# Payment Methods Overview

QCode.cc is prepaid: you **top up a balance**, then **buy a plan**, and the plan is paid from that
balance. This page is about the first step only — the rails listed on
[qcode.cc/recharge](https://qcode.cc/recharge), whose subtitle reads *"Top up your account balance
with multiple payment options"*. How the balance is then consumed is
[Billing Description](/docs/reference/billing); the console around it is
[Dashboard Guide](/docs/reference/dashboard-guide).

> 🔴 **Balances are per currency.** *"CNY and USD balances are separate. Recharge amount will be
> added to the corresponding currency balance."* Pick the currency tab first — the list of payment
> methods changes with it.

## The order of operations

The console's empty state spells the flow out as three steps: **Top Up Balance** → **Buy a Plan** →
**Start Using**.

1. Top up here, with any method below.
2. Choose a plan on [qcode.cc/subscribe](https://qcode.cc/subscribe) — **Recommended Plans** or
   **Custom Configuration**. This step deducts balance, it does not take a card payment.
3. Copy your `cr_` key into your tool — see
   [Environment Variables](/docs/getting-started/environment).

Amount limits shown on the page: CNY top-ups start at **¥100**, USD top-ups run from **$1** to
**$2,000**. Some channels have their own per-transaction cap, and the page says so when you exceed
it: *"Due to the payment channel's per-transaction limit … Please split it into several smaller
recharges."*

## Methods on the top-up page

| Method | Currency tab | Fee as stated on the page | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Alipay** | CNY | *"Fee covered by QCode"* | First choice on the CNY tab; capped per transaction |
| **WeChat Pay** | CNY | *"WeChat Pay fee {rate}"* | *"processed via Pancake's international acquiring and works on both desktop (QR scan) and mobile (in-WeChat)"*; the final charge is settled by WeChat at its own exchange rate, and the same checkout also accepts credit cards |
| **Credit / Debit Card** | USD | *"Credit / Debit card fee {rate}"* | Visa / Mastercard / AMEX; the card page opens in a new window and the balance is credited as soon as payment completes |
| **Cryptocurrency** | USD | *"0% platform fee · ~1d manual reconcile"* | Manual on-chain transfer verified by hand; send a small test amount first |
| **SBP (Faster Payments)** | USD tab, Russian interface | *"SBP / Russian cards: no extra fee, paid in rubles at the CBR daily rate"* | Pay by SBP QR in your bank app |
| **Russian bank card** | USD tab, Russian interface | Same as SBP | *"You pay in rubles; the amount is fixed at order creation using the CBR daily rate. Your balance is credited in USD."* |

> The page also keeps labels for **US Bank Account**, **Amazon Pay** and **Cash App Pay** — those
> are historical channels and are not offered as selectable methods today. If one appears in your
> **Recharge History**, it was used for that older order.

## Who should use what

- **Mainland China, paying in CNY** → Alipay (no fee passed on), WeChat Pay as the fallback. Both
  top up the CNY balance.
- **Anywhere else, paying in USD** → Credit / Debit Card for convenience, or Cryptocurrency if you
  would rather not pay a processing fee and can wait for a manual reconciliation.
- **Russia** → SBP or a Russian bank card: you pay in rubles, the balance is credited in USD. These
  two only appear when your interface language is Russian.
- **Fee-sensitive, comfortable with wallets** → manual crypto. *"We verify the on-chain transaction
  ourselves instead of routing through a third-party crypto gateway, so no processing fee is
  charged and the full USD amount credits to your balance."*
- **Companies that need paper** → the enterprise route below, or an invoice against your balance.

The home page advertises the same set in one line — *"Alipay · Bank Card · Cryptocurrency · 7
payment methods supported"* (the Russian interface leads with *"SBP (RU faster payments) · Bank Card
· Cryptocurrency"*).

## Crypto: read the dedicated page first

Coin coverage, networks, memos, minimum deposits and what to do when funds do not arrive are on
[Crypto Payment Guide](/docs/reference/crypto-payment). Two things belong here because the top-up
page says them:

- Deposit addresses are only ever shown on the logged-in top-up page, never in a document.
- A manual crypto top-up has **no submit button**: after you send, you report the transfer so it can
  be matched to your account. The page asks for exactly these fields:

```text
Coin & Chain: <coin>
Amount (USD): <amount>
Transaction Hash: <txid>
QCode ID or registered email: <id or email>
```

## Invoices and corporate payment

- **Invoices for personal top-ups are China-only.** The console's service guide states it plainly:
  *"Invoice (China only): handling fee ¥80 for amounts under ¥2,000; 5% for amounts ≥¥2,000. Email
  hi@qcode.cc with sufficient balance."* The [FAQ](/docs/reference/faq) repeats it and adds that the
  invoice can be used for corporate expense reimbursement.
- **Corporate bank transfer and official VAT invoices** are the **Enterprise Team Edition** route,
  together with custom service agreements; that page also shows an *Invoice Processing Fee (5%)*
  line in its calculator. Details and steps: [Enterprise Team Guide](/docs/reference/enterprise-guide).

## When a payment does not land

Every online rail has its own waiting state, and the wording is deliberate — **do not pay twice**:

| Situation | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Card | *"Card payment opened in a new window. Your balance is credited as soon as payment completes — please do not pay twice."* |
| WeChat | *"After you pay, confirmation can take a few minutes; your balance updates here automatically once it lands — please do not pay twice."* |
| SBP / Russian card | *"Complete the payment on the newly opened page (SBP QR or bank card). Your balance is credited automatically after payment; this page updates on its own."* |
| Still nothing | *"Taking a while? Contact support"* and *"I've paid — view recharge history"*; a channel that is switched off shows *"This payment method is temporarily unavailable, please select another"* |

Support: [live chat](javascript:void(Tawk_API.toggle())) or [hi@qcode.cc](mailto:hi@qcode.cc). Refund
policy for a mistaken top-up is in the [FAQ](/docs/reference/faq).

## Related Pages

- [Crypto Payment Guide](/docs/reference/crypto-payment) — coins, networks, memos, recovery
- [Billing Description](/docs/reference/billing) — how the balance is consumed
- [Dashboard Guide](/docs/reference/dashboard-guide) — where the Recharge and Buy Plan buttons are
- [Enterprise Team Guide](/docs/reference/enterprise-guide) — bank transfer, VAT invoices, sub-keys
- [FAQ](/docs/reference/faq) — refunds, invoices, balance questions
- [QCode for Users Outside Mainland China](/docs/getting-started/international-users)