Overview
Every payment in StartMyVPN is backed by an Invoice. Invoices are created when a customer orders a plan or renews a service.
Invoice states
| Status | Description |
|---|
pending | Invoice created, payment not yet received |
paid | Payment confirmed; service activated/renewed |
cancelled | Invoice voided (e.g. customer chose not to pay) |
refunded | Payment was refunded |
Invoice fields
| Field | Description |
|---|
| UUID | Unique identifier used in URLs and API |
| User | The customer this invoice is for |
| Service | The subscription being billed |
| Plan Cycle | The billing cycle (determines amount and duration) |
| Amount | Total charged |
| Currency | Currency code (e.g. USD) |
| Gateway | Which payment gateway was used |
| Promo | Applied promo code (if any) |
| Discount | Discount amount applied |
| Due Date | When payment is expected |
| Paid At | Timestamp of confirmed payment |
Payment flow
- Invoice is created in
pending state
- Customer is directed to payment gateway
- Payment gateway processes the payment
- Webhook notification arrives at StartMyVPN
- Invoice status changes to
paid
- Service is activated or expiry date extended
- Receipt email sent to customer
Getting a payment URL
Customers can retrieve payment links for pending invoices:
- Web:
/invoice/{invoice}
- API:
GET /v1/invoices/{invoice}/payment-url
Admin view
From Admin → Invoices you can:
- View all invoices with filters (status, gateway, date range)
- View individual invoice details
- Manually mark an invoice as paid (for manual/bank transfer payments)
- Record a refund
Refunds
Recording a refund in StartMyVPN:
- Open the invoice in Admin → Invoices → [Invoice]
- Click Refund
- Enter the refund amount and reason
- The refund is recorded, and the service may be suspended depending on settings
StartMyVPN records refunds for tracking purposes, but does not automatically process the refund via the payment gateway. You must issue the actual refund through Stripe, PayPal, or your crypto exchange manually.
