Updating Your Payment Method

Keep your State Affairs subscription active by maintaining a current payment method. Update your credit card details anytime through the secure Payment Portal.

Before You Start

You need:

  • Admin permissions (Members cannot access billing features)

  • Your new credit card information ready

  • About 2-3 minutes

Note: Payment details are securely managed through Chargebee, not stored directly in State Affairs.

When to Update Your Payment Method

Update your card when:

  • ✅ Your current card is expiring soon

  • ✅ Card was lost or stolen and you received a replacement

  • ✅ Switching from personal to company card

  • ✅ Previous card was declined

  • ✅ Changing to a different card type (credit vs. debit)

  • ✅ Bank issued you a new card number

Don't wait until your card expires! Update it 1-2 weeks before expiration to avoid service interruption.

Step-by-Step: Update Your Payment Method

Step 1: Access the Payment Portal

  1. Log into State Affairs at pro.stateaffairs.com

  2. Click your profile icon (top-right) → Settings

  3. You'll land on Account Overview tab

  4. Click the "Payment Portal" button

What happens: A new window opens to Chargebee’s secure payment portal.

Popup blocker issue? The portal opens in a new window. If nothing happens, check your browser's popup blocker and allow popups from stateaffairs.com.

Step 2: Verify Your Identity (If Prompted)

Chargebee may ask you to verify your identity for security:

  • Enter the email address associated with your account

  • Check your email for a verification code

  • Enter the code to proceed

Security note: This extra step protects your billing information from unauthorized access.

Step 3: Update Payment Method

Once in the Payment Portal:

  1. Look for "Payment Methods" section

  2. You'll see your current card on file (showing last 4 digits only)

  3. Click "Update payment method" or "Add payment method"

  4. Enter your new card details:

    • Card number (16 digits)

    • Expiration date (MM/YY)

    • CVV/Security code (3-4 digits on back of card)

    • ZIP code (billing address)

  5. Click "Save" or "Update"

Step 4: Set as Default (If Adding Multiple Cards)

If you're adding a new card rather than replacing:

  1. After saving the new card, you'll see multiple cards listed

  2. Click "Set as default" on the card you want to use

  3. This card will be charged for future invoices

Best practice: Remove old expired cards to avoid confusion. Click the three-dot menu or trash icon next to the old card → "Remove".

Step 5: Confirm the Update

You'll see:

  • Success message: "Payment method updated"

  • New card appears in the payment methods list

  • Old card is either removed or marked as non-default

Test it: Your next invoice will charge the new card. Check the "Next invoice date" in Account Overview to see when that will be.

What Information You'll Need

Required Card Details

Card number: Full 16-digit number (usually on the front)
Expiration date: Month and year (MM/YY format)
Security code (CVV): 3 digits on back (or 4 digits on front for Amex)
Billing ZIP code: The ZIP code associated with your card's billing address

Supported Card Types

  • ✅ Visa

  • ✅ Mastercard

  • ✅ American Express

  • ✅ Discover

  • ❌ Prepaid cards (may not work)

  • ❌ International cards (may require additional verification)

Updating Billing Address

If your address changed along with your card:

  1. In the Payment Portal, look for "Billing Information" section

  2. Click "Update" or "Edit"

  3. Enter your new address:

    • Street address

    • City

    • State

    • ZIP code

    • Country

  4. Click "Save"

Important: The address should match what's on file with your credit card company. Mismatches can cause payment failures.

Changing Billing Email

Want invoices sent to a different email address?

  1. In the Payment Portal, find "Billing Email" section

  2. Click "Update"

  3. Enter the new email address

  4. Click "Save"

Who should receive billing emails?

  • Accounts payable contact at your company

  • Finance/accounting team

  • Your personal email (if you manage billing)

Note: This only changes where invoices are sent. Your login email remains the same.

After Updating Your Payment Method

Immediate Effects

✅ New charges use new card: Your next invoice will charge the card you just added.

✅ Old card no longer charged: If you removed the old card, it won't be charged again.

✅ No service interruption: Your access continues uninterrupted during the update.

Confirming the Update

To verify your update worked:

  1. Go back to Account Overview

  2. Click "Payment Portal" again

  3. Check that your new card appears as the default

  4. Verify the last 4 digits match your new card

Watch for confirmation: The next time you're charged (check "Next invoice date"), verify the charge appears on your new card, not the old one.

Common Payment Method Tasks

How to: Replace an Expiring Card

Scenario: Your card expires next month.

  1. Go to Payment Portal

  2. Click "Update payment method"

  3. Enter your new card (same number but new expiration date)

  4. Save

  5. Remove or deactivate the old expired card

Timeline: Do this 1-2 weeks before expiration.

