EarthLink Billing FAQs

EarthLink Billing FAQs

Overall Invoicing Questions

EarthLink's My Account found in the EarthLink Customer Portal is your one-stop-shop for handling your account and services with EarthLink. The site is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can:
  1. See your current balance
  2. View a past or current invoice
  3. Make a one-time payment
  4. Update your automated payment information (e.g. credit card number or expiration date)
  5. Update your contact information
  6. Add on services
  7. And more!
Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.  

Is AutoPay required?
EarthLink makes AutoPay simple. Our Fiber/Internet plans come equipped with Unlimited Data which means you’ll never pay an overage charge. Your bill is consistent and will be notified 30 days in advance of any price changes. A Credit Card/Debit Card for AutoPay and Paperless Billing is required for all new service plans.

How can I view my invoice online?
You can view your current and past invoices by logging into the My Account Portal or by using the myEarthLink App (available for iOS and Android devices).  To access the My Account Portal, please go to https://portal.earthlink.net and login with your account information.

Once you are logged in, click on Billing information in the navigation menu and then View Invoices.  You will be able to view your current balance, previous balances, one-time payments, and adjustments.

Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.  

Why is my invoice showing a $0 balance?
Your credit card or bank payment has been processed. No further action is required.

Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.  

How can I pay my invoice without signing into the My Account Portal?
You can pay your invoice online quickly and easily:
  1. Visit pay.earthlink.net 
  2. Select a method to identify your account. [Phone number and address or Account number]
  3. Select Continue
  4. Enter your information to verify your account
  5. Enter Payment amount
  6. Select Payment method- Credit/Debit Card or Bank Draft (ACH)*
  7. Select Continue
  8. Enter Payment details for your credit or debit card
  9. Enter your Billing Address (International Address? -select “International.”)
  10. Read Disclaimer and select “I’ve read and agree.”
  11. Select Continue
*Bank Draft (ACH) is limited to 1transaction per 60 days. This option will not be available to select within the 60 days after transaction is processed.

Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert. 

If you pay by credit card, a rejected payment usually means that either your credit card is no longer valid or has reached its limit (insufficient funds).

You can update your credit card information in My Account.

Whatever the reason for the rejected payment, you have a few options. 
  1. In My Account, change your method of payment (for example, use a different credit card).
  2. In My Account, submit a one-time payment using another credit card.
All new services require a credit/debit card for Auto Pay setup. Payment will be processed at the start of each billing cycle.
 
For customers that were set up for Check Pay prior to this policy:

Mail a check or money order to: EarthLink Inc., PO Box 790216, St. Louis, MO 63179-0216. Please write your account number on the memo line.

How do I update my method of payment?
  1. Under the Menu on the left-hand side, click Billing Information
  2. Scroll down to Payment Method and click Edit icon
  3. Fill out the form with your new credit card number, expiration date and CSV number and proper billing address
  4. Click Save Changes
  5. Once the changes are saved, you can see the new card in Billing Information.
Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.

For further information on how to change your payment method, review our support article.

How do I make a one-time payment?

Fiber Internet:

  1. Log into EarthLink Customer Portal:
    1. Go to https://portal.earthlink.net and login with your account information.
    2. Click on "Make a Payment" in the left navigation menu
    3. Follow the steps to make a one time payment
You will see a confirmation page once your payment has been accepted.

5G Home Internet:

EarthLink 5G Home Internet is a pre-paid service. You must provide a credit card to purchase the service and for auto debit of your monthly services. To make a one-time payment or change your credit card on file, visit EarthLink Customer Portal.

Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.

For further information on how to make a one-time payment, review our support article.

What is my billing cycle date?

Your billing starts the day you activate your 5G Home Internet service or EarthLink Fiber/Internet is installed. Each billing cycle is a total of 30 days. A billing cycle is recurring and is most often set to repeat monthly.

You can make your payment anytime on or before the due date.

Can I change my billing cycle date?

Yes, you can change your billing cycle date. Your next invoice will include a prorated charge to offset the amount you would normally be charged between your old cycle date and new cycle date

  1. Scenario 1:
    1. Today (2/14) is your invoice bill cycle date and we changed your invoice bill cycle to 2/21.
    2. You will be billed your normal charge on 2/21. In addition, you will be billed a prorated charge to cover 1 week (2/14 – 2/21) on 2/21.
  2. Scenario 2:
    1. Today (2/14) is your invoice bill cycle date and we change your invoice bill cycle to 3/7
    2. You will be billed your normal charge on 2/14. You will be billed a prorated charge on 3/7 which will be reduced by 1 week (a credit from 3/8 – 3/14) on 3/7.
  3. Scenario 3:
    1. The invoice bill cycle date is the 24th. You contact us on the 3rd of the month and request to change the bill cycle to the 6th of the month.
    2. Having been billed on the 24th your account is paid in advance until the 23rd of the next month. On the 6th (3 days later) you will be billed a prorated charge to cover next month’s charges from the 24th through the 5th. From that point forward you will receive an invoice, on the 6th of the month.
Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.  

Where can I get assistance with service/support questions?

For assistance with service or support questions visit help.earthlink.net. Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.. 

I already sent in a payment. Why did I receive another invoice?

Due to postal delays, we might not receive or process your payment prior to sending out the second notice.
Get up-to-the-minute information about your current balance at My Account. 

Additional Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.  

I canceled my account recently. Why did I receive another invoice?

You received another bill because:
  1. You have an unpaid balance due from prior payment periods. This includes fees associated with checks that have bounced.
  2. There where were charges that change every month and were billed after your last invoice.
  3. Or your cancellation caused you to incur early termination fees per your agreement with EarthLink. 

