> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bchic.de/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Invoices

> Understand how your invoices are composed and how upgrades are billed.

> Our invoices are generated automatically via our billing portal (Stripe). At the beginning of every billing cycle, you receive an invoice for the booked package of the upcoming period.

## How do our invoices work?

Since our pricing model is based on data volume and not on seats, your invoice is usually very simple: You pay a fixed amount for your chosen package.

The invoice only looks more complex if you **perform an upgrade in the middle of the month** (e.g., switching from the "Starter" package to the "Business" package). In this case, our system automatically offsets the unused time of the old package against the runtime of the new package.

### Example calculation for an upgrade

Suppose you switch your package on August 16th. Your next invoice on September 1st would look like this:

| **Description**                                   | **Amount**  |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| **Adjustments (Aug 16 - Sep 1)**                  |             |
| Remaining time on "Business Package" after Aug 16 | €100.00     |
| Unused time on "Starter Package" after Aug 16     | -€50.00     |
| **Upcoming Month (Sep 1 - Oct 1)**                |             |
| Business Package (Monthly)                        | €200.00     |
|                                                   |             |
| Subtotal                                          | €250.00     |
| VAT (19%)                                         | €47.50      |
| **Total**                                         | **€297.50** |

### Explanation of line items

An invoice after a switch often consists of two parts:

#### 1. The upcoming month

This is the standard part. You pay in advance for the next full month of your new package (in the example, the "Business Package" for €200).

#### 2. Adjustments for the previous month (Proration)

This section appears only if you have made changes. The system calculates billing down to the minute:

* **Unused time (Credit):** Since you paid for the old "Starter Package" for the whole month in advance but stopped using it as of the 16th, this amount is **credited** to you (in the example -€50).
* **Remaining time (Charge):** You have already used the services of the "Business Package" starting from August 16th. This partial amount is now **charged** to you (in the example €100).

The difference between these two amounts forms the additional payment for the upgrade in the past month.

### Summary

**Total Amount = (Pro-rated cost of new plan - Pro-rated refund of old plan) + New plan for next month**

This process ensures that you always pay exactly for the service available to you at any given time – no more, no less.