How to: Switch from Personal to Company Card

Scenario: You've been using your personal card but want to use the company card.

  1. Go to Payment Portal

  2. Click "Add payment method"

  3. Enter company card details

  4. Click "Set as default"

  5. Remove your personal card (optional but recommended)

Tip: Update the billing address to your company's address, and change the billing email to accounts@yourcompany.com.

How to: Add a Backup Payment Method

Scenario: You want a backup card in case the primary fails.

  1. Go to Payment Portal

  2. Click "Add payment method"

  3. Enter backup card details

  4. Save (but don't set as default)

  5. Keep your primary card as default

How it works: If the primary card is declined, Chargebee will automatically try the backup card.

How to: Remove an Old Card

Scenario: You have expired or unused cards cluttering your account.

  1. Go to Payment Portal

  2. Find the old card in your payment methods list

  3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) or trash icon

  4. Click "Remove" or "Delete"

  5. Confirm

Can't remove? You can't delete your only payment method or the default card. Add a new card and set it as default first, then remove the old one.

Troubleshooting Payment Updates

"Payment method failed to update"

Possible causes:

  • Card number entered incorrectly

  • Expiration date in the past or wrong format

  • CVV doesn't match

  • ZIP code doesn't match billing address

  • Card is blocked by your bank

Solutions:

  1. Double-check all details are correct

  2. Verify the card is active (call your bank)

  3. Try a different card

  4. Contact support@stateaffairs.com if the issue persists

"Card was declined"

Why cards get declined:

  • Insufficient funds

  • Fraud protection triggered

  • Card not activated

  • International transaction blocked

  • Wrong ZIP code entered

What to do:

  1. Contact your card issuer/bank to authorize the charge

  2. Ensure the card is activated for online purchases

  3. Verify billing address matches

  4. Try a different card

  5. Contact billing@stateaffairs.com if you need help

"Can't access Payment Portal"

If the portal won't load:

Check popup blocker: The portal opens in a new window. Allow popups from stateaffairs.com.

Try different browser: Sometimes browser extensions interfere. Try Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Clear cache and cookies: Browser cache issues can prevent loading.

Incognito/Private mode: Open an incognito window and try again.

Still not working? Contact support@stateaffairs.com with:

  • Browser you're using

  • Error message (if any)

  • Screenshot of the issue

"I updated my card but old card was still charged"

This can happen if:

  • Update occurred after the charge processed

  • Update didn't save properly

  • Wrong card was set as default

What to do:

  1. Check Payment Portal to confirm new card is set as default

  2. Contact billing@stateaffairs.com to verify the update

  3. If charged incorrectly, we can refund and recharge the correct card

"My bank says the charge was declined but it's not showing in the portal"

Banks decline charges before they reach our system:

  • The charge never posts to our records

  • You won't see it in the portal

What to do:

  1. Contact your bank to authorize State Affairs charges

  2. Retry the payment by updating your payment method

  3. Ensure the card is activated for online/recurring charges

Security & Privacy

How Your Payment Information Is Protected

We use Chargebee: Industry-leading payment processor with bank-level security

We don't store card numbers: Only Chargebee stores your full card details. State Affairs never sees or stores your complete card number.

PCI compliance: All payment processing meets PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requirements.

Encrypted connections: All payment portal communications use SSL/TLS encryption.

Two-factor verification: Chargebee may require additional verification for security.

What We Can See

State Affairs team can see:

  • ✅ Last 4 digits of your card

  • ✅ Card type (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)

  • ✅ Expiration month and year

  • ✅ Whether payment succeeded or failed

State Affairs team CANNOT see:

  • ❌ Your full card number

  • ❌ Your CVV/security code

  • ❌ Your card PIN

Why this matters: Even our support team can't access your complete payment information. Only you can see and modify it in the secure Payment Portal.

Best Practices

Update Before Expiration

Set a recurring calendar reminder to check your card expiration 30 days before it expires. Update early to avoid service interruption.

Remove Old Cards

Don't let expired or unused cards accumulate. Remove them to keep your payment methods clean and avoid confusion.

Use Company Cards

If your organization pays for State Affairs, use a company card rather than personal. Easier for accounting and expense tracking.

Verify After Updating

After any update, go back to the Payment Portal and confirm the new card is set as default.

Monitor Your Invoices

Check your email for invoice receipts. Verify the correct card was charged. Catch issues early.

Payment questions? Contact billing@stateaffairs.com
Technical issues? Contact support@stateaffairs.com

Payment Portal: Accessed via Settings → Account Overview → Payment Portal button