Draft. This document has not yet been reviewed by counsel and is not in force. It is published here for review only. Bracketed tokens mark facts that still have to be filled in.

Refund and Billing Policy

Effective date: [[EFFECTIVE_DATE]]

This policy explains how billing works, when money comes back, and what happens if you cancel or dispute a charge. It forms part of the Terms of Service. Where a signed Order Form or master services agreement says something different, that document wins.

1. Plans and how you are charged

• Subscriptions are per seat, billed monthly or annually in advance, in US dollars (USD).
• Annual plans are charged for the whole year on the start date and on each renewal date.
• Monthly plans are charged on the start date and on the same day of each following month. If a month is shorter, we charge on its last day.
• Prices are exclusive of sales tax, VAT, GST and similar taxes, which are added where applicable. Whether the Service is taxable in a given place is a question for our advisers; see [[VERIFY_WITH_CPA]].
• Self-serve subscriptions are paid by card or other supported method through our payment processor. Invoiced subscriptions are available for $5,000 per year and above, with payment terms of 30 days.

2. Free trials

• A trial runs for 14 days.
• We no card required require a payment method to start a trial. Decide this: not taking a card means fewer surprise charges and fewer complaints; taking one means the trial converts automatically, which some jurisdictions regulate.
• If a payment method is on file, the subscription starts automatically at the end of the trial at the plan price, unless you cancel before it ends. We will email a reminder at least 3 days before the trial ends, to the account administrator.
• Trials have no warranty and no service commitment.
• If you do not subscribe, the workