Payment methods

HitCounters processes payments through Stripe. We never see your card number directly — it's tokenized by Stripe in the browser.

Adding a payment method

1. Go to /dashboard/billing.php.
2. Click Add Payment Method.
3. Enter your card details in the secure Stripe form (handled by Stripe Elements, not our servers).
4. Click Save.

What we accept

• Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners, JCB, UnionPay.
• Debit cards from supported networks.
• 3D Secure / SCA challenges (European cards) are handled automatically.

We don't currently accept PayPal, ACH, or wire transfers for site subscriptions. For high-volume agency arrangements, contact support.

Why we sometimes ask for a card before you upgrade

We only ask once you cross specific thresholds:

• Adding a 4th free site (we cap unverified accounts at 3 free sites)
• Upgrading any site to a paid tier
• Activating a paid add-on

If you're staying on the free tier with up to 3 sites, we never ask for a card.

Updating or removing a card

From Billing, click Update next to your current card (replaces with a new one) or Remove. You can't remove a card while you have active paid subscriptions; downgrade those sites to Free first.

Multiple cards

Currently we store one default card per account. Stripe handles failed-charge retries automatically, but if a card is declined we email you and pause the affected subscription after a grace period.

Invoices & receipts

Every paid subscription generates an invoice in Stripe. You can download PDF invoices from your Billing page. Invoices include your business name, address, and tax ID if you've added them on the billing page.

Currency & tax

All prices are in USD. EU and UK customers see VAT added on top, calculated by Stripe Tax. If you have a valid VAT ID, add it on the billing page and we'll skip VAT (reverse charge mechanism).

Card declined?

Stripe declines come from your bank, not from us. Common causes:

• Insufficient funds
• The card flagged the charge as suspicious (call your bank to authorize)
• Expired card (update on the billing page)
• The card doesn't support international transactions (we charge from the US)