Service suspension for non-payment: what happens
What happens when an invoice goes unpaid: suspension, cancellation and deletion, what is kept per product, how to reactivate and which emails to expect.
When a renewal invoice is not paid by its due date, SolumeCore suspends the service. A suspended service stops running but is not deleted: you can reactivate it by paying the invoice. If the invoice stays unpaid for the grace period, the service is cancelled, and after that its data can be removed, depending on the product.
This guide describes that sequence step by step, what is kept at each stage for VPS, VDS, web hosting, game servers and apps, how to bring a service back, and which emails you receive along the way.
Important: every duration on this page is a default that SolumeCore can change. Treat the dates in your emails and in the client panel as the ones that apply to you, and do not wait for the last day: after cancellation, paying no longer brings a service back.
The default timeline
Day 0 is the due date of the renewal invoice, which is also the renewal date. The billing system runs once a day and each step happens on that daily run.
| When | What happens | Can you reverse it by paying? |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before day 0 | The renewal invoice is created and you get an email. If a saved card pays your renewals automatically, you also get a notice before the charge. | Yes |
| Before day 0 | The automatic card charge, if you use one. If it fails, retries wait 24 hours, then 72 hours, then 168 hours. | Yes |
| Day 0 | The invoice is overdue and the service is suspended. You get an email. | Yes, automatically |
| Up to 15 days after suspension | The service stays suspended. Late payments and card retries can still reactivate it. | Yes, automatically |
| 15 days after suspension | The service is cancelled. Its IP address and capacity are released. | No |
| Game servers and apps: 5 days after cancellation | The server files are deleted permanently and its port is released. | No |
So, with the defaults, a game server or an app that nobody pays for is deleted roughly 20 days after the due date, plus the time until the next daily sweep. For other products the deletion rules differ, as explained below. The same timings in a compact table live in default timelines, and the invoice side of the story is in invoice lifecycle and renewals.
What suspension does to each product
Suspension is meant to be reversible. These are the effects while a service is suspended for non-payment:
| Product | What you see and what is kept |
|---|---|
| VPS and VDS | The machine is paused, not shut down and not deleted. Its disk and settings are kept. The panel shows "This server is suspended" with a See invoices button. |
| Web hosting | The cPanel account is suspended. Your site and email are paused, cPanel and FTP logins are blocked, and outgoing email stops. Files, databases and mailboxes are kept. The panel shows "Your hosting is suspended". |
| Game servers and apps | The server is stopped and marked as suspended. The console, the file manager and SFTP are blocked. You can still see the list of backups, but by default you cannot download them. |
Other things to know:
- You keep access to the client panel and to billing, so you can always pay.
- Add-ons, upgrades, boosts or pauses that you ordered but had not paid are cancelled when the service is suspended. Paying them later does not bring the service back.
- If SolumeCore enables backup downloads for suspended game servers, you can explore and download your backups while suspended. Do not count on it: by default it is off.
What cancellation does
If the grace period (15 days by default) ends with the invoice unpaid, the service is cancelled for non-payment. What happens depends on the product:
- VPS and VDS: the machine is stopped, its network connection is cut and its IP address goes back to the pool. SolumeCore does not delete virtual machines automatically, but the service is no longer yours to reactivate, so do not count on recovering it.
- Web hosting: the cPanel account stays suspended. It is deleted only if SolumeCore has enabled deletion of hosting accounts on cancellation, which is off by default. If it is enabled, files, databases and mailboxes are removed without a way back.
- Game servers and apps: the server is switched off and its files are kept for a short retention window, 5 days by default, so you can change your mind or ask for a copy. After that the server is deleted permanently, including its world, plugins and backups, and the port is released. A daily sweep does the deletion.
Once a service is cancelled, the panel does not let you pay old invoices that belong to it, so there is no way to bring it back by paying. You would need to order a new service. If you need your data, open a ticket under Billing & payments immediately. Recovery cannot be guaranteed.
