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Student pilot guide
How is my payment info used?
Where your card or bank details live, when you're charged, and what Vector61 can see.
A friendly guide to point you the right way — not legal, medical, or FAA advice, and not every situation. Regulations and local procedures vary; your instructor has the final word.
Short version: Vector61 never stores your card or bank account number. Payments run through Stripe, the same processor behind millions of businesses.
What we store
- •Only the last four digits and the bank or card brand — enough to show "Visa ending 4242" in your profile.
- •The full number, expiry, and credentials live with Stripe, entered on Stripe's own secure page.
When you're charged
- •Flights billed through the app are charged before you fly and settled from the actual Hobbs time at close-out — cancel and you're refunded.
- •Paying by ACH bank transfer is free to you (available when you book at least 5 days ahead, since bank transfers take a few days to clear).
- •Paying by card adds a card fee, shown to you before you confirm — never a surprise.
Lessons settled privately
If your instructor prefers cash, check, or Venmo, that's between you and them — the app just keeps the record. Full details live in our Terms of Service (section 8).
Keep reading
What does the Vector61 logbook do?How the digital logbook works, what it automates, and what it is (and isn't).How to connect with an instructorFinding a CFI on Vector61, what happens when you request training, and how to choose well.How to get renters insurance — and why you need itWhat non-owned aircraft insurance covers, what it costs, and how to get a policy this week.