SGEN billing FAQ

⏱ 30-second answer below · full page ≈ 8 min · skim the Q labels to jump straight to your answer.

In short. Billing lives at Settings → Billing in the SGEN admin. You can update your payment method, download invoice PDFs, switch between monthly and annual plans, add a billing-only team member (Billing Admin role), and export your site data before closing an account — all without contacting support. Plan upgrades are prorated; downgrades take effect at the next cycle. Prices are at pricing — this page covers mechanics, not amounts.

On this page: Payment methods · Invoices and receipts · Plan changes and billing timing · Billing roles and access · Account status and pausing · Sandbox and testing · Data, export, and account closure · Quick-reference table

Billing terms at a glance:

Term	Meaning
Billing cycle	The recurring period (monthly or annual) on which your plan renews.
Billing entity	The company or legal name that appears on invoices — can differ from the site name.
Proration	The proportional charge or credit when you change plans mid-cycle.
Billing Admin	A role with access to billing settings but no access to site content.
Grace window	The period after closure during which your account is accessible for data export.
Add-on	A separately purchased capability billed as its own line item on the same invoice.

Payment methods

Q1. How do I update my payment method?

From Settings → Billing → Payment Methods, click Add payment method. Enter the new card details and set it as default so the next billing cycle charges it. The prior card stays on file until you remove it.

If a recent charge failed, updating to a new default card triggers an automatic retry once the card is verified.

Q2. What payment methods are accepted?

SGEN accepts major credit and debit cards. Current accepted card networks and any alternative options (bank transfer, invoiced billing) are listed at Settings → Billing → Payment Methods. Accepted methods may vary by region.

If your organisation requires purchase-order or invoiced billing, contact support to confirm availability for your account tier.

Q3. What happens if my card fails?

SGEN notifies the billing email and marks the invoice as past due. The platform retries on a short schedule — typically two to three attempts over several days. If all retries fail, the account enters a grace window: billing is suspended but sites stay live so you can update the payment method and resume.

Update at Settings → Billing → Payment Methods as soon as you receive the failed-payment notification to avoid sites entering a restricted state.

Invoices and receipts

Q4. Where do I see my next invoice date?

Settings → Billing → Plan shows the next billing date alongside the plan name and cadence. Annual plans show the anniversary date; monthly plans show the same day next month.

Q5. Can I download invoice PDFs?

Yes. Settings → Billing → Invoice History — each invoice has a Download PDF action. The PDF includes the invoice number, billing date, line items, taxes, and your billing entity name. All historical invoices are available for download.

To send invoices to a separate email address, set a billing email at Settings → Billing → Billing Details (it can differ from the account owner's login email).

Q6. Do I get tax and VAT invoices?

Yes. SGEN includes tax line items where applicable. For VAT-compliant invoices with a specific format, add your VAT number and registered address at Settings → Billing → Billing Details before the next cycle — those details appear on all subsequent invoices.

If an already-issued invoice is missing required tax information, contact support with the invoice number for a corrected copy.

Q7. Can I use a different billing entity from my site name?

Yes. Set the company or trading name, address, and tax registration number at Settings → Billing → Billing Details. Changes take effect on the next invoice; prior invoices are not retroactively updated.

Plan changes and billing timing

Q8. Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?

Yes. Settings → Billing → Plan → Change billing cycle. Switching to annual takes effect at the end of the current monthly period. Switching from annual to monthly takes effect at the end of the annual period; the remaining annual balance is not refunded.

The change confirmation screen shows exact dates and amounts before you confirm.

Q9. How does proration work on an upgrade?

When you upgrade mid-cycle, SGEN credits the unused portion of the current plan against the first charge on the new plan. The net amount is the difference between what you have already paid and the new plan cost for the full cycle. The prorated amount appears as a separate line item on the upgrade invoice.

Downgrades do not generate a prorated credit — the lower rate takes effect at the start of the next cycle.

Q10. Can I get a refund for a plan downgrade?

No prorated credits are issued for downgrades. The current plan runs to the end of the paid period; the lower tier begins on the next billing date. You keep the current tier's features until that date.

If you believe a specific charge was made in error, contact support with the invoice number and the circumstances.

Q11. Are add-ons billed separately?

