Payment Overview

Last change on 2025-11-26 • Created on 2025-11-26 • ID: GE-CE966

This article provides an overview of accepted payment methods, billing models, currencies, and general processes related to payments at Hetzner.

Accepted Payment Methods

The following payment methods are available for paying for our products:

  1. Credit Card
    We support VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, and UnionPay. Credit cards are charged automatically, except for UnionPay.

  2. SEPA Direct Debit
    Only available for EUR accounts. The charge is processed automatically.

  3. Bank Transfer
    Manual payment initiated by the customer.

  4. PayPal
    Only manual payment via Hetzner Accounts is possible.

Note: For overdue invoices, it may be necessary to pay via bank transfer.

Currencies

When creating a new account, you can choose between Euro and US Dollar.
It is not technically possible to change the account currency afterward. If a currency change is required, a new account can be created and products can be transferred. To do this, please open a support request.

We do not accept cryptocurrencies.

Billing

General Billing Model

Billing begins as soon as the product is provisioned. Many products can be billed hourly or monthly.

  • Usage time is rounded up to full hours.
  • You will never be charged more than the defined monthly price.
  • Once the monthly cap is reached, hourly charges stop.
  • Partial payments are possible via bank transfer or credit card.
    On request, we can charge a partial amount to your credit card.

For more details, see the article Billing system at Hetzner.

Invoice Generation

Invoices are generated automatically on a fixed day of the month.
Products are always billed in the following month, since billing is based on actual usage.

Payment processing:

  • SEPA/Credit Card: automatic charge a few days after the invoice is issued
  • Bank Transfer: manual payment after receiving the invoice
  • PayPal: manual payment in Hetzner Accounts

Note: Invoices cannot be generated early.

Due Date

Invoices are due immediately.
You must pay within five days for your first invoice or within ten days for all following invoices before a reminder notice is issued.

What happens if the automatic charge fails? If the automatic charge fails, we will inform you via email. You can then initiate payment using the same or a different credit card. Log in to Hetzner Accounts. Under Invoices, click Overview, then Pay now and follow the instructions to repeat the payment.
Note: You can retry the payment a maximum of 5 times. If you still experience issues after that, please contact our accounting team.
Alternatively, you can pay via PayPal in the administration interface.

Late payment

If invoices are not paid on time, your account will be in arrears. Depending on the duration and previous payment history, this can have various consequences.

General consequences of late payment

If an invoice remains unpaid, we will first send payment reminders and warnings by email. If payment is still not received, the following measures may be taken:

  • Blocking of individual servers or services
  • Termination of products
  • Blocking or termination of the entire account

The decision and timing depend on the individual case.

Special features for new customers

For new accounts, we usually react more quickly to non-payment. The reason for this is an increased risk of misuse and fraud.

If the first invoice is not paid within a short period of time, servers and other products may be blocked at an early stage.

Payment options for overdue invoices

In the case of minor payment delays, payment is often still possible by credit card or PayPal.
In the case of significant or prolonged payment delays, these payment methods may be deactivated for security reasons. In this case, payment is only possible by bank transfer.
After making a transfer, it may be necessary to send a payment confirmation to our accounting department.

Reactivation of servers, products or accounts

After settling the outstanding invoice, you can submit a support request asking for blocked servers or products to be unblocked or for a cancellation to be revoked. We will check whether reactivation is possible on a case-by-case basis. In the event of very late payment or repeated late payment, restoration may be refused.

Data in the event of suspension or cancellation

Whether data is still available after suspension or cancellation depends on the specific situation and the duration of the suspension. Restoration is not guaranteed. Only after successful reactivation will you regain access to any data that may still be available.

Transfer to a debt collection agency

If invoices are not paid despite reminders, outstanding claims may be transferred to a debt collection agency.
This will result in additional fees that will increase the original invoice amount. Details can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

Contact for questions about late payment

The fastest way to clarify the situation is to submit a support request via the respective administration interface. If you no longer have access to your account, you can contact us by email at billing@hetzner.com, stating your customer and invoice number.

Setup Fees

Whether setup fees apply depends on the product.

No Setup Fee

  • Cloud Servers
  • Storage Boxes
  • Storage Share
  • SSL Certificates
  • Domains in konsoleH
  • Domain Registration Robot (excluding .de domains)
  • Server Auction (standard configurations)

Setup-fee-free deals: Limited-time promotions without setup fees are shown in the interface and occasionally announced in our newsletter.

Products with Variable Setup Fees

  • Dedicated Root Servers
    The current setup fees are shown during the order process and in the Robot interface.

  • Managed Products

    • Web hosting: setup fee depends on the package, see Web Hosting.
    • Managed Servers: model-specific setup fees, see Managed Server.
What is the setup fee used for? The setup fee covers one-time costs that occur before your service is active, including:
  • Purchasing and installing hardware
  • Cabling and preparing the system in the data center
  • Internal logistics processes
  • Hardware quality checks
  • Technical preparations for operation
These costs apply regardless of whether you use a pre-installed system or install your own.

Custom Orders / Custom Solutions

Custom solutions may involve additional setup fees.
For more details, open a support request via

Credit Balance

You can add credit to your account via bank transfer.
Important: Make sure to include your invoice number or customer number as the payment reference.
Third parties may also add credit to your account using the same process.

License Billing (Windows, Plesk, cPanel)

Licenses are always billed for the entire calendar month, regardless of the order or cancellation date.

Examples:

  • Ordered on September 2, canceled on September 18 → full September
  • Ordered on September 27, canceled on October 15 → September + October
  • Ordered on June 28, canceled on September 3 → June through September

Cancellation must be done via Robot.
Reinstalling the system does not cancel the license.

Invoice for Newly Ordered Products

All products are billed in the following month.
A product ordered on May 15, for example, will appear on the invoice for June.

Invoices are generated automatically on a fixed day of the month. This ensures consistent and transparent billing for all products.

When will I receive my first invoice? You will receive your first invoice for a product:
  • after the first full usage period
  • not in the month of the order

Additional Notes

  • Prepayments are not possible.
  • Contracts renew automatically and do not require manual extension.
  • Invoice corrections are possible only within 14 days and incur a fee.
  • Partial payments are possible via bank transfer or credit card.
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