Summary

EarthLink's My Account site is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can complete the following tasks online in just minutes:

• See your current balance.
  
• View a past or current invoice, including specific charges.
  
• Arrange for a one-time payment via a different credit card.
  
• Update your automated payment information (e.g., credit card number or expiration date).
  
• Update your contact information.
  
• And more!
  

Overall Invoicing Questions

How do I read my invoice?

For help on understanding your EarthLink invoice, click here.

Why did EarthLink send me an email copy of my invoice?

If you pay for your service by credit card or automatic bank deduction, you can find your monthly invoice in My Account a day after your bill cycle date. The "e-invoice" typically shows a "$0" balance due, meaning that your credit card or bank account has already been charged or debited and no action is required on your part. Here, the e-invoice is just for your records and to provide you with a breakdown of the charges applied to your account. However, if your e-invoice shows an amount due, this means your payment was rejected and you must taken action (see next question).

Why was my payment rejected? What do I need to do about it?

If you pay by credit card, a rejected payment usually means that either your credit card is no longer valid or it has reached its limit. 

This often happens when a card expires, even if a new card is issued. Whenever your credit card information changes, please update the credit card information we have in My Account.

If you pay by automatic bank deduction, a rejected payment usually means that you've either closed your account or that the account has insufficient funds.

Whatever the reason for the rejected payment, you have a number of options. 

• In My Account, permanently change your method of payment (for example, use a different credit card).
  
• In My Account, submit a one-time payment using another credit card.
  
• 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.
  

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

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

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

You probably received another bill because of one these reasons:

• You have any unpaid balance due from prior payment periods. This includes fees associated with checks that have bounced.
  
• There were charges that change every month (like 800 Access, international dial-up access, simultaneous usage or extra hours used) and were billed after your last invoice.
  
• Your cancellation caused you to incur early termination fees per your agreement with EarthLink. 
  

I receive EarthLink Cable service. How am I billed for this service?

Your cable company will bill you for monthly cable Internet service, taxes, fees, and any installation-related charges. EarthLink will bill you for any Premium EarthLink services such as extra email boxes, wireless services, or Home Networking, and any other Premium EarthLink service.

For additional questions regarding your cable billing, please contact.

Questions about Specific Charges on Your Invoice

What is the USF Recovery fee listed on my invoice? What other taxes and fees are included on my invoice?

The USF (Universal Service Fund) Recovery Fee is a regulatory surcharge assessed for use of the network.

Other taxes and fees will appear as separate line items on your EarthLink invoice. The exact amount of taxes and/or fees that EarthLink collects is based on the taxing statutes and regulations of your state and local jurisdiction, and the types of  EarthLink products and services you have.

For information regarding taxes and fees on your EarthLink account, please click here.

What is the shipping and handling charge listed on my invoice?

We charge for shipping when we send the SmartRG or a Dial up modem. 

Please note that shipping and handling charges are nonrefundable. 

Why is my usage shown on my invoice, and how is the charge calculated?

It depends on your service plan. 

If your plan includes unlimited access, then this information is just for your information (with no associated charge). 

If your plan includes a fixed number of minutes or hours, your invoice lists both the total used and, if you exceed your allowance, the minutes or hours above your allowance. Usage over your allowance is listed as "Extra Usage Hours" with the associated charge based on your billing plan. 

What is the "Extra Usage Hours" charge listed on my invoice?

If your service plan includes a fixed number of hours of dial-up access, and you exceed those hours, then you're charged for the extra hours you use. (See the previous question for more information.)

If you notice that you are being billed regularly for extra usage hours, you might want to consider signing up for one of our unlimited service plans. With those plans, you're not limited in how many hours you can use.

Am I being charged for each of the email addresses listed on the invoice?

You'll be charged for additional email addresses only if you exceed the number of free addresses allowed under your plan. If you've incurred an additional charge, you'll see that charge next to the additional email address on the invoice.

What is the "Simultaneous Usage" charge listed on my invoice?

Simultaneous usage occurs when two or more computers using one dial-up account are connected to EarthLink at the same time.
This will happen when your connection is set up on a home computer and a laptop computer, and someone dials into the account from home while they are also logged in through the laptop at another location.

Simultaneous usage is not included in your regular monthly service fee; so you will be charged for the extra access.  Any simultaneous usage is subject to an hourly fee of $1.00, pro-rated to the minute, through the end of the monthly billing cycle. Simultaneous usage is billed from the previous cycle in arrears while the monthly service fee is billed in advance.  For example, a February 15th invoice would show the February monthly service fee and any simultaneous usage fees incurred between January 15th and February 14th. 

See Section 6 of our Internet Terms and Services for further information.

What is the "International Usage Hours" charge listed on my invoice?

When you dial in to an international access number, you are charged $0.15 per minute in addition to your regular monthly fee.

Will I be charged an "ISDN Usage" charge?

You will be charged for ISDN access only when you use it. EarthLink ISDN usage costs $0.50 per single channel-hour (64Kbps). A dual channel-hour (128Kbps) appears as two single-channel hours on your invoice.

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

If you change your account in the middle of the month (like from dial-up to high-speed Internet), those charges will be prorated for that month.

Some examples of changes that could have a prorated charge include upgrades, adding more dial-up users to your account, and 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 "Network Access" charge listed on my invoice?

This charge helps us recover a portion of the costs associated with connecting to the telecommunications network. It is not a government charge or tax.

Questions about Credits and Refunds

I was given a credit. Why hasn't it been applied to my account?

Credits applied on the account are effective from the next billing cycle date onwards or the credit start date can also be customized to the future bill cycle dates.

Please note that a credit will not appear as a separate line item, but will just show as a reduced monthly fee. (For example, if you normally pay $21.95 per month and receive a $2 credit, your next credit card or bank statement will show a charge of $19.95.)

I was told I would get a refund. When will I receive it?

We process refunds immediately however, it may take up to 3 days for the refund amount to reflect on the Credit/Debit cards.

If your last payment was made by check or bank draft, refunds are not applied to your account until 20 days following the last payment date.
 
If we are sending you a refund check, you should receive it in about four to five weeks.

*You can always check to see when the credit or refund was applied to your EarthLink account, by signing into My Account .