Sonat

<h1>Why do we ask for a credit card?</h1><p>We didn’t always require a credit card. For a long time, publishing on our platform was completely open. Unfortunately, that openness was taken advantage of.</p><p>Over time, we began seeing a wave of scam accounts. Some were posting topics filled with Trojan links. Others were uploading stolen or copyright-protected material. The result? We started receiving warnings and takedown requests from multiple directions. It wasn’t good for us, and certainly not safe for our community.</p><p>Adding a credit card requirement is our way of protecting both sides. It helps us verify that an account belongs to a real person, not a bot or a scammer.</p><h2 id="we-don-t-charge-your-card">We don’t charge your card</h2><p><strong>Adding a credit card is only for verification purposes. You will not be billed, ever, unless you actively choose a paid plan.</strong></p><h2 id="we-don-t-store-full-card-numbers">We don’t store full card numbers</h2><p>All payments and card verification are handled securely through&nbsp;Stripe, a trusted global payments provider. Stripe is&nbsp;PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant, which is the highest standard of payment security. This means:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e47f73705d72e74179b560c1be0ddab6f">We never store your full card number on our servers</li><li data-list-item-id="e4f415d0fe1d9bae95e9fb20b5cd8b7d9">Your details are encrypted end-to-end</li><li data-list-item-id="eda63bb63d9154fc769f27a5552e38600">Stripe handles card data using industry-leading security practices</li></ul><h2 id="why-this-matters">Why this matters</h2><p>We know adding a card may feel like an extra step, but from experience, it’s a simple and effective way to keep the platform clean, safe, and trustworthy for everyone who publishes and reads here.</p><h2 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</h2><ul><li data-list-item-id="e4f2287e956fafa64cba3e347c429ee0a">What if I don’t have a credit card?<br>&nbsp;At this time, we only support credit card verification. </li><li data-list-item-id="e58e4398b94caf01308be432a307e6027">Will you ever charge me?<br>&nbsp;No. Your card is strictly for verification. You will never be charged unless you actively choose a paid plan.</li><li data-list-item-id="e93170e5bb51b208889ca7b021f66567b">Is my information safe?<br>&nbsp;Yes. Your card details never touch our servers. They are securely processed and stored by <strong>Stripe</strong>, which is certified to the highest level of payment security (PCI-DSS Level 1).</li></ul>