Billing Model Overview
QR Code Pro supports two payment modes:
- AUTO: recurring billing token is captured and renewals are automated.
- MANUAL: you pay renewal invoices manually from billing.
This guide explains what happens during upgrades, renewals, and missed payments.
Where Billing Actions Happen
Use these account areas:
- Pricing for selecting plan and payment mode.
- Account Billing for paying invoices and checking status.
- Pay links and reminder emails direct you to
/account?tab=billing.
How Upgrades Work
When you start checkout from pricing:
- A payment request is created.
- The payment mode intent (AUTO or MANUAL) is sent to payment processing.
- On successful payment notification, subscription is updated to active and billing records are written.
Result after successful payment:
- Subscription is set to active.
- Current billing period is extended.
- Invoice is marked paid (or created and marked paid).
- Payment history record is stored.
Manual Renewals: What to Expect
Manual renewals are reminder/invoice-driven.
Before due date:
- The system checks active paid subscriptions with MANUAL payment mode.
- A pending renewal invoice is generated for the due window when needed.
- Reminder email is sent with billing link.
After due date if unpaid:
- Status can move to OVERDUE.
- Continued non-payment can move status to SUSPENDED.
- Overdue notices are sent on configured reminder days.
Important:
- Auto-pay subscriptions are excluded from manual reminder/overdue cron processing.
Auto-Pay: What to Expect
Auto-pay depends on a valid subscription token from payment processing.
Behavior highlights:
- If auto-pay is requested but no token is returned, billing falls back to MANUAL to prevent a broken auto-pay state.
- If auto-pay is already active, creating a second auto-pay setup is blocked.
- If you enable auto-pay while you still have significant paid time left, you may be warned that setup triggers an immediate charge.
If Auto-Pay Is Cancelled
When cancellation is received from payment processing:
- Subscription token is removed.
- Payment mode reverts to MANUAL.
- Access remains active until the current period end.
Why My Plan Did Not Downgrade Automatically
By default, paid access does not instantly downgrade at period end when there is billing debt. Instead, account lifecycle follows billing statuses (active, overdue, suspended) tied to payment state.
If you need a different commercial policy (for example immediate downgrade), treat that as a product-rule change request rather than expected current behavior.
How to Recover If Suspended
- Open billing and pay the outstanding invoice.
- On successful payment processing, subscription is reactivated.
- Inactive QR codes are reactivated as part of successful payment handling.
- Confirm scans and redirects are working again.
Billing Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice exists but payment page fails | Invalid/expired checkout attempt | Re-initiate payment from billing |
| Requested auto-pay but still manual | No recurring token returned | Re-run auto-pay setup with card checkout |
| Account is suspended | Renewal invoice unpaid past grace/overdue thresholds | Pay outstanding invoice in billing tab |
| Paid but account still looks stale | Webhook timing/refresh delay | Refresh account page and verify payment history |
Verification Checklist
After any payment or renewal:
- Subscription status is active.
- Payment mode matches expectation (AUTO or MANUAL).
- Invoice status is paid for the transaction.
- Current period end is updated.
- QR redirects and analytics are functioning.
Related Guides
- Domain and branding behavior by plan:
team-vs-pro-plan-capabilities. - Custom domain setup and URL troubleshooting:
custom-domains-complete-guide. - Analytics export for reconciliation/reporting:
analytics-csv-export-guide.
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