Auto-pay charges your saved card automatically when an invoice is due. With it on, you don't have to remember to pay renewals — service stays active, no manual work.
Enable auto-pay
- Sign in and go to Account → Payment methods.
- Make sure you have a card saved.
- Mark a card as default — that's the card we'll auto-charge.
Auto-pay is on by default when you have a default card on file. There's no separate switch beyond having a card marked as default.
What auto-pay does
When an invoice is generated:
- 30 days before due date — invoice issued; we email you.
- On the due date — if auto-pay is on and the card works, we charge.
- Successful charge — invoice marked paid; service continues.
- Failed charge — we email you, retry over the next several days.
If we can't charge after multiple retries, we follow up — eventually the service is suspended (see Suspended account) but you have multiple chances to fix it before then.
Per-service control
Auto-pay is per-account, but you can disable it for specific services if you want manual control:
- Open the service in Services.
- Find the Auto-renew toggle.
- Turn it off.
Now that specific service won't auto-renew. You'll get the invoice, pay manually before due date.
This is useful for services where you want to actively decide each renewal — maybe a project that's winding down.
Multiple cards
If you have multiple saved cards:
- The default card is what auto-pay uses.
- Other cards are available for manual one-off payments.
- Set a different card as default by clicking Set as default.
We don't currently support per-service default cards (one card for hosting, a different for domains). All auto-pay uses the same default card.
When auto-pay fails
Common causes and fixes:
- Card declined — check the card hasn't expired or maxed out. Update or replace.
- Card removed — if you removed the only saved card, no auto-pay is possible. Add a fresh card.
- Bank fraud detection — your bank flagged the charge. Confirm with them or use a different card.
- Address mismatch — the billing address on file doesn't match the card. Update either to match.
- Insufficient funds — top up or use a different card.
When a charge fails, we email immediately. The portal shows a banner. You usually have several days to fix before service is impacted.
Disabling auto-pay entirely
If you want to manually pay every invoice:
- Go to Account → Payment methods.
- Remove all saved cards (or skip the "set as default" step).
Without a default card, auto-pay can't run — invoices go to a manual-pay state. You receive the email and pay from Billing on your schedule.
Note: this means you must remember to pay before due dates. If an invoice goes overdue, your service can be suspended. Set calendar reminders if you go this route.
Auto-pay and refunds
When you cancel a service that has been auto-paid, the auto-pay for future renewals stops. Refund eligibility depends on:
- Within 30-day money-back window — full refund. See Refund policy.
- Outside window — service runs out the prepaid period; no auto-pay for next cycle.
Mid-cycle payment method change
If you change your default card while a service is mid-cycle:
- The new card becomes the auto-pay card going forward.
- The next renewal charges the new card.
- Past payments on the old card aren't affected.
Bank notifications
Most banks send notifications when a recurring charge happens. If you have notifications on:
- You see "Flashcloud charged $X" via your bank's app.
- You can verify the amount matches your invoice.
If you see a charge you don't recognize, check Billing for the matching invoice. If something's off, open a ticket immediately.
Power-user note
For corporate accounts, auto-pay sometimes conflicts with internal procurement processes (POs, approval workflows). We can set up:
- Manual-pay only — no auto-pay, you handle each invoice through your AP process.
- Custom invoicing — bulk monthly summary invoice instead of per-service invoices.
- NET-30 / NET-60 terms — for accounts with established credit.
Open a ticket with billing to discuss any of these.