Billing & Wallet - Complete Guide

Overview

The Billing & Wallet section helps you manage your ScaleNodes account finances. Add funds, view usage, track invoices, and monitor transactions.

Access Paths:

• Account & Billing: /dashboard/accounts/billing
• Add Funds: /dashboard/accounts/payments

Account & Billing Dashboard

Navigate to /dashboard/accounts/billing to view your billing overview.

Balance Overview

Current Balance

• Shows your available account balance
• Displayed prominently at the top
• Updates in real-time as you use services
• Format: Currency symbol + amount (e.g., KES 1,500.00)

Coupon Balance

• Shows promotional credit balance
• Separate from main balance
• Used automatically before main balance
• Expires based on coupon terms

Low Balance Warning

• Alert shown when balance is low
• Recommends adding funds
• Prevents service interruption

Pending Invoices

Unpaid Invoices Section

Shows invoices that need payment:

• Invoice Number - Unique identifier
• Amount Due - Total to be paid
• Due Date - Payment deadline
• Status - Overdue, Due Soon, or Pending

Actions

• Pay Now - Pay invoice immediately
• View Details - See invoice breakdown
• Download PDF - Save invoice copy

Overdue Alerts

• Red banner for overdue invoices
• Service suspension warning
• Payment urgency indicator

Billing Tabs

Invoices Tab

View all your invoices in one place.

Invoice List

Each invoice shows:

• Invoice Number - Unique ID (e.g., INV-2024-001234)
• Date - When invoice was generated
• Amount - Total invoice amount
• Status:
  • ✅ Paid - Payment received
  • ⏳ Pending - Awaiting payment
  • ⚠️ Overdue - Past due date
  • ❌ Cancelled - Invoice voided
• Period - Billing period covered

Invoice Actions

• View - See detailed breakdown
• Download - Get PDF copy
• Pay - Make payment (if unpaid)

Filtering

• Filter by status (Paid, Pending, Overdue)
• Search by invoice number
• Sort by date or amount

Invoice Details

Click any invoice to see:

• Line items (services used)
• Hourly usage breakdown
• Resource consumption
• Discounts applied
• Tax calculations
• Payment history

Transactions Tab

View all account transactions.

Transaction List

Each transaction shows:

• Date & Time - When transaction occurred
• Type:
  • 💳 Payment - Funds added
  • 📤 Charge - Service usage
  • 🎁 Credit - Promotional credit
  • ↩️ Refund - Money returned
• Description - Transaction details
• Amount - Transaction value
• Balance After - Account balance after transaction

Transaction Details

• Payment method used
• Reference number
• Related invoice (if applicable)
• Service breakdown

Filtering & Search

• Filter by transaction type
• Search by description or amount
• Date range selection
• Export to CSV

Adding Funds

Navigate to /dashboard/accounts/payments to add money to your account.

Understanding Your Bill

How Billing Works

Hourly Billing

• Services billed per hour of usage
• Rounded to nearest hour
• Charged from account balance
• Invoices generated monthly

Resource-Based Pricing

• Each service has a plan (Starter, Basic, Pro, etc.)
• Price based on vCPU, RAM, storage
• Different services have different rates
• Prices shown during service creation

Automatic Charging

• Balance deducted automatically as you use services
• No manual payment needed if balance is sufficient
• Invoices generated for record-keeping
• Email notifications for low balance

Reading Your Invoice

Invoice Header

• Invoice number and date
• Billing period (e.g., Jan 1-31, 2024)
• Your account information
• Total amount due

Line Items

Each service shows:

• Service name and type
• Plan/tier used
• Hours of usage
• Rate per hour
• Subtotal

Example Line Item

Web App: my-portfolio
Plan: Basic (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM)
Usage: 720 hours
Rate: KES 5.00/hour
Subtotal: KES 3,600.00

Calculations

• Subtotal: Sum of all line items
• Discounts: Coupon or promotional credits
• Tax: VAT or applicable taxes
• Total: Final amount charged

Usage Tracking

Monitor Usage

• Check current month usage anytime
• See projected costs
• Track by service
• Identify high-cost services

Cost Optimization

• Stop unused services
• Downgrade over-provisioned resources
• Use appropriate plans
• Monitor regularly

Payment Methods

Supported Payment Options

Credit/Debit Cards

• Instant processing
• Secure encryption
• Saved for future use (optional)
• International cards accepted

