Managing Your Subscription

Your subscription settings give you control over your Balance Premium plan. This guide shows you how to access settings, update payment information, and manage your subscription through Stripe.

Accessing Subscription Settings

In Balance App

1. Tap your profile icon (top right) to open side menu
2. Select “Plan & Subscription”
3. This opens Stripe Customer Portal in your browser

Note: Balance doesn’t have a built-in subscription settings page. All subscription management is done through the Stripe Customer Portal.

Stripe Customer Portal

Balance uses Stripe for secure subscription management.

Accessing Stripe Portal

1. Tap your profile icon (top right)
2. Select “Plan & Subscription” from side menu
3. Opens Stripe Customer Portal in browser
4. You’ll be authenticated automatically

Stripe portal is where you:

• Update payment method
• View billing history
• Download invoices
• Update billing address
• Cancel subscription

What’s in Stripe Portal

Overview tab:

• Current subscription details
• Next payment date and amount
• Payment method on file

Payment methods:

• Add new card
• Set default card
• Remove old cards

Billing history:

• All past invoices
• Download PDF receipts
• See payment dates and amounts

Subscription:

• Cancel subscription
• View plan details
• See renewal date

Updating Payment Method

Adding a New Card

1. Open Stripe portal (Profile icon > Plan & Subscription)
2. Click "+ Add payment method"
3. Enter card details:
   • Card number
   • Expiration date
   • CVC
   • ZIP code
4. Click “Add”
5. Set as default (if desired)
6. Done!

Next charge will use new default card.

Removing Old Cards

1. Open Stripe portal
2. Find card to remove
3. Click "…" or “Remove”
4. Confirm removal
5. Done!

Cannot remove the only payment method on active subscription.

Updating Expiration Date

If your card expires:

Option 1: Bank auto-updates (many banks update expiration automatically)

Option 2: Add new card

• Add card with new expiration
• Set as default
• Remove old card

Viewing Billing History

In Stripe Portal

1. Open Stripe portal
2. Click “Billing history” or “Invoices”
3. See all past payments

Each invoice shows:

• Date charged
• Amount
• Payment method used
• Invoice number
• Status (Paid, Failed, Pending)

Downloading Invoices

1. Find invoice in billing history
2. Click “Download” or PDF icon
3. PDF receipt downloads
4. Save for your records

Good for:

• Tax purposes
• Expense reports
• Personal records
• Proof of payment

Changing Your Plan

Upgrading Monthly → Annual

To save money:

1. First, cancel your Monthly subscription (via Plan & Subscription)
2. Then go to Pricing page or Subscribe button
3. Select “Premium Annual”
4. Enter payment information
5. Complete checkout
6. Annual subscription begins after Monthly expires

Important: You must cancel Monthly first to avoid having duplicate subscriptions.

Learn more about upgrading →

Downgrading Annual → Monthly

Cannot downgrade mid-year.

At renewal:

1. Cancel annual subscription before renewal
2. Let it expire
3. Subscribe to Monthly
4. New Monthly billing begins

Checking Subscription Status

Current Plan

To check your subscription status:

1. Open Stripe Customer Portal (Profile icon > Plan & Subscription)
2. View your current subscription details
3. See next billing date and amount

In Balance app:

• Your subscription status affects which features are available
• If you can connect bank accounts, you have an active subscription
• If you can’t connect accounts, you’re on the Free plan

Trial Status

During trial:

• Your subscription status will be “trialing” in Stripe
• You have full Premium access
• Trial lasts 30 days
• No credit card required

Free Plan

If not subscribed:

• Cannot connect bank accounts
• Can use manual transaction entry
• All other features available
• Can subscribe anytime via Pricing page

Updating Billing Address

In Stripe Portal

1. Open Stripe portal
2. Click “Payment methods”
3. Select your card
4. Click “Update billing details”
5. Enter new address
6. Save

Important for:

• Card verification
• Tax purposes
• Accurate billing
• Invoice records

Renewal Management

Automatic Renewal

Both plans auto-renew:

Premium Monthly:

• Charges every month
• Same day each month
• Until canceled

Premium Annual:

• Charges once per year
• Anniversary of subscription
• Until canceled

Renewal Notifications

You’ll receive email:

• 7 days before renewal
• Reminder of upcoming charge
• Amount to be charged
• Option to cancel before renewal

Preventing Renewal

To stop auto-renewal:

1. Cancel subscription before renewal date
2. Use service until expiration
3. Reverts to free plan
4. No renewal charge

Failed Payments

What Happens

If payment fails:

Day 1: Payment attempted, fails
↓
Email notification sent
↓
Day 3: Retry payment
↓
Day 7: Final retry
↓
Day 10: Subscription canceled if still failing
↓
Account reverts to Free plan

Why Payments Fail

Common reasons:

• Card expired
• Insufficient funds
• Card canceled/replaced
• Bank declined
• Incorrect billing info

Fixing Failed Payments

1. Check email for failure notice
2. Open Stripe portal
3. Update payment method
4. Or retry with same card (if temporary issue)
5. Payment processes immediately
6. Subscription reactivates

Subscription Notifications

Email Notifications

You’ll receive emails for:

Successful payments:

• Receipt immediately after charge
• Invoice attached
• Next billing date

Upcoming renewals:

• 7 days before charge
• Amount reminder
• Option to cancel

Failed payments:

• Immediate notification
• Instructions to update payment
• Deadline before cancellation

Plan changes:

• Confirmation of upgrade/downgrade
• New billing terms
• Effective date

Managing Email Preferences

Cannot opt out of:

• Payment receipts
• Failed payment notices
• Subscription status changes

These are transactional (required by law).

Security

Stripe Security

Your payment info is:

• ✅ Never stored by Balance
• ✅ Encrypted by Stripe
• ✅ PCI compliant
• ✅ Industry-standard protection

We never see:

• Full card number (only last 4 digits)
• CVV/security code
• Full card details

Stripe handles all payment processing securely.

Protecting Your Account

Best practices:

• Use strong password
• Enable two-factor auth (coming soon)
• Don’t share login credentials
• Monitor billing history regularly
• Report suspicious charges immediately

Troubleshooting

“Can’t access Stripe portal”

Try:

• Check internet connection
• Try different browser
• Clear cache and cookies
• Wait a few minutes and retry
• Contact support if persists

“Payment method won’t update”

Check:

• Card details entered correctly
• Card not expired
• Sufficient credit limit
• Bank not blocking
• Try different card

“Don’t see my subscription”

If you’re subscribed but it shows Free:

• Wait a few minutes for sync
• Close and reopen app
• Check email for payment confirmation
• Contact support with receipt

“Charged wrong amount”

Check:

• Which plan you’re on (Monthly $5.99 or Annual $59.99)
• Taxes may be added (depending on location)
• Review invoice in Stripe portal
• Contact support if error

Best Practices

Regular Reviews

Monthly (for Monthly subscribers):

• Check that charge went through
• Verify amount correct
• Confirm still want subscription

Annually (for Annual subscribers):

• Review before renewal
• Confirm still using Balance
• Consider if worth renewing

Keep Payment Current

Update immediately if:

• Card expires
• Card lost/stolen
• Bank issues new card
• Move to new address

Prevents service interruption.

Download Invoices

Save for:

• Tax records
• Expense tracking
• Reimbursement claims
• Business expenses

Download annually for records.

Next Steps

1. Upgrading Your Plan - Switch to Annual for savings
2. Canceling Your Subscription - If you need to cancel
3. Billing Issues - Troubleshoot payment problems
4. Account Limits - Understand what’s included

Questions? Contact our support team - we’re here to help!