Paying a Hetzner Invoice From Iran: Why Cards Fail and How to Do It Right
Hetzner bills monthly and an Iranian card doesn't work on its portal. If the invoice isn't paid on time, your server gets locked. This guide explains why, and how to pay it safely and on time from Iran.
Foreign payments from Iran
Settle your Hetzner invoice on time
This article at a glance
- Hetzner bills retroactively on a fixed day of the month — the invoice comes after you've used the product.
- Its portal takes only Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, UnionPay, SEPA and PayPal; none of these connect to an Iranian card.
- A late payment means reminders first, then a locked server — and if it's very late, only a bank transfer is accepted.
- The right way: your invoice paid on your behalf with an Iranian card, in Toman, with a receipt.
How Hetzner bills you
For Cloud, dedicated servers, Storage Boxes and domains, Hetzner issues an invoice monthly on a fixed day. Billing is retroactive — this month's invoice is for usage you've already had, and some Cloud resources are metered hourly and rolled into that monthly invoice. The upshot: the invoice always arrives, whether you keep the server busy or idle.
Why an Iranian card is rejected
On its portal Hetzner accepts Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, UnionPay, SEPA (EUR accounts only) and PayPal. None of these are connected to cards issued in Iran, so an Iranian card isn't recognised at all — nothing to do with your balance. That's why most people turn to an intermediary's foreign card or account; the thing that matters is that it happens with a receipt and a way to follow up.
Pay late and the server gets locked
This is what many people learn too late: Hetzner first sends email reminders, then may lock your server or services. If payment is very late, it even disables the card and PayPal options and accepts only a bank transfer — and if it reaches a notice of termination, there's a risk of data loss. Hetzner reactivates the account automatically once it processes the payment, but only if that payment arrives before the termination notice. So on a Hetzner invoice, being late isn't just a small penalty.
The safe way to pay
Because the invoice is time-bound and your server depends on it, ask any intermediary for these three things:
A payment receipt
After paying you should have a record that your invoice is settled.
A refund path
If the payment can't be made for any reason, the amount comes back in full.
Speed, because it's time-bound
On an invoice your server depends on, same-day matters — not next week.
Rima's Hetzner service is exactly that: you enter the invoice amount in the calculator on the page, see the day's rate and the fee before you pay, pay in Toman with an Iranian card, and the payment is made on your own account.
Why doesn't an Iranian card work on Hetzner's portal?
Hetzner accepts Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, UnionPay, SEPA and PayPal. None of these connect to Iranian card networks, so an Iranian card isn't recognised at all.
What happens if I don't pay the invoice?
Hetzner first sends email reminders, then may lock your server or services. If it's very late, it disables card and PayPal payment and accepts only a bank transfer; and if it reaches permanent termination, there's a risk of data loss.
How soon does the server come back after payment?
Hetzner says it reactivates the account automatically once it processes the payment — provided the payment arrives before a notice of termination is issued. That is why paying on time matters.
What exactly does Rima do?
It pays your own Hetzner invoice with an Iranian card, on your behalf, and gives you the receipt. The account and server stay yours.
How is this different from renting a server from Rima?
This service pays your own account's invoice. If you don't have a Hetzner account at all and want a server on Rima's account instead, that's a separate service.
Hetzner invoice due?
Enter the invoice amount to see the rate, the fee and the final total before you pay — and keep your server from being locked.
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