Questions about Specific Charges on Your Invoice

What are the fees and taxes on my bill?

Taxes:
  1. Your invoice includes federal, state, and local taxes. These charges vary depending on the taxing statutes and regulations of your state and local area, and the types of Earthlink products/services. 
Fees:
  1. The USF (Universal Service Fund) Recovery Fee is a regulatory surcharge assessed for use of the network.
  2. Service Fee covers a variety of benefits, such as 24/7 support through Chat and Text, and U.S. based support when requested.
Additional Fees that may occur:
  1. Installation fee will vary based upon speed or territory. This is a one-time fee associated with installing EarthLink Fiber/Internet
  2. Processing and Handling Fee (P&H Fee) is a fee associated with our EarthLink 5G Home Internet service. This is a one-time fee that covers the cost of shipping our modem/router (2 Business Day) along with onboarding a new user to the network to achieve an Internet signal at their location.
  3. Reactivation Fee is the cost to reactivate service with the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC). The fee will be applied when the account has been suspended in order to resume services.
  4. Late Payment Fee is accrued when we have not received payment within 3 Days of your Billing Cycle.
  5. Convenience Fee is applied when a customer contacts our customer support team to make a one-time payment. Exclusions to this fee when applicable.
  6. Early Termination Fee applies if a customer cancels within their Subscription period. EarthLink 5G Home Internet is excluded since this is a month to month product.
  7. Non-Returned Equipment Fee is associated with equipment that has not been returned within 15 days of cancellation. 
  8. Add on data costs for select 5G plans. This allows for additional high-speed data on your plan prior to the next billing cycle. All purchased data expires within the current billing cycle. 

I recently added a new product to my account. When will I see the charges reflected on my invoice?

When a new product is added to your account after the original sale, this will cause your account to receive prorated charges.
If a new product or service occurs on a day other than the Bill Cycle date, a prorated fee will be applied to the account.

On your next invoice your account will reflect your current service charge in addition to a full month charge and prorated charge for the new product applied.

Please note: some products come with a 30-day free trial. The monthly charge and prorated charge of the new product(s) will be delayed by 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) and not show in the next billing cycle invoice.

When will prorated charges not occur?

  1. Simple bill plan change
  2. Account downgrades

What is the "Partial Month" charge listed on my invoice?

If you change your account or service type in the middle of the month it could result in charges being prorated for that month.

Some examples of changes that could have a prorated charge include upgrades, adding extra mailboxes beyond those included in your account, or reactivating your account after the normal billing cycle.

Note: because your service is billed in advance, your bill will include the full charge for the upcoming month plus the partial month charge for the previous month.

What is the Processing and Handling Fee charge listed on my invoice?

This is a one-time fee that covers the cost of shipping our modem/router (2 Business Day) along with onboarding a new user to the network to achieve an Internet signal at their location. Please note that Processing and Handling charges are non-refundable 

How long will it take to see a credit, adjustment or a refund on my invoice?

Fiber Internet

Credits are applied the date of issue and will reflect on your next billing statement.
Note: Credits will appear as a separate line item on your invoice

Refunds are processed through your current method of payment, regardless of how the original charges were collected. Refunds are typically processed within 2-3 business days. However, your banking institution may take longer to reflect the credit on your account.

Questions? Use Contact Us start a live chat, text 833-458-4360 or call 888-327-8454 to reach a Support Expert.                                                                                                                       

5G Home Internet

To receive a refund approved at the time or cancellation, you will need to return the router in good condition.  The Processing and Handling fee is non-refundable. Refunds are processed about 7 days after the router is returned.

If you return the router within 15 days after disconnection you will not be charged a fee.

If you do not return the router within 15 days, you will be charged a non-returned router fee.

If the router is returned in 15-45 days and is in good condition, the non-returned router fee can be refunded.

Refunds for data usage: We do not offer refunds for unused data. Customers are responsible for the Processing and Handling fee and the first monthly invoice.

Having trouble returning your router? Call us at 866-323-0325 and one of our experts can help.

Where is my refund?

Automated method of payments, like credit/debit cards or bank drafts, will be refunded directly to the method of payment listed on the account. This can take 2-3 Business days to process in our system. However, your bank may take longer to return this amount to your account.

If you make check payments, you’ll receive a check in the mail with a refund.

Note: Refund check requests are held for 20 days (about 3 weeks) from the last payment post-date.

When will my services be restored after making a payment?

Fiber/Internet-
Suspended Services: Once your balance and Reactivation Fee are paid services will be restored within 24 hours. The Reactivation Fee is required to trigger our Resume automated process.

Disconnected Services: Once your balance and Reactivation Fee are paid a new service can be installed.

5G Home Internet-
Suspended Services: Once your balance is paid services will be restored within 24 hours. There is no Reactivation Fee required for this process to occur.

Disconnected Services: Once your balance is paid, your connection can be reestablished. There is no Reactivation Fee required for this process to occur.
Fiber/Internet:
Our prices are Priced Locked for the duration of your subscription period (1yr/2yr terms). EarthLink does not have scheduled price changes. Any price change is typically performed company-wide.   A customer will be notified, via their online bill statement, 30 days prior to any change of price and/or fees.

5G Home Internet:
EarthLink does not have scheduled price changes. Our 5G Home Internet is considered a month-to-month service with NO annual subscriptions. Any price change is typically performed company-wide.  A customer will be notified, via their online bill statement, 30 days prior to any change of price and/or fees.
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