Buying with a purchase order, invoice, or wire transfer

The short version

1. Build your cart on the Buy data page. Open the cart and click Request a formal invoice (on the cart page the link reads Request an invoice instead).
2. Fill in the billing form with your institution name, billing email, country, VAT number if you have one, and your internal PO number if your finance team needs it on the invoice.
3. You're redirected to a hosted checkout page on FastSpring with your cart contents and contact details already populated. The link stays valid, so you can forward it to your finance or procurement department.
4. Click Invoice as the payment method on that page. FastSpring confirms the buyer details and generates a formal PDF invoice immediately, with bank-transfer details and a unique reference code.
5. Forward the PDF to whoever needs to approve the spend, or pay it directly. The page also supports credit card, PayPal, and Amazon Pay if you don't need a wire transfer.
6. Pay by wire using the details on the invoice, making sure to include the unique payment reference. Your data access activates after FastSpring confirms the wire.

Frequently asked questions

Who appears as the seller on the invoice?

The invoice is issued by BrightMarket LLC DBA FastSpring, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. FastSpring is Kibot's authorized merchant of record. FastSpring collects payment, handles VAT and sales tax for the relevant jurisdictions, and remits revenue to Kibot.

If your procurement team needs Kibot listed alongside FastSpring on the invoice (for compliance with internal vendor records), include that request in the Notes field when generating the quote and we will add it before the invoice is finalized.

VAT and reverse charge for EU buyers

If your institution is based in the European Union and has a valid VAT number, FastSpring applies the reverse-charge mechanism: the invoice is issued without VAT, and your accounting team self-accounts for it on your local return. Enter your VAT ID in the VAT / Tax ID field on the request-invoice form so it's printed on the quote.

If you received an invoice with VAT even though your institution is VAT-registered in the EU, send the institution's VAT number and the invoice or quote ID through the contact form. FastSpring re-issues the invoice without VAT, usually the same business day. UK-based buyers follow the same path: send the UK VAT number and we'll have FastSpring re-issue under the post-2021 rules.

FastSpring is registered for VAT in the EU and holds a European VAT number itself, which is what allows the reverse charge to operate cleanly on the buyer's local return.

Where do I put the purchase order number?

The request-invoice form has a dedicated Purchase Order Number field. Whatever you enter is also pre-filled on FastSpring's invoice modal, so the PO ends up printed on the final invoice without you having to type it twice. If your accounting team only assigns the PO after seeing the invoice, leave that field blank for now. You can add it on the FastSpring page before clicking Generate Invoice.

Which payment methods are supported?

Checkout is handled by FastSpring and accepts major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay), PayPal, and Amazon Pay. Other methods such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, and local options appear at checkout depending on your country. For any order amount you can choose Invoice to pay by bank wire, and US customers can pay that invoice by mailed check or money order. Invoices are not available for subscriptions. This routes through FastSpring's invoicing service and produces the formal PDF document your accounting team needs.

On the checkout page, if the Securely save payment details checkbox is visible, leave it unchecked. Saving payment details hides the Invoice and Wire Transfer options on FastSpring's side, which is the usual reason the Invoice button is missing.

Pre-authorization holds on cards

A rejected card attempt can still trigger a temporary pre-authorization, which is a hold on funds rather than an actual charge. The pre-authorization is not a charge against your account, and neither Kibot nor FastSpring can speed up the release; the timing is controlled entirely by the card-issuing bank. If a hold stays visible, contact your bank's customer service.

Bank-transfer details

Bank details are generated for each order and printed on the invoice itself. Each invoice also carries a unique payment-reference code. Include this reference in the wire's memo field, or FastSpring cannot match the payment to your order, which delays activation.

Splitting payment across two institutions

If two universities or departments are co-funding a purchase, we can issue two separate invoices that together cover the order. Each can list a subset of the items and a different billing address. Generate one invoice with the request-invoice form, then use the contact form with the order ID and the second institution's billing details and we'll set up the matching second invoice.

What if the checkout link expires before payment?

The hosted checkout link stays valid for a limited time. If your procurement cycle takes longer or the link expires before payment, email us with the order ID and we'll re-issue without changing the price, as long as our catalog hasn't moved.

Academic and educational pricing

Kibot offers reduced rates for verified academic researchers, students, and university-affiliated labs. Use the contact form with proof of affiliation (a university email address is usually enough) before generating the quote. We'll set up custom pricing on the items you need and send you a quote link.

How long until I get the data?

Once the funds arrive and FastSpring confirms the wire transfer, your account is activated automatically and you'll receive the download instructions by email. How long a wire takes to arrive is determined by your bank and FastSpring. Plan ahead during quarter-end and holiday periods, when bank processing can be slower.

Once active, your purchase gives you the full history immediately and 45 days of unlimited downloads with daily updates, then free quarterly updates at 3, 6, and 9 months. Download access lasts one year from your last purchase, and the data you download is yours to keep. A new customer's first purchase without Premium also includes 45 days of full Kibot API access to the purchased data. To extend access, purchase more data or take a subscription, which refreshes your purchased data at the plan's cadence for as long as it is active, quarterly on the $14 EOD plan and up to daily on Premium.

Why are taxes shown on my quote?

Taxes added to a quote are imposed by your country's tax authority on digital service providers, not by Kibot or by FastSpring. FastSpring as Merchant of Record is legally obligated to collect and remit them. The tax rate is determined automatically from the billing country and address on the quote. The quote reflects the tax rules in force on the day the invoice is generated.

If you're VAT-exempt under the reverse-charge mechanism, see the VAT section above; that path removes the tax line entirely on the re-issued quote.

Multi-currency support

FastSpring detects the buyer's region from the billing address and displays prices in the local currency where supported (EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF, and several others; the underlying transaction is converted at the rate quoted on the page). The base price stays in USD. The displayed currency is a convenience for the buyer and gives the accounting team a clean line item. If your institution requires the invoice in a specific currency, mention it in the Notes field on the request-invoice form.

My order isn't in your standard catalog

If you need a custom symbol universe, a date range that's not on the buy page, or a one-off historical extract, open the custom order builder. Pick the symbols, bar size and dates and the price appears instantly, from $40. Add it to the cart and pay by card, PayPal or invoice as described above; delivery is automatic after payment. Use the contact form only if you have a question the builder does not answer.

Need help?

• Use the contact form with your quote ID, institution name, and the question. A human responds within one business day.
• If you're not sure what to buy yet, the Buy data page lists every package, bundle, and subscription, and the FAQ covers the most common questions.
• For more on how FastSpring fits in, see FastSpring payment details.

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