Billing FAQs
Use this page for common billing questions, then follow the linked guides when you need the full flow.
Quick answers to common billing questions. For deeper detail, follow the links to the full pages.
General
When will I be charged?
You are charged when you first subscribe. After that, the payment recurs on the same calendar day each month (or every 3, 6, or 12 months for prepaid options). See Recurring Billing.
Can I subscribe for longer than one month?
Yes, if the creator offers it. Standard PayBru durations are 1, 3, 6, or 12 months, and creators can offer a discount on longer durations. See Membership Tiers.
What currency will I be charged in?
All charges are in South African Rand (ZAR).
What payment methods are accepted?
PayBru runs payments through Paystack. The methods you'll see at checkout include:
- Cards — Visa or Mastercard (debit or credit). Cards are the only method that can be saved and auto-charged for recurring renewals.
- Pay-by-Bank options where supported (for example Ozow Instant EFT) for once-off payments such as gifts, tips, store purchases, or your first subscription payment.
- Capitec Pay where supported, also for once-off payments.
If you start a subscription with a once-off method (EFT, Ozow, Capitec Pay), you'll need to save a card before the next renewal date so the auto-charge can run.
What fees apply on each transaction?
- PayBru platform fee: 5% on subscriptions, tips, store purchases, and crowdfunding.
- Paystack gateway fee: currently 2.9% + R1.00 per South African local card transaction, excluding VAT. Pay-by-Bank methods such as Ozow EFT and Capitec Pay can use different Paystack pricing. Paystack also charges VAT on its processing fee.
See South African Rand Pricing for a full breakdown and worked example.
Subscriptions
How do I cancel my subscription?
Go to My Activity > My Memberships, find the subscription you want to cancel, and choose Cancel. Your membership stays active until the end of the current paid period and won't be charged again.
Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling?
No — PayBru doesn't currently support pause. You can cancel and re-subscribe later when you're ready.
What happens if I upgrade my tier mid-cycle?
You get the higher tier right away. The new price applies on the next billing date.
What happens if I downgrade?
You keep your current access until the end of the cycle. The lower price applies from the next cycle.
Are there free tiers?
Yes. Some creators offer free tiers. Free tiers don't trigger card charges — they renew automatically without payment.
Failed Payments
My payment failed. What do I do?
Update your card in Resources > My Profile > Payments, then retry the payment from My Activity > My Memberships. You have a 6-day grace period to recover access. See Failed Payments and Access Changes.
Will I lose access immediately if a payment fails?
No. Your membership moves to Past Due and access stays open for 6 days while you fix the issue. You'll get reminders on day 1, day 3, and day 5 if it's still unresolved.
What happens after the grace period?
If the payment isn't resolved within 6 days, your membership changes to Ended and access — including any linked Discord roles — is removed.
My payment is stuck as pending. What should I do?
Pending checkouts that aren't completed expire after about 30 minutes. Close the tab, return to PayBru, and start a fresh checkout. If the bank still hasn't responded, try again later or use a different method.
Gifts
Can I gift a membership to someone?
Yes. You can buy a gift membership for someone else, including anonymously, for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months. The recipient gets a notification with a unique link to claim it. See Gifting Memberships.
How long does a gift stay valid?
Gifts stay claimable for 30 days after they're sent. After that they expire and PayBru refunds the gift via the normal refund flow.
Invoices, Receipts, and Statements
Where can I find my receipts?
Download receipts and statements from My Activity > My Payments in the Client Portal. See Downloading Billing Documents.
Do PayBru receipts show VAT?
PayBru receipts and monthly statements don't break out a VAT line. They show the amount paid, the platform fee, and the gateway fee. Paystack charges VAT on its processing fee, but PayBru keeps that as part of the gateway-fee calculation instead of a separate receipt line. If you need a formal tax invoice for a creator's supply, contact the creator. See Understanding Charges.
Refunds
Can I get a refund?
Yes. PayBru supports both full and partial refunds. Refund eligibility depends on the creator's policy and how recently the charge happened. See Getting Support and Refunds.
How does the refund process work?
A refund typically moves through Requested → Approved → Processing → Completed. Once Paystack completes the refund, your bank usually takes a few business days to credit the original card.
If you have a billing question that isn't answered here, reach out via the in-app support channel for that creator, or contact PayBru support.