# Adding or Changing Your Payment Method

Source: https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/billing-payment-method

Your saved cards live on one page in KPanel, and each subscription separately decides which of those cards its renewal charges land on.

That two-layer design catches people out: adding a card to your account does not automatically make it the card a given subscription uses. This guide covers adding a card, replacing an expiring one, attaching the right card to the right subscription, and what to do before a trial converts.

## Where Payment Methods Live

Two places matter, and they do different jobs:

| Where | What it controls |
|---|---|
| **Billing**, then the **Payment** tab | The cards saved on your account. Add, remove, and set a default. |
| A subscription's **Renewal Card** panel | Which of those saved cards this particular subscription charges. |

> **Note:** Changing your payment method requires the **Owner**, **Admin** or **Billing** role. Other roles see the controls disabled with a "Requires Owner, Admin or Billing" tooltip.

## Adding a Card

### Step 1: Open the Payment Methods Page

1. Sign in to [KPanel](https://kpanel.kapsulehost.com).
2. Click **Billing** in the left sidebar.
3. Open the **Payment** tab. The **Payment methods** section lists any saved cards by brand, last four digits and expiry.
4. Click **Add card** in the section header. If you have no card yet, the section reads "No card on file. Add one before your trial ends" and the button is **Add payment method**.

That takes you to the full **Payment Methods** page, described as "Cards saved for subscription renewals."

![Payment Methods page in KPanel](https://support.kapsulehost.com/help/screenshots/billing-payment-method.f20e98b7.webp)

### Step 2: Enter the Card

1. Click **Add card** (or **Add another card** if you already have one saved).
2. Fill in the card form in the dialog headed **Add payment method**, "This card will be used for subscription renewals."
3. Click **Save card**. A "Card added" toast confirms it.

> **Note:** Card details are entered directly into our payment provider's hosted form. As the dialog says: "Secured by Stripe. Card details never touch our servers." KapsuleHost only ever stores the brand, the last four digits and the expiry date, which is all we need to show you what is on file.

## Managing Saved Cards

The Payment Methods page gives each saved card three controls:

- **Default** badge, and a **Make default** button on the others. The default is the card new subscriptions reach for.
- **Expired** badge on any card past its expiry date. This is the single most common cause of a failed renewal.
- **Remove card** to delete one you no longer use.

> **Warning:** Removing a card that a live subscription is still attached to leaves that subscription with nothing to charge. Attach the replacement card to every affected subscription FIRST, then remove the old one. Otherwise the next renewal fails and starts the retry and suspension ladder described in [What Happens When a Payment Fails](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/billing-failed-payment).

## Attaching a Card to a Subscription

This is the step most people miss. Each subscription holds its own card reference, so several subscriptions can charge to different cards on purpose (useful when a client pays for their own hosting on your account).

1. Go to **Billing**, then click **Manage** on the subscription.
2. Find the **Renewal Card** panel on the subscription's detail page.
3. It shows either the attached card, marked **Attached**, or **Not Attached** with one of these messages:
   - "No card attached to this subscription. Use the button above to attach your saved card."
   - "No card attached to this subscription. Choose one of your saved cards above for renewals."
   - "No card on this account. Add one to enable renewals."
4. Click **Use Visa ending 4242** to attach a saved card, **Switch Card** or **Choose Card** if you have several, or **Add another card** to save a new one on the spot.

When a card is correctly attached, the panel states the charge in plain terms: "Charges US$9.00 / NZ$15.00 / ⃃ 33.00 / AU$16.00 / CA$13.00 / CN¥63.00 / €9.00 / £7.50 / ¥1,350 / S$12.00 on 8 November 2026." On a trial subscription it reads "First charge US$9.00 / NZ$15.00 / ⃃ 33.00 / AU$16.00 / CA$13.00 / CN¥63.00 / €9.00 / £7.50 / ¥1,350 / S$12.00 when trial ends 8 November 2026."

> **Tip:** After ANY card change, go back to the subscription and read that "Charges US$9.00 / NZ$15.00 / ⃃ 33.00 / AU$16.00 / CA$13.00 / CN¥63.00 / €9.00 / £7.50 / ¥1,350 / S$12.00 on 8 November 2026" line. It is the one place that proves the change actually landed where the money will be taken. Do not rely on the "Card added" toast alone.

## Replacing an Expiring Card

Cards expire quietly, and the failure shows up as a declined renewal weeks later. Do it in this order:

1. Add the new card on the Payment Methods page.
2. Set it as **Default** if it is now your main card.
3. Open every active subscription and switch its **Renewal Card** to the new card.
4. Only then remove the old card.

## Before a Trial Converts

If you are on a free trial, the Billing page shows a **Free trial** banner with the days remaining, plus a **First Charge** tile with the date and the amount.

> **Warning:** A trial with no card on file cannot convert. When the trial period ends, the subscription enters a grace period in read-only mode, and if it is still unpaid it is suspended after that. Save a card well before the trial end date shown on the Billing page and confirm it is attached in the subscription's **Renewal Card** panel.

## Billing Details and Tax Invoices

Your card is one half of billing; the details printed on your invoices are the other. Under **Billing**, use **Edit** next to **Billing details** to set your company or trading name, billing email, NZBN, GST registration number and billing address. That page is explicit about why it matters: "This information appears on your tax invoices and GST receipts."

The **billing email** is where every payment notification and failure warning goes, and it does not have to be the same address you sign in with. Keep it on an inbox somebody actually reads.

GST is decided by your billing **country**, not by your currency. When your account currency is NZD, 15% GST is added at checkout and your receipts are issued as tax invoices. Everywhere else, no GST is added. Prices are shown excluding GST throughout the panel; the GST-inclusive figure appears on the checkout total.

## Troubleshooting

**"Could not start card setup" or "Card setup failed".** The payment provider rejected the setup attempt. Try a different browser or disable a content blocker: these dialogs need the payment form to load. If it persists on more than one card, contact your bank.

**"Setup did not complete. Please try again."** The card needed extra verification from your bank and the check did not finish. Retry and complete the prompt your bank shows.

**My card saved but renewals still fail.** The card is on the account but not attached to that subscription. Open the subscription and set the **Renewal Card**.

**I cannot see the Add card button.** Your role is below **Billing**. Ask an account Owner or Admin.

**The Renewal Card panel does not appear at all.** You are probably looking at a cancelled or already-ended subscription, which has no future charge to attach a card to.

**I want to pay by something other than a card.** Talk to us first: [open a support ticket](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/opening-a-support-ticket) with your account name and what you need, rather than letting a renewal fail while you work it out.

Related: [What Happens When a Payment Fails](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/billing-failed-payment), [Billing and Invoices](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/billing-and-invoices), and [Cancelling Your Plan](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/billing-cancellation).