Payment terms and methods¶

Link to full documentation: https://hostkey.com/about-us/payment-terms-and-methods/

All our services are paid for in advance. We accept payments via credit, PayPal, P2P cryptocurrency payments from any wallet, application or exchange through BitPay. We also accept Alipay and wire transfers.

Hourly billing¶

We offer an option of hourly billing for instant servers and virtual servers with GPU cards.

How does it work?¶

1. Placing an order and submitting a payment

2. After an order is placed, you will receive a monthly invoice.

3. Pay the invoice and wait for your server to be ready. Deployment takes from 3 to 60 minutes, depending on the selected configuration.

4. Server usage

You will receive login details to the email address you specified during registration. Server usage starts from the moment the email is sent, time count is hourly.

1. Server cancellation

If you no longer require the server, please submit an immediate cancellation request via the control panel (https://invapi.hostkey.com/).

1. Calculation and refund

2. The remainder of the funds will be added to your credit balance at hostkey.com.

3. Price per hour is calculated based on the monthly price and depends on the amount of hours in that particular month.
4. Formula: H = S / N * 24, where H is an hourly cost, S is a monthly cost, N — a number of days in a calendar month.

5. If there was a discount on the server, the cost per hour is calculated based on the monthly cost, taking into account this discount.

6. Credit balance

Funds from the credit balance can be used for paying for other services or they can be refunded via the original payment method.

Calculation example¶

Here's how the hourly billing works for instant dedicated and virtual servers (including those with GPU cards).

1. Let's say you want to rent a GPU server with a Tesla H100 for 36 hours.
2. Order the server and pay a monthly amount of €1790.
3. After the server is deployed, and login details are sent to the email address you specified during registration, usage countdown will begin.
4. After 36 hours of using the server, log in to your account and submit an immediate cancellation request (here is a manual on how to cancel a server).
5. Once the server is terminated, the system will calculate the time and the cost of the actual usage: €1790 / 720 * 36 = €89,5.
6. The remaining funds €1790 – €89,5 = €1700,5 will be automatically added to your credit balance.
7. You will be able to use this amount to pay for other services or request a withdrawal (read the refund policy).

FAQ¶

Can I rent a virtual server on an hourly basis?¶

On an hourly basis you can rent the following servers:

• preconfigured dedicated servers, including those with GPU cards;
• virtual GPU servers;
• VPS.

Can I rent a custom server on an hourly basis?¶

There is no hourly billing for such servers. Minimal rental term for custom servers is 1 month.

Can I rent a virtual GPU server on an hourly basis?¶

Yes, all virtual and preconfigured dedicated GPU servers are available for rent on an hourly basis.

How quickly is the amount for the unused time added to the credit balance?¶

After submitting an immediate cancellation request, the amount will be credited to your account almost instantly.

How quickly is the amount refunded via the original payment method?¶

The amount will be refunded within a couple of working days after receiving your request.

I prepaid a server for several months. Can I cancel the server immediately and get a refund for the unused time?¶

We do not offer an option of an early cancellation in case of prepayment for several months, except for cases where there is a technical malfunction and we cannot provide a replacement server within an appropriate timeline.

I rent a dedicated server with a Windows licence (or other paid software). Can I cancel it immediately?¶

We do not provide the possibility of immediate cancellation for such servers; server can be cancelled at the end of the current billing period.

Can I automatically order and cancel servers?¶

With the help of our convenient API, you can integrate server ordering and cancellation into your billing or IT infrastructure. To learn more, check out the documentation.

VAT for our services¶

If you are an EU citizen or company, you have to pay VAT on every product/service purchased in the EU. VAT will be charged at the rate applicable to the EU country you are located in.

If you are not an EU citizen or company, then the price remains without VAT (0% VAT).

If your company is VAT registered, you can claim all your VAT back from your local tax authorities. Alternatively, you can provide us with your business VAT registration number to avoid VAT charges.

How to Pay for HOSTKEY’s Services¶

All our services are paid for in advance. Funds are added to your account credit balance and can be used to pay for any of our services.

Stripe¶

We accept payments via Stripe — a fast and secure payment platform. The following methods are available at checkout:

• Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, Diners Club, UnionPay — debit and credit cards accepted.
• Digital wallets: Apple Pay and Google Pay are supported for quick one-tap checkout.
• Local payment methods:
• iDEAL — available for customers in the Netherlands,
• Bancontact — available for customers in Belgium,
• Alipay — available for customers in China.
• Link: Stripe Link allows you to save your payment details for faster checkout on future orders.

PayPal¶

We accept payments via PayPal. You can pay using:

• Your PayPal balance or any payment method linked to your PayPal account,
• Credit and debit cards directly (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club) — no PayPal account required via guest checkout,
• PayPal subscriptions — for automatic recurring payments.

Cryptocurrency (via BitPay)¶

We accept P2P cryptocurrency payments through BitPay from any wallet, app, or exchange. Supported currencies:

• Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE),
• Ethereum (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Shiba Inu (SHIB),
• Stablecoins: USDC, USDT, DAI, GUSD, USDP, BUSD.

Note: ERC-20 tokens are only accepted on the Ethereum (ETH) network. A BitPay ID (identity verification) may be required for cryptocurrency payments.

How to pay with crypto:

1. Select BitPay at checkout and choose your preferred cryptocurrency.
2. Scan the QR code or copy the payment address and amount.
3. Send the exact amount from your wallet or exchange.
4. Enter a valid email address — it will be used for refunds if any payment issues arise.

Wire Transfer (SWIFT & SEPA)¶

We accept bank wire transfers via SWIFT (global) and SEPA (for EUR payments within Europe). Bank details are provided on your invoice.

Credit Balance¶

Once a payment is received, funds are credited to your account balance. Your balance can be used to pay for any HOSTKEY service or refunded via the original payment method.

For payment-related questions, please contact our Sales Department.

Refund Policy¶

In case of an early termination of the service by the Client, refund for unused time is processed in the following way: https://hostkey.com/about-us/legal/refund-policy/

Products that are not eligible for a refund:¶

• Various license costs (Windows, cPanel, etc).
• Domain names / Redemption Fees.
• SSL certificates.
• Server administration fees.