Billing, VAT and payments
Subscription payments go through Paddle, our reseller: Paddle collects the payment, issues the invoice and calculates VAT. TechWatchAlert never sees your card number. This page complements Plan and billing.
- Who it is for: the organisation’s Owner edits the billing details and the payment method; Admins can view them and see the banner when a payment is overdue.
- Where: Organisation settings › Plan and billing, Payment method and Billing details sections.
Billing details
Section titled “Billing details”They appear on your invoices and are passed to Paddle at checkout.
| Field | Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | Yes | Name of the invoiced company |
| Billing country, address | The country, yes | Determines the applicable VAT |
| EU VAT number | No | Checked as you type (country format), then verified with VIES, the European Commission’s service. A valid number enables the reverse charge |
| SIREN | Yes for a French company | 9 digits; it must match the French VAT number |
| Billing contact | No | Receives invoices and payment notices, in addition to the Owner. Often the person who holds the card |
| Other billing emails | No | Up to 5 addresses (accounting, purchasing…) |
| Purchase order reference | No | Shown in invoice emails and passed to Paddle |
The VAT number status appears under the field: Validated by VIES (with the registered name), Rejected by VIES, or VIES unavailable when a Member State’s service does not respond. An unavailable VIES never stops you from paying: Paddle checks again at checkout. Check again reruns the verification.
VAT and reverse charge
Section titled “VAT and reverse charge”Prices are shown excluding VAT. A box under the form states what will apply:
- valid VAT number (European Union company): the invoice applies the reverse charge, VAT is due by your company;
- number entered but not yet validated: Paddle checks it at checkout;
- no number: your country’s VAT is added;
- outside the European Union: Paddle adds any locally applicable tax.
Before payment
Section titled “Before payment”When you choose a plan in the Choose a subscription window, a Billing details step opens before Paddle’s form: a summary if everything is filled in (Continue to payment, or Edit), otherwise the form. Paddle’s form then opens pre-filled: billing contact email, address, company name and VAT number.
Payment method
Section titled “Payment method”The section shows the card saved with Paddle (brand, last 4 digits, expiry). Update payment method opens Paddle’s secure page (3-D Secure included).
Changing plan
Section titled “Changing plan”- To a higher plan: the change is immediate. Before you confirm, the confirmation bar shows the summary calculated by Paddle: the amount charged today, prorated, the credit for the current period and the next charge.
- To a lower plan (or from yearly to monthly): the change takes effect at the end of the paid period. Nothing is charged or refunded; you keep the paid plan until then. The Payment method section shows the effective date, with Cancel this change.
When a payment fails
Section titled “When a payment fails”Paddle retries the charge automatically. TechWatchAlert follows this schedule:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| D-30 | Renewal notice (yearly subscription); notice if the card expires before the next charge |
| Day of failure | Email to the Owner, the billing contact and the billing emails, with the no-sign-in payment link; banner for Owners and Admins |
| D+3, D+7, D+12 | Reminders |
| D+14 | Warning: “moving to Free on DD/MM” |
| End of the grace period (D+21 by default) | The organisation moves to the Free plan. Nothing is deleted |
These emails are service messages: they contain no promotion.
Invoices
Section titled “Invoices”Invoices are issued by Paddle and can be downloaded from the Invoices section of the Plan and billing page. For each invoice, the declared billing emails receive a download link, with no sign-in, valid for 30 days.
Can I pay by SEPA direct debit or bank transfer? Online payment uses the methods Paddle offers in your country. To pay against a purchase order or by bank transfer (Enterprise plan), write to us.
E-invoicing (France). Invoices are issued by Paddle, TechWatchAlert’s reseller; they carry your SIREN and VAT number. For questions about receiving them in your approved platform, write to us.
I am not the Owner but I need to pay. Ask the Owner for the payment link, or use the one in the email you received as billing contact: no sign-in is needed.