Purpose: This article answers frequently asked questions on how Sendcloud invoices your subscription plan, whether monthly or annual.
The Sendcloud subscription plans have been updated. If the subscriptions shown in the banner above don’t match your current subscription plan, and you’d like to know more, please click here.
Paid subscriptions
Sendcloud offers three paid subscriptions: Lite, Growth and Premium. You can select or change a plan directly from your account here.
For more information regarding which plan is best for you and the needs of your business, you can always contact us via the support section of your Sendcloud account or check our website to compare all plans.
When do we debit your account?
Your invoice consists of two parts: your subscription fee and your label fees.
Label fees are always billed monthly and are based on the number of labels created in the previous month, excluding cancelled or unused labels. For more details, refer to our article on Shipment invoicing.
If you have a monthly subscription, your fixed subscription fee is charged on the 1st of each month. If you have a yearly subscription, your subscription fee is charged once per year on the date your subscription started. Regardless of your subscription type, label fees are invoiced monthly.
Sendcloud will make several attempts to debit your account:
- Our system will attempt to collect the money for the first time shortly after the invoice is created. This can be either right after it is sent to you and available in your Sendcloud panel, or after one or two days. This may vary per country or depending on your bank.
- If the first attempt fails, our system will try to debit your account again within 10 days.
Keep in mind that payment is due within 14 days from the date of the invoice. To avoid any extra costs, make sure you pay within this time frame.
Where can you find your invoices?
If you want more insight into your invoices, you can view them in your Sendcloud account in Account > Billing > Invoices. Find the invoice that you want to view and click View details. Here you can view the invoice details and download your invoice in PDF or CSV format.
FAQ
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions you may have about the invoicing of paid subscriptions.
General questions
I am currently on my trial period (Lite, Growth or Premium). I would like to keep my subscription and continue shipping with Sendcloud. What do I have to do?
Your plan will automatically be renewed after the trial period if you do not deactivate it.
On which days will Sendcloud debit me?
You will be debited for your plan once a month or once a year according to your subscription type. You will receive an email from Sendcloud, after which you will be debited. This can be immediate or take several days, depending on the country where you are based and your bank. Apart from your subscription invoice, you will receive a biweekly invoice with the costs of your created labels. Read more about how we charge you for your labels here.
While the payment term is 14 days from the creation of the invoice, Sendcloud will make several attempts to debit your account:
- Our system will attempt to collect the money for the first time shortly after the invoice is created. This can be either right after it is sent to you and available in your Sendcloud panel, or after one or two days. This may vary per country or depending on your bank.
- If the first attempt fails, our system will try to debit your account again within 10 days.
I wanted to switch back to the Free plan, but I forgot to end my paid subscription before the trial period ended. What happens in this case?
Your paid subscription is automatically renewed after the trial. Before that, we will send you several notifications to remind you that your trial is about to end so that you do not miss the date.
What is the price per label?
The label fee is a charge applied on top of your subscription. This fee covers the creation of the shipping label using our software, and it applies to all labels, including Unstamped Letters. Please note, label fees are non-refundable. If you cancel a label, the label fee will not be refunded, even if the label is canceled. This fee depends on the subscription plan you have.
Monthly plans
What happens if I cancel my monthly paid subscription during the current month and switch to the Free plan? Will the features I see now in my account change?
You paid for a whole month. Therefore, you will be able to make the most of the features that are included in your current plan until the effective end of your subscription, which is the end of the month.
I receive an invoice on the 1st of every month. Which month does the plan invoice correspond to? The previous month or the current month?
The invoice is always for the current (starting) month.
If I change (upgrade or downgrade) my subscription to a different paid plan, will the features update right away or at the end of the month?
Upgrades
A change is considered an upgrade when you move to a more expensive plan or when you switch from a monthly plan to a yearly plan (regardless of whether the plan level is higher or lower).
For an upgrade, the change takes effect immediately:
You get instant access to the features of the new plan.
You only pay for the remaining period of your current billing cycle at the rate of the new plan (proration).
The label cost counter is reset.
Your next invoice will include usage fees from both the old plan and the new plan.
Example:
Premium monthly → Growth yearly = upgrade (even though Growth is a lower tier).
Downgrades
A change is considered a downgrade when you move to a cheaper plan or when you switch from a yearly plan to a monthly plan.
For a downgrade, the change takes effect only on your renewal date:
You keep access to your current plan’s features until the renewal date.
An invoice for the lower plan will be generated on the renewal date.
The label cost counter is reset.
Your next invoice will include any usage fees for your current plan.
My trial period ends during the current month (e.g. on 20 December) and I would like to keep my monthly subscription. How will I be invoiced?
We will calculate how many days are left in the month and we will invoice you accordingly.
How can I cancel my monthly subscription?
We cannot end the subscription for you. To cancel your subscription, in your Sendcloud panel go to Account > Subscription > Click Switch to the Free > Check the box and click Deactivate. We advise you to do this as soon as possible. Otherwise, your paid subscription will automatically be renewed the next month.
If you wish to delete your account instead, go to Account > Scroll down and click Delete account. Your paid subscription will expire upon the next renewal period. When you click Delete, your account will still be active during 6 more months before it’s permanently removed.
Yearly plans
I have a yearly subscription, but I would like to modify it (.i.e. downgrade or upgrade my plan). Can I do this?
No, yearly plans cannot be modified before the end of the subscription period.
What's the effective start date of my yearly subscription?
Your yearly subscription will officially start when your trial period ends. Then you will be invoiced for a full year. Eg.: if your yearly subscription starts on 1 May 2022, you will be invoiced until 1 May 2023. If you do not cancel your subscription, the next invoice will follow for 2023-2024.
How can I cancel my yearly subscription?
We cannot end the subscription for you. To cancel your subscription, in your Sendcloud panel go to Account > Subscription > Click Switch to the Free > Check the box and click Deactivate. Your paid subscription will still be active until the next renewal date (end of the 1-year plan). This way, you will be able to make the most of the features included in your plan until the end of the subscription period.
If you wish to delete your account instead, go to Account > Scroll down and click Delete account. Your paid subscription will be automatically cancelled. When you click Delete, your Free account will still be active during 6 more months before it's permanently removed.