Billing Operations Guide

For Operations & Support Staff

This guide outlines the standard procedures for handling billing inquiries, payment issues, and subscription management.

1. System Overview

PenguinMails uses Stripe as the payment processor and source of truth for all billing data.

  • Stripe: Handles credit cards, charging, invoices, and receipts.
  • PenguinMails DB: Mirrors Stripe status via webhooks.
  • Admin Dashboard: Your primary tool for viewing status and performing basic actions.
  • Stripe Dashboard: Advanced actions (refunds, disputes) - restricted access.

2. Common Workflows

🔍 Customer Lookup

Goal: Find a user’s billing details.

  1. Go to Admin Dashboard > Users.
  2. Search by email or name.
  3. Click View Details.
  4. Look for the Subscription card:
    • Plan: Current tier (e.g., Pro Monthly).
    • Status: active, past_due, canceled.
    • Stripe ID: Links directly to the customer in Stripe (if you have access).

💳 Handling Refunds

Policy: Refunds are approved for technical errors or within 7 days of accidental renewal.

  1. Verify Eligibility: Check if the request meets the refund policy.
  2. Process in Stripe (Requires Finance/Admin Role):
    • Locate the Payment in Stripe Dashboard.
    • Click Refund.
    • Select reason (e.g., “Duplicate”, “Requested by customer”).
    • Note: Partial refunds are possible for unused time.
  3. Log the Action: Add a note in the user’s admin profile or support ticket.

🛑 Cancellations

Goal: Help a user cancel who cannot access the portal.

  1. Direct User to Portal: Always encourage self-service via “Manage Subscription” in their dashboard.
  2. Manual Cancellation (If user is locked out):
    • Go to Admin Dashboard > Tenants.
    • Find the tenant.
    • Select Cancel Subscription.
    • Option: “Cancel Immediately” vs “Cancel at Period End” (Preferred).

🎁 Granting Comps / Extensions

Goal: Give free access for support recovery or VIPs.

  1. Go to Admin Dashboard > Tenants.
  2. Select Edit Plan / Override.
  3. Choose Plan: “Pro” (or relevant tier).
  4. Discount/Comp:
    • Apply “100% Off Coupon” (if integrated).
    • Or set “Trial End Date” to a future date (e.g., +30 days).

3. Troubleshooting Payments

“My payment failed”

Diagnosis:

  1. Check Admin Dashboard for past_due status.
  2. Check Stripe Dashboard (or logs) for decline reason:
    • insufficient_funds: User needs to top up.
    • do_not_honor: Bank blocked it (User must call bank).
    • expired_card: User needs to update card.

Resolution:

  • Send user the “Update Payment Method” link (from their dashboard).
  • Stripe automatically retries 3 times over 2 weeks.

“I was charged twice”

Diagnosis:

  1. Check Stripe for duplicate charges on the same day.
  2. Scenario A: Two separate accounts? (Search by last 4 digits of card).
  3. Scenario B: Authorization hold vs. Charge? (Holds disappear in 5-7 days).

Resolution:

  • If true duplicate: Refund one immediately.

4. Dispute Management (Chargebacks)

⚠️ Critical: Disputes hurt our reputation with Visa/Mastercard.

  1. Notification: Finance team receives dispute alert.
  2. Investigation:
    • Did the user log in? (Check Audit Trail).
    • Did they use the service? (Check Email Volume).
  3. Response:
    • Accept: If fraud is suspected or amount is small (<$20).
    • Challenge: If we have proof of usage. Submit evidence (Logs, ToS acceptance) via Stripe.

5. Escalation Matrix

Issue Escalation Route SLA
Standard Refund Support Lead 24h
Dispute / Chargeback Finance Team 48h
Stripe Sync Error Engineering (Platform) 4h
Mass Payment Failure Engineering (Critical) 15m