> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autotee.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payments & Billing

> Understand pricing, payment methods, and billing

AutoTee charges for successful bookings only. You're never charged for searches that don't find a tee time.

## Pricing

| Item                    | Price              |
| ----------------------- | ------------------ |
| Standard course booking | **\$3** per player |
| Premium course booking  | **\$9** per player |
| First booking           | **Free**           |

<Info>
  You're only charged when a search successfully reserves a tee time. If no time is found, you pay nothing.
</Info>

### Standard vs Premium Courses

Most courses are **standard** at \$3 per player. A small number of high-demand courses are **premium** at \$9 per player:

* **Bethpage Black Course**
* **Torrey Pines Golf Course** (North, South)
* **LA City Golf courses** (all EZLinks courses)
* **Ala Wai Golf Course**

The pricing tier is shown when you create a search.

### Examples

| Scenario                       | Cost |
| ------------------------------ | ---- |
| 2 players at a standard course | \$6  |
| 4 players at a standard course | \$12 |
| 2 players at a premium course  | \$18 |
| 4 players at a premium course  | \$36 |

## How Billing Works

### First Booking Free

Your very first successful booking is completely free, regardless of how many players or which course. No payment method required.

### After First Booking

1. You create a booking search
2. Search monitors for tee times (including cancellations)
3. When a time is found, we book it
4. **Only then** is your card charged (tier price x number of players)

## Adding a Payment Method

After your first free booking, you'll need a payment method to create more searches.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Booking Search">
    After your first booking, you'll see a prompt to add a payment method when creating a new search.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review Terms">
    Review the pricing terms. Standard courses are \$3/player, premium courses are \$9/player.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete Checkout">
    You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure checkout page. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link are supported.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Card Saved">
    Your card is saved for future bookings. You'll be redirected back to AutoTee.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  We use Stripe for payment processing. Your card details are never stored on our servers.
</Info>

### Updating Your Card

To change your payment method, click the update icon next to your existing card in the Searches tab and complete a new Stripe checkout.

## Payment Failures

If your card is declined when we try to charge for a booking:

1. **You're notified immediately** via email/SMS
2. **10-minute grace period** to update your card
3. **If not resolved:** The booking is auto-cancelled
4. **Outstanding balance** must be paid before creating new searches

### Resolving a Decline

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check Notification">
    You'll see an alert banner and receive email/SMS with details.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update Card">
    Add a new payment method or update your existing card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pay Balance">
    Click **Pay Now** to clear the outstanding amount.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Outstanding Balance

If you have an outstanding balance:

* You cannot create new booking searches
* A warning banner will appear in the Searches tab
* Pay the balance to resume normal usage

## Receipts

Stripe automatically sends email receipts for:

* Booking charges
* Balance payments

Check your email or Stripe customer portal for receipts.

## Refund Policy

<Warning>
  **Bookings are non-refundable** once the tee time is confirmed.
</Warning>

We cannot refund because:

* The booking is made directly with the golf course
* You must cancel through the course's cancellation policy
* AutoTee's fee is for the automation service

**Exceptions:**

* Technical errors on our part
* Duplicate charges
* Contact support for unusual circumstances

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="When am I charged?">
    Only when a search successfully books a tee time. Creating searches, monitoring, and failed/expired searches are all free.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if no tee time is found?">
    You're not charged anything. You only pay for successful bookings.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I know if a course is standard or premium?">
    The pricing tier is shown when you select a course in the search form. Premium courses are labeled.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>