Mobile Money

• Popular in Kenya and East Africa
• M-Pesa, Airtel Money, MTN
• Instant confirmation
• No card needed

Bank Transfer

• Direct from bank account
• May take 1-2 business days
• Good for large amounts
• Bank fees may apply

USSD

• Dial code from phone
• No internet needed
• Simple and secure
• Available on all networks

Managing Payment Methods

Saved Cards

• Save cards for faster checkout
• Manage in account settings
• Remove anytime
• Secure storage

Default Payment Method

• Set preferred payment option
• Used for auto-top-up (if enabled)
• Can be changed anytime

Billing Alerts & Notifications

Email Notifications

You receive emails for:

• ✅ Low balance warnings
• ✅ Payment confirmations
• ✅ Invoice generation
• ✅ Payment failures
• ✅ Service suspensions

Balance Alerts

Low Balance

• Sent when balance drops below threshold
• Recommends adding funds
• Prevents service interruption

Zero Balance

• Urgent alert
• Services may be suspended
• Immediate action required

Negative Balance

• Overdue payment alert
• Service suspension notice
• Payment deadline

Invoice Notifications

New Invoice

• Monthly invoice generated
• Summary of charges
• Payment due date

Payment Due

• Reminder before due date
• Amount and deadline
• Payment link included

Overdue Invoice

• Past due date alert
• Late payment warning
• Service suspension risk

Common Workflows

Setting Up Auto-Top-Up

Handling Overdue Invoices

Requesting a Refund

Best Practices

Balance Management

• ✅ Maintain buffer balance (2-3 months usage)
• ✅ Set up auto-top-up for convenience
• ✅ Monitor balance weekly
• ✅ Add funds before balance is low
• ✅ Keep payment methods updated

Invoice Management

• ✅ Review invoices monthly
• ✅ Download and archive invoices
• ✅ Verify charges are correct
• ✅ Report discrepancies immediately
• ✅ Pay invoices before due date

Cost Control

• ✅ Monitor usage regularly
• ✅ Stop unused services
• ✅ Right-size resources
• ✅ Use appropriate plans
• ✅ Set budget alerts

Payment Security

• ✅ Use secure payment methods
• ✅ Don’t share payment details
• ✅ Review transactions regularly
• ✅ Report unauthorized charges
• ✅ Keep contact info updated

Troubleshooting

Payment Failed

Symptoms: Payment doesn’t go through

Solutions:

1. Check card has sufficient funds
2. Verify card details are correct
3. Try different payment method
4. Check with your bank
5. Contact Paystack support

Balance Not Updated

Symptoms: Payment successful but balance unchanged

Solutions:

1. Wait 5-10 minutes for processing
2. Refresh the page
3. Check transaction history
4. Log out and log back in
5. Contact support with payment reference

Invoice Discrepancy

Symptoms: Charges don’t match expected usage

Solutions:

1. Review invoice line items
2. Check service usage hours
3. Verify plan rates
4. Compare with previous invoices
5. Contact support with specific concerns

Cannot Download Invoice

Symptoms: PDF download fails

Solutions:

1. Try different browser
2. Disable popup blocker
3. Clear browser cache
4. Try incognito mode
5. Request invoice via email

Refund Not Received

Symptoms: Approved refund not in account

Solutions:

1. Check refund processing time (5-10 business days)
2. Verify refund method (card vs account balance)
3. Check with your bank
4. Review transaction history
5. Contact support with refund reference

Billing FAQs

Q: When am I charged? A: Services are billed hourly. Charges are deducted from your balance automatically.

Q: What happens if my balance reaches zero? A: Services may be suspended. Add funds immediately to restore service.

Q: Can I get a refund for unused time? A: Contact support to discuss refund eligibility for unused service time.

Q: How do I change my billing email? A: Update in account settings or contact support.

Q: Are there any hidden fees? A: No. All prices are transparent and shown before service creation.

Q: Can I pay annually for a discount? A: Contact sales for annual payment options and discounts.

Q: What currency is used? A: Billing is in Kenyan Shillings (KES) by default. Other currencies may be available.

Next Steps

• Account Settings - Update billing information
• Teams - Understand team billing
• Usage & Activity - Monitor resource usage
• Support - Get billing assistance