Invoices are generated automatically from the services on your account. Almost every "this looks wrong" question turns out to be one of the four mechanics below.
The header
The invoice number is the only reliable way to refer to an invoice. Quote it in any ticket about billing. The invoice date is when it was generated and the due date is when payment is expected — these are usually different, because invoices are raised in advance of the period they cover.
Line items
Each line is one service for one billing period, and the description states the period explicitly. Read that date range before anything else. An invoice dated this month very often covers next month, and that alone explains a large share of apparent duplicates.
Domain renewals appear as their own lines with their own dates, which will not line up with hosting periods unless they happen to have been ordered together.
Proration
When a service starts or changes partway through a cycle, the charge is adjusted to cover only the remaining days. Two consequences surprise people:
- The first invoice for a new service is often an odd amount, smaller than the advertised price, because it covers a partial period to align with your existing renewal date.
- An upgrade mid-cycle produces a charge for the difference over the remaining days, not a full period at the new price.
If a prorated amount looks wrong, check the date range on the line before the number. The range is what determines the figure.
Credit
Credit on the account is applied automatically to new invoices and shown as a deduction. This makes an invoice's total smaller than the sum of its line items, which is correct and not an error. Credit arises from downgrades, overpayments and, occasionally, adjustments we make.
Tax
Tax, where it applies, is calculated from the address on your account — not the card's billing address. If your tax treatment looks wrong, check Edit Account Details first. Correcting the address changes future invoices; it does not reissue past ones automatically.
Status
- Unpaid — issued and awaiting payment.
- Paid — settled in full.
- Payment Pending — a payment was initiated but has not cleared. Bank transfers sit here.
- Cancelled — voided, no payment due. Cancelled invoices remain visible so the numbering stays intact.
- Refunded — paid and subsequently returned.
If you still think it is wrong
Open a billing ticket with the invoice number, the specific line you are questioning, and what you expected instead. That gets a direct answer. A ticket saying "my bill is too high" starts a conversation that could have been one reply.
