Billing and Payment Issues
NeedBridge is an email-powered need-matching platform that connects people in need with volunteers through nonprofit organizations. This article covers common billing and payment problems you may encounter and how to resolve them. Billing in NeedBridge is managed through Stripe and is typically handled by organization administrators.
Payment Method Declined
If your organization's payment method is declined, you may see a notification in the admin panel or receive an email about the failed payment.
Common Causes
- The credit card on file has expired.
- The card issuer declined the transaction (insufficient funds, fraud protection, etc.).
- The billing address does not match the card issuer's records.
How to Fix
- Log in to the NeedBridge admin panel as an admin.
- Navigate to the billing or subscription section.
- Click the link to manage your payment method. This will take you to the Stripe customer portal.
- Update your credit card or payment method with current, valid information.
- Stripe will automatically retry the failed payment once the new method is saved.
If the payment continues to fail after updating, contact your card issuer to ensure there are no blocks on the transaction.
Plan Limits Reached
Each NeedBridge plan has limits on certain features, such as the number of active needs your organization can have at one time.
Symptoms
- You see a message that you have reached your plan's limit when trying to create a new need.
- Certain features appear disabled or show an upgrade prompt.
How to Fix
- Review your current plan in the billing section of the admin panel to understand your limits.
- Upgrade your plan if you need higher limits. Plan changes take effect immediately.
- Contact your admin if you are not an admin and cannot access billing settings. Let them know you have hit a limit so they can decide whether to upgrade.
Cannot Access Billing Settings
Only users with the admin role can access billing and subscription settings. If you do not see the billing section in the admin panel, your role does not include billing permissions.
How to Fix
- Contact your organization's admin and ask them to handle the billing change.
- If you believe you should have admin access, ask the current admin to update your role.
- Billing cannot be delegated to coordinator or case worker roles.
Subscription Status Issues
If your organization's subscription has lapsed or is in an error state, you may experience reduced functionality.
Symptoms
- Features that previously worked are no longer available.
- A banner or notification appears in the admin panel about subscription status.
- Emails or notifications may be paused.
How to Fix
- Check the billing section of the admin panel for details about the subscription status.
- If a payment failed, update your payment method (see above).
- If the subscription was cancelled, you may need to resubscribe from the billing page.
- Contact NeedBridge support if the status does not update after resolving the payment issue.
Unexpected Charges
If you see a charge you do not recognize:
- Check the billing history in the Stripe customer portal. It shows all past invoices with dates and amounts.
- NeedBridge charges are recurring (monthly or annual depending on your plan).
- If you recently upgraded your plan, you may see a prorated charge for the remainder of the billing period.
- Contact NeedBridge support if you still cannot explain a charge after reviewing your billing history.
Contacting Support for Billing Help
For billing issues that cannot be resolved through the admin panel or Stripe portal:
- Email NeedBridge support with your organization name and a description of the issue.
- Include any error messages or screenshots if applicable.
- Do not include full credit card numbers in support communications. The last four digits are sufficient for support to identify payment issues.