I think they charge you when beta starts. 

To add to the posters above: If you are not ordering from overseas you should get the box on the day it is released.

that would explain it not showing up in my games that i own category of impulse then.

You gain access to the game -- even if in beta form -- so yes, you pay.

When I preordered. it said I won't be charged until the game is released, No mention of getting charged for the beta.

Please try to avoid spreading innacurate information.  Impulse does a check to see if the funds are there.  Your bank may place a hold on the funds in question for a period of time, but that has nothing to do with Impulse!

I don't remember the exact terms in question, but the normal process of a transaction goes as follows:

1. You enter your card info.

2. The company asks your bank 'does this account have the funds to cover a transaction of "XYZ" amount?

3.  The bank answers.

4.  THe company then charges your account the ammount in question.

Because step three is almost always followed by step 4, the banks put a hold on the funds in question until the charge comes through, or until a pre-defined period (usually less than 48 hours) has passed.  But since Impulse is only concerned with checking that your payment information is correct, step 4 never occurs and you have to wait for the hold period to lapse, or talk to your bank.

Yeah, that would be dumb... if that's what they're doing!  Pleave give SD a little credit.  If something sounds that dumb, you might want to double check the information you're being given.  Sometime's it's true (EA's fascination with DRM comes to mind...) but sometimes it isn't.

You aren't getting 'merely' a half done game; you are getting the opportunity to have a say in the design process, an opportunity to be involved in the production of a game.  If you aren't interested, just don't pre-order.  That's your choice.  SD has a very clear, and fair, policy.  If you don't care for it, you don't have to give them your money... and they don't have to give you your game.

Well even I have to admit being "CHARGED" to participate in a BETA is a bit far fetched and rediculous. I mean seriously it's very easy to put $40 in a new checking account. Wait for all this bs to pass and then just draw the dam $40 out and close the account. They aren't going to know the funds have been removed until they try to process the pre-order a 2nd time around. Thus they should just let everybody participate in the beta for nothing, BUT, nobody gets a free game out of it for doing so. This way those that like it can buy it and those that don't won't be out $40 bucks.

You obviously know nothing about BETA then. lmao. Betas have always been free to play. I've played them since the mid 80's and never paid to play one yet.

Well, SD beta aren't usual betas. It is more alpha since lots of code is not yet. For example, the first GC2 was near one year before the retail release date and was more about engine testing than gameplay. So expects of lots of missing functionnality or bugs. Like Bras said in that thread https://forums.elementalgame.com/361549 SD beta = Agony. SD beta aren't about polishing a product. They are more baout ensuring that the shape the product will take is correct. As Brad had said few years ago, it was the beta testers that introduce the idea of starbase in GC1 during the beta as the game wasn't fun enough.

And since SD want users to give them input to mold the product, they need a way to ensure that only interested people (and not troll) will participate in the beta in order to have MEANINGFUL feedback. Charging when preordering people get the beta is a way to ensure that.

BTW, you aren't forced to participate in the beta. And as long as you haven't downloaded the beta, you can cancel your preorder without any penalty and get your money back in case you bank account was charged.

yeah, i understand what your saying, but no where in the preorder info or anywhere else does it mention that ill be charged for beta, it just says that ill be charged for the game when its released. i understand that  by participating in the beta ,ill be allowed access to it, but preordering a game means you dont have to pay till its relaeased. idk, i just think it should have been mentioned somewhere. anyways PCE

If you're looking for a no-commitment trial rather than an active role in the game's development, we'd advise against preordering. We usually do demos after release, which may be more what you're looking for.

Well, you should look at this page

https://www.elementalgame.com/purchase.asp

You can't have full refund for a beta. This means that money is taken when you get access to the beta. But Stardock knows if you have downloaded a beta or not. If you haven't downloaded the beta, you can get all your money back since you haven't got anything from SD.