Add-ons appear as separate line items on the same invoice as the base plan — not as separate invoices. If you add a capability mid-cycle, the first add-on charge is prorated to the remaining days, then billed in full on subsequent invoices.

To see active add-ons: Settings → Billing → Plan. Removing an add-on follows the same end-of-cycle timing as a plan downgrade.

Billing roles and access

Q12. Who can see billing settings?

By default, Owners can see and manage all billing settings. Billing Admins (assigned explicitly — see Q13) can view and edit billing but have no access to site content. Editors, Authors, and Viewers do not have billing access. Roles are set per person at Settings → Members.

Q13. How do I add a billing-only user?

Settings → Members → Invite — enter the contact's email and assign the Billing Admin role. They get read and edit access to billing settings (payment methods, invoice history, plan details) with no access to site content. The correct role for a finance contact or accountant who needs to pull invoices.

The invited contact receives an email, sets a password, and appears in the members list with the Billing Admin role once accepted.

Q14. How do I transfer billing ownership?

Settings → Billing → Billing Owner → Transfer billing ownership. Enter the email of the account member taking over. They receive a confirmation email; once accepted, billing is routed to their payment method and billing details. The prior billing owner retains their account role unless you change it separately.

This affects only the plan subscription — not site content or member permissions.

Account status and pausing

Q15. Can I pause my account temporarily?

Pause availability depends on plan tier — check Settings → Billing → Plan for the option. Where available, a paused account suspends billing for a defined period and keeps site data intact. Sites are inaccessible to visitors while paused and return to active state when you unpause or the pause window ends.

Pausing retains all data and settings. Cancellation is different — it initiates the retention policy in Q19.

Q16. Can I see usage against plan limits in real time?

Yes. SG-Dashboard → Settings → Usage shows current consumption against plan limits — site count, traffic, storage, and capacity-limited add-ons. Usage figures refresh on a short cycle. A warning indicator appears before you hit a ceiling.

Detailed breakdowns by site are available in SG-Dashboard for multi-site accounts.

Sandbox and testing

Q17. How does the sandbox affect billing?

The sandbox is a test environment for building and QA — it runs under the same account as production sites but does not count against traffic or storage limits. Sandbox sites are not live on your domain and are not separately charged; they are included in the plan.

If you are testing ecommerce billing flows, use the payment processor's test-mode credentials inside the sandbox — do not run live card charges through a sandbox site.

Data, export, and account closure

Q18. Can I export my data before closing?

Yes. Export each site as a .sgen backup file from SG-Dashboard → site → Settings → Export. The export includes pages, posts, media, settings, and member data. Download and verify before proceeding — exports are available while the account is active and during the grace window, not after the retention window ends.

Q19. What happens to my data when I close my account?

The account enters a grace window (duration shown at Settings → Billing → Plan → Cancel). During the grace window, sites are accessible for export but not publicly visible. After the window expires, SGEN permanently deletes the account and all associated site data, media, and member records. This deletion is irreversible.

Cancellation ends billing and sets the account to read-only at the end of the paid period. Closure initiates permanent deletion.

Q20. How do I close my account permanently?

Settings → Billing → Account → Close account. SGEN displays the grace window duration and a summary of what will be deleted (sites, media, and member records by count). Confirm the action. The account enters the grace window first — it is not immediately deleted. To reverse the decision, contact support before the window expires.

Reference

The table below maps key billing settings to their in-product location.

Setting	Location	Notes
Payment method	Settings → Billing → Payment Methods	Add, remove, or set default card
Next invoice date	Settings → Billing → Plan	Shows billing cadence and next charge date
Invoice history	Settings → Billing → Invoice History	PDF download per invoice
Billing entity name	Settings → Billing → Billing Details	Appears on all future invoices
VAT / tax number	Settings → Billing → Billing Details	Included on invoices once set
Billing email	Settings → Billing → Billing Details	Can differ from account login email
Billing Admin role	Settings → Members → Invite	Finance-only access, no content permissions
Billing ownership transfer	Settings → Billing → Billing Owner	Transfers subscription responsibility
Usage against limits	SG-Dashboard → Settings → Usage	Real-time consumption by site
Account closure	Settings → Billing → Account	Initiates grace window before permanent deletion
Data export	SG-Dashboard → site → Settings → Export	`.sgen` archive per site
Account pause	Settings → Billing → Plan	Availability depends on plan tier