Understanding Your Bill

Understanding Your Bill

C-Band Mailbox provides transparent, itemized billing so you always know exactly what you are paying for. Whether you are on the Basic, Business, or Premium plan, your bill may include a combination of subscription fees, per-action charges, storage fees, and applicable taxes. This guide breaks down every component of your bill and explains how charges are calculated for renters in both Canada and the United States.

Bill Components Overview

Your monthly bill may include the following types of charges:

Monthly Subscription Fee

This is the base cost of your mailbox plan, charged once per billing cycle. The subscription fee covers your physical mailing address, access to the dashboard, mail notifications, and the features included in your plan tier:

• Basic Plan: Core features including a physical address, mail notifications, and a limited number of included scans.
• Business Plan: Enhanced features including additional scans, forwarding credits, and business-oriented features.
• Premium Plan: Full-featured plan with unlimited scans, priority processing, and discounted forwarding rates.

Your subscription fee appears as the first line item on your bill. Visit our pricing page for current plan rates.

Per-Action Fees

Beyond what is included in your subscription plan, additional actions are charged individually. These fees appear as separate line items on your bill:

• Scan fees: Charged for interior (content) scans that exceed your plan's included allowance. Each scan is billed individually.
• Forwarding fees: Include carrier postage (based on weight, size, and destination) plus a handling fee that varies by plan. Premium plans often include reduced handling fees.
• Pickup preparation fees: Charged when the operator prepares mail items for in-person pickup at the operator location.
• Shredding fees: Charged for secure document destruction beyond your plan's included allowance.

Each per-action fee is documented with the date of the request, the mail item reference, and the specific action performed, so you can easily trace every charge back to a specific action you authorized.

Storage Fees

Your operator stores your mail at no additional charge for the first 30 days from the date of receipt. After 30 days, storage fees may apply for items that remain at the operator location without an action being taken. This is outlined in our Terms & Conditions Section 4.7.

To avoid storage fees:

• Take action on your mail promptly (scan, forward, shred, or pick up).
• Set up automatic forwarding so mail is sent to you on a regular schedule.
• Review your dashboard regularly and dispose of unwanted mail.

Applicable Taxes

Taxes are calculated and applied based on the country and province or state of your mailbox operator location:

Canadian Renters

• GST (Goods and Services Tax): 5% on all taxable services.
• HST (Harmonized Sales Tax): Applied in harmonized provinces (e.g., Ontario 13%, Nova Scotia 15%, New Brunswick 15%).
• PST/QST: Provincial sales tax in non-harmonized provinces (e.g., British Columbia 7% PST, Quebec 9.975% QST, Manitoba 7% RST, Saskatchewan 6% PST).

Your bill will show the specific tax rate(s) applied based on your operator's province.

US Renters

• State sales tax: Rates vary by state and may also include county and city taxes. Some states do not impose sales tax on services.
• Tax rates are automatically determined based on the location of your mailbox operator.

Currency

Your bill is denominated in the currency corresponding to your mailbox location:

• Canadian mailbox locations: All charges are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).
• US mailbox locations: All charges are in US Dollars (USD).

If your payment method is in a different currency, your bank or card issuer may apply a foreign exchange conversion fee.

Late Payment Fees

If your payment is not received by the due date, late payment fees may apply:

• A late fee of 1.5% per month (18% annually) is applied to overdue amounts, as stated in our Terms & Conditions Section 6.3.
• Late fees are calculated on the outstanding balance and added to your next billing cycle.
• After 7 days of non-payment, you will receive additional reminders.
• If the payment issue is not resolved within the grace period, your account access may be paused. See updating payment information for details on preventing service interruptions.

Billing Cycle

Your billing cycle is based on the anniversary of your signup date:

• If you signed up on March 15, your billing cycle renews on the 15th of each month.
• For months where the anniversary date does not exist (e.g., the 31st in a 30-day month), the billing date will be the last day of that month.
• All charges incurred during the billing cycle (subscription fee, per-action fees, storage fees) are compiled and charged on your billing date.

Prorated Charges

If you change your plan in the middle of a billing cycle:

• Upgrading: You will be charged a prorated amount for the remaining days in the current cycle at the new plan rate. The difference between your old and new plan is calculated based on the number of days remaining.
• Downgrading: The new lower rate takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle. You continue to have access to the higher-tier features until the current cycle ends.

How to Read Each Line Item

Each line item on your bill includes:

• Date: The date the charge was incurred.
• Description: A clear description of the charge (e.g., "Monthly Subscription - Business Plan", "Interior Scan - Mail #12345", "Forwarding - USPS Priority Mail").
• Amount: The charge amount before tax.
• Tax: The applicable tax amount for that line item.
• Total: The total charge including tax.

Subscription vs. Pay-Per-Use

Understanding the balance between subscription inclusions and pay-per-use charges helps you optimize costs:

• Review your plan inclusions: Know how many scans, forwards, and other actions are included in your plan at no extra cost.
• Track your usage: Monitor your action request history in the dashboard to see how many included actions you have used.
• Upgrade if needed: If you consistently exceed your plan's included actions, upgrading to a higher tier may save money compared to paying per-action fees.

For detailed invoice downloads, see our guide on downloading invoices. If you believe a charge is incorrect, see our guide on billing disputes. For additional help, visit our Help Center or submit a support ticket.