Find quick answers to the questions Proxy-Cheap customers ask most often. For detailed instructions and step-by-step guides, follow the links to the relevant Knowledge Base articles.
Choosing and buying a proxy
Which proxy type should I choose?
Choose based on what your setup needs most:
- Static Residential: A consistent ISP-range IP for longer sessions and workflows that need the same IP.
- Rotating Residential: Access to a pool of residential IPs that can rotate between requests or sessions.
- Mobile: Mobile-carrier IPs for workflows that specifically require a mobile network.
- Datacenter: A fast and cost-effective option when speed and scale are the priority.
- IPv6: A lower-cost option for websites and applications that fully support IPv6.
If you are unsure, contact Support with your use case before purchasing.
Do you offer free trials or test proxies?
Proxy-Cheap does not provide free test proxies or sample IPs. You can purchase the smallest suitable option and test it with your setup. Refund eligibility depends on the product, usage, timing, and the current refund policy.
Can I preview or reserve an exact IP, subnet, ASN, or IP range before purchasing?
Exact IP addresses are assigned when the order is delivered and cannot be previewed beforehand. Requests for a particular subnet, ASN, IP range, or other specific inventory requirement depend on current availability.
If this is essential to your purchase, contact Support before ordering.
Can I choose a specific country or ISP?
Available countries, locations, and ISP options depend on the proxy product and current inventory. The available options are shown during purchase.
If a specific location or ISP is essential, contact Support before ordering.
Can I use one order for multiple countries?
It depends on the product. A static proxy is tied to one IP and location. Products that support location targeting may allow you to create separate credentials for different supported locations under the same plan or bandwidth balance.
Can I change my proxy's country, city, ISP, IP address, or port after purchase?
These parameters are normally tied to the proxy that was delivered and cannot simply be edited in place.
If your product supports self-service replacement, you may be able to replace the proxy from your dashboard. Otherwise, contact Support to review the available options.
How long does it take to receive my proxies?
Many orders are provisioned quickly, while some may take up to 24 hours after payment. If additional information is required, the Proxy-Cheap team will contact you.
Which payment methods do you support?
Proxy-Cheap supports card payments, wire transfers, and cryptocurrency payments.
Are there restrictions on how Proxy-Cheap proxies can be used?
Yes. Certain activities and use cases are restricted or unsupported under Proxy-Cheap policies.
Using a proxy for an unsupported use case may also affect refund eligibility, so review the applicable policies before purchasing if you are unsure.
Setup and connectivity
My proxy isn't working. What should I check first?
Confirm that the proxy is active, copy the credentials again from your dashboard, and verify that your application is using the correct proxy protocol and authentication method.
If possible, test the proxy in another application or network. If it still fails, contact Support with the proxy ID, exact error message, and the application you are using.
How should I format my proxy credentials?
The most common credential formats are:
ip:port:username:password
protocol://username:password@ip:port
If your application provides separate fields, enter the host, port, username, and password individually. Use the credentials supplied with your proxy, not your Proxy-Cheap account password.
Why am I getting a 401 Unauthorized error?
A 401 error normally means the authentication details were rejected. Copy the proxy credentials again, check for extra spaces or swapped fields, and confirm that you are using the correct authentication method.
Why does the proxy work in curl but not in my app or browser?
If the proxy works in curl, the connection itself is usually active. The issue is more likely to be the application's proxy configuration, protocol selection, authentication fields, or proxy-support limitations.
Check the relevant setup guide or contact Support with the application name and a masked screenshot of your configuration.
Which proxy connection protocols are supported?
Protocol availability depends on the proxy product. HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 support is not identical across every proxy type, and authentication options can also vary.
If your application requires a particular protocol, confirm compatibility before purchasing.
Why am I getting a 500 error on Rotating Residential proxies?
Start a new session or rotate to another exit IP, then test more than one destination.
If the error continues across multiple sessions and websites, contact Support with your endpoint, masked credentials, and test results so the service can be investigated.
How do Session ID, Random IP, and TTL work with Rotating Residential proxies?
A Session ID is used when you want to keep the same exit IP for a session. TTL controls how long that session should remain active within the supported limits.
Random IP mode is used when you want the exit IP to change more frequently.
Because rotating residential IPs come from live residential devices, an IP may still change if the device becomes unavailable.
Why does my IPv6 proxy work on checker websites but fail in my app or platform?
An IPv6-only proxy can connect only to destinations that support IPv6. Some checker websites support IPv6 while the application or destination you are trying to reach may still depend on IPv4.
If the destination does not support IPv6, an IPv4 proxy product may be required.
Location and IP quality
Why does my proxy show the wrong location?
Different websites use different IP-location databases, so the same IP can display differently across services.
Proxy-Cheap uses MaxMind as its reference for geolocation. If MaxMind shows a location different from your order, contact Support with the proxy ID. If MaxMind matches but another website disagrees, the difference may be caused by that third-party database.
Why is my IP detected as a VPN, proxy, hosting, or server IP?
Third-party databases classify IP addresses using their own data and detection methods. The same IP can therefore receive different labels from different services.
A third-party classification by itself does not mean that the proxy is offline or unable to function.
Does Enhanced IP Quality guarantee a fraud score of 0?
No. Fraud and risk scores are calculated by third-party services and can change over time.
Enhanced IP Quality should be evaluated using the checker and score criteria associated with the order. If the delivered proxy falls outside the purchased criteria, contact Support with the proxy ID and relevant checker result.
Why do different fraud-score checkers show different results?
Each fraud-score provider uses different data sources, algorithms, and update cycles. The same IP can therefore receive very different scores at the same time.
Fraud score should also not be treated as the only measure of proxy performance or reliability.
Can you guarantee that a specific website or platform will accept my proxy?
No. Websites and platforms make their own access and risk decisions using signals beyond the IP address, including account history, device information, browser data, and user behavior.
A restriction from a particular platform does not automatically mean that the proxy itself is faulty. Replacement and refund eligibility are determined by the applicable product and refund policies.
Performance, refunds and account
Why is my proxy slow?
Proxy performance can be affected by network distance, congestion, the destination server, and the number of simultaneous connections.
Compare the same connection with and without the proxy and test more than one destination. If the proxy remains consistently slow, contact Support with the proxy ID and your test results.
Can I cancel my proxy and receive a refund?
Refund eligibility depends on the product, the time since purchase or renewal, usage, payment method, and the reason for the request. Some situations and unsupported use cases are excluded.
Review the current Refund Policy and contact Support as soon as possible with the relevant order details.
How long does it take to receive an approved refund?
Once a refund has been approved and processed, the time required for the funds to appear depends on the payment method, bank, and payment provider.
Can my wallet balance be returned to my card or original payment method?
Wallet balance is prepaid credit and normally remains available for future purchases while the account remains active.
Returning wallet funds to the original payment method may only be reviewed under the conditions described in the current refund and account-closure policies.
Still need help?
If you cannot find the answer you need, contact Proxy-Cheap Support. For technical issues, include your proxy ID, the application or website you are using, the exact error message, and a masked screenshot of your configuration where relevant. This helps us investigate faster.