Why am I seeing a charge before my server’s payment due date?

We use a preauthorization process to verify that your payment method is valid and that funds are available. This process happens a few days before your actual payment due date to help ensure there are no disruptions to your service.

Please note that this is not an actual charge, it's a temporary hold placed by your bank or card provider to confirm fund availability. Your invoice will still be charged only on the due date, and for the correct billing period.

If everything goes smoothly, the hold either becomes the actual charge on the payment date or is automatically released if the payment is completed in another way (e.g., via account balance).

Why did I get charged after cancelling my server?

If you cancel a service after the preauthorization process has already started, you may still see a temporary charge or hold on your payment method.

If your cancellation was successful and completed before the due date, you will not be charged, and the temporary hold will be lifted by your bank automatically, usually within a few business days.

To know if your cancellation was successful, you should have received an email confirmation of your cancellation. You can also check your subscription

I had enough balance in my Contabo account, why was my card still charged?

Even if your Contabo account balance is sufficient to cover the renewal, a preauthorization may still be initiated on your default payment method. This is because the system starts preparing the payment a few days in advance.

When the payment is made, it will use your balance instead and the preauthorization on your card will be automatically released.