start immediately without payment
• Full Feature Access: Try all plan features during trial
• Easy Cancellation: Cancel anytime during trial with no charges
• Upgrade Anytime: Convert to paid plan during or after trial
• Trial Extension: Contact support for extensions in special circumstances

Trial to Paid Conversion:

• Automatic conversion at trial end if payment method added
• Manual upgrade available anytime during trial
• Prorated billing from upgrade date
• Immediate access to paid plan benefits

Subscription Renewal

Automatic Renewal:

• Subscriptions renew automatically on the billing date
• Email reminders sent 3 days before renewal
• Payment processed using your default payment method
• Immediate confirmation email upon successful renewal

Manual Renewal Management:

• Update payment methods before renewal date
• Change plans before renewal for next cycle pricing
• Cancel subscription to prevent next renewal
• Contact support for renewal date adjustments

Cancellation Process

How to Cancel:

1. Access the Stripe billing portal
2. Navigate to subscription settings
3. Select "Cancel Subscription"
4. Choose cancellation timing:
   • End of Current Period: Maintain access until billing cycle ends
   • Immediate Cancellation: End access right away (may qualify for prorated refund)

After Cancellation:

• Data Retention: Your data is preserved for 90 days
• Reactivation: Easy reactivation within retention period
• Export Options: Download your data before cancellation
• Final Invoice: Receive final billing statement

Advanced Billing Features

Annual vs Monthly Billing

Annual Billing Benefits:

• Cost Savings: 17% discount compared to monthly billing
• Simplified Accounting: One annual transaction
• Locked Pricing: Protection against mid-year price increases

Monthly Billing Flexibility:

• Lower Initial Commitment: Smaller monthly payments
• Easy Plan Changes: Modify subscription more frequently
• Cash Flow Management: Spread costs throughout the year
• Trial Period: 14-day free trial available

Enterprise Solutions

For Businesses Needing More Than 10 Pages:

• Custom Enterprise Solutions: Contact us for businesses requiring more than 10 business pages
• Custom Pricing: Tailored pricing for large-scale operations
• Dedicated Support: Specialized account management
• Custom Features: Additional features and integrations available

Security and Compliance

Payment Security

Data Protection:

• No Card Storage: TradieLink never stores your payment information
• Tokenization: Card details replaced with secure tokens
• Encryption: All data encrypted in transit and at rest
• Regular Audits: Security audits and compliance checks

Fraud Prevention:

• Real-Time Monitoring: Automated fraud detection
• Velocity Checks: Unusual payment pattern detection
• Geographic Validation: Location-based verification
• Machine Learning: AI-powered risk assessment

Compliance Standards

Industry Compliance:

• PCI DSS: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
• SOC 2: Service Organization Control 2 compliance
• GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation compliance
• Regional Standards: Local financial regulations adherence

Additional Billing Features

Note: The following features are planned for future updates:

Advanced Analytics

• Subscription usage tracking
• Cost management tools
• Financial reporting integration

Team Management

• Multi-user account billing
• Department cost allocation
• Team member usage reporting

Troubleshooting Common Billing Issues

Payment Declined Solutions

Immediate Actions:

1. Check card expiration date and update if needed
2. Verify sufficient funds or credit limit
3. Contact bank to authorize the transaction
4. Try alternative payment method
5. Clear browser cache and retry payment

Bank-Related Issues:

• International transaction blocks
• Merchant category code restrictions
• Daily/monthly spending limits
• Suspicious activity holds

Subscription Access Problems

Can't Access Paid Features:

• Verify payment was processed successfully
• Check current plan status in account settings
• Wait 10-15 minutes for system synchronization
• Sign out and sign back in to refresh permissions
• Contact support if issues persist after 30 minutes

Billing Portal Access Issues:

• Ensure using the same email address as account registration
• Clear browser cookies and cache
• Try incognito/private browsing mode
• Disable ad-blockers that might interfere
• Try different browser or device

Getting Billing Support

When to Contact Support

Immediate Support Needed:

• Payment failures preventing service access
• Unauthorized charges or suspicious activity
• Billing discrepancies or invoice errors
• Urgent subscription changes needed
• Technical issues with payment processing

Standard Support Requests:

• Plan change consultations
• Invoice questions or clarifications
• Payment method assistance
• Subscription optimization advice
• Integration with accounting systems

Support Contact Information

Email Support:

• Address: support@trde.link
• Subject Line: Include "BILLING" for priority routing
• Response Time: 2-4 hours for billing issues during business days

What to Include in Support Requests:

• Account email address
• Transaction IDs (if applicable)
• Detailed description of the issue
• Screenshots of error messages
• Steps you've already attempted

Escalation Process:

• Mark urgent issues as "URGENT - BILLING"
• Include business impact in urgent requests
• Follow up if no response within expected timeframe
• Request escalation for critical business needs