How to reactivate a suspended service
- Sign in to the client panel at dashboard.solumecore.com.
- Open Billing → Invoices & payments and find the overdue renewal invoice (the server page also links to it).
- Click Pay and choose a method: card, PayPal, account credit or, if enabled, crypto. See payment methods.
- Wait for the confirmation. The service comes back on its own, usually within minutes, and you receive an email.
A payment reactivates the service only when:
- the service was suspended for non-payment,
- the invoice you paid includes the renewal of the plan itself (paying an extra IP or a boost invoice does not count), and
- the service has no other overdue renewal invoice.
If you owe several renewals, pay all of them. Crypto payments are confirmed when the network confirms them, which can take longer. See crypto payments.
Emails you receive
| Moment | Email subject (English) |
|---|---|
| Renewal invoice created | New invoice (number) |
| Before an automatic card charge | Heads-up: we will charge (amount) on (date) |
| Card charge failed | We couldn't charge invoice (number) |
| Invoice overdue (for example, no saved card) | Invoice (number) is overdue |
| Service suspended | Your service (name) was suspended |
| Service reactivated | Your service (name) was reactivated |
We found no separate email for the cancellation step itself, which is one more reason to act while the service is only suspended. Check your spam folder and keep your account email up to date. Emails are sent to the address of your account.
Suspension for non-payment is not the only kind
A service can also be suspended for other reasons. Paying an invoice does not lift these:
| Reason | How it works |
|---|---|
| Non-payment | Reversed automatically by paying the renewal. |
| Card dispute (chargeback) | The services of the disputed payment can be suspended while the dispute is open. Paying a new invoice does not lift it. See chargebacks and disputes. |
| Security or abuse measure | A protective measure on the server, for example limiting or stopping it. Resolving it follows the abuse process, not billing. See acceptable use and abuse measures. |
| Suspended by our team | Lifted by our team. Open a ticket. |
A voluntary pause, where available, is a different state called Paused, and it is chosen by you.
A service suspended for another reason, for example a dispute, can also reach the same cancellation step if it stays suspended long enough, so do not leave a suspension unresolved. If you are not sure why a service is suspended, open a ticket under Billing & payments with the service name.
How to avoid a suspension
- Keep a valid card saved and set the service to renew With my card, or keep enough credit for Credit only. See account credit and automatic billing.
- Pay the renewal invoice as soon as it appears: it is created 3 days before the due date by default.
- If you pay by hand, put a reminder a few days before your renewal date.
- If you do not want to renew, cancel the service from its settings and download your data first.
Related documents
- Invoice lifecycle and renewals
- Default timelines
- No refunds, chargebacks and billing errors
- Acceptable use and abuse measures
- Backups and retention
FAQ
How long until my service is suspended if I don't pay?
By default, on the due date of the renewal invoice, at the next daily billing run. The invoice is created 3 days before that date, so you normally have a few days to pay first.
Is my data deleted when the service is suspended?
No. Suspension stops the service but keeps its data. Data is only at risk after cancellation, and how much depends on the product: game servers and apps are deleted after a short retention window, hosting accounts are kept unless account deletion is enabled, and virtual machines are not deleted automatically.
How do I get my service back after paying?
Pay the overdue renewal invoice from Billing → Invoices & payments. If the service was suspended for non-payment, it reactivates on its own within minutes and you receive a confirmation email. Invoices for add-ons do not reactivate it.
Can I reactivate a cancelled service?
Not by paying. Once a service is cancelled for non-payment, its old invoices can no longer be paid and it cannot be reactivated. You would order a new service. Open a ticket straight away if you need your data.
Why is my service suspended if I already paid?
Check that you paid the renewal invoice itself, and that no other renewal is still overdue. It can also be a different kind of suspension (dispute, abuse measure or manual), which paying does not lift. Open a ticket with the invoice number.
Is suspension for non-payment the same as a suspension for abuse?
No. They have different causes and different fixes. Non-payment is resolved by paying. Abuse measures follow the process in acceptable use and abuse measures.