I paid twice by accident

Double charges happen. Almost always they are the result of clicking the payment button twice, or a browser retry after a slow response. Stripe usually catches these but sometimes lets both go through. Here is how to fix it.

First, confirm you actually paid twice

Check:

• Your card or bank statement for two charges to Basis Appeals
• Your email inbox for two payment confirmations from Stripe
• The plan portal if your card issuer shows details
• Whether the two charges are for the same tier or different tiers

Some things look like duplicates but are not:

• A pending charge that appears twice on some cards until it settles (both disappear or one drops)
• A hold plus a charge (a hold on a debit card followed by the actual charge)
• A charge from Basis Appeals plus a fee from your bank (some banks charge a small transaction fee)

If you are sure you have two identical charges from us, keep reading.

Email support

Include:

• Your appeal ID or two IDs if you got two
• The last four digits of the card used
• The date and dollar amount of each charge
• Screenshots of the two Stripe confirmations if you have them

We look up the payment records on Stripe. If we confirm two charges, we refund the second one immediately. Refunds typically appear on the card within 3 to 5 business days depending on the issuer.

What we do internally

• Look up your email on Stripe
• Find the two charge sessions
• Confirm they are for the same tier and appeal ID (or for two different appeals if you started two)
• Refund the duplicate at 100 percent

If you started two separate appeals accidentally (two different intake sessions), we usually refund the second and archive the second appeal ID. Your first appeal, with the correct PDF, remains active.

What we do not do

• We do not automatically double-refund without confirming both charges. The reason is that Stripe sometimes shows what looks like a duplicate but is a pending-plus-settle pattern.
• We do not charge a processing fee for duplicate refunds. Any Stripe fees on the second charge are our cost, not yours.

Prevention

• After clicking the checkout button, wait for the confirmation before clicking again
• If your browser looks like it froze, wait 30 seconds before retrying
• Check email for a Stripe confirmation before assuming payment did not go through
• If you accidentally close the tab, check email for the confirmation before retrying

If your card issuer disputes the charge

If you already filed a dispute with your card issuer (chargeback), let us know in your support email. We will process our refund and inform the card issuer, which usually resolves the dispute quickly. Do not file a chargeback before contacting us; it slows the refund for you.

Timing

• Support response: within one business day
• Refund initiated: same day we confirm
• Refund visible on card: 3 to 5 business days typical

For your records

• Save the two Stripe confirmations until the refund appears
• Save our refund confirmation email
• Note the transaction dates in your file

When it is not actually a duplicate

Sometimes the two charges are for two different things:

• $49 for a first letter, and $99 for an upgrade or a second letter
• $49 for a preview that you did not realize you already paid for, followed by another $49 for a new preview

If the two charges are for two different appeals, we can still discuss. Email support and we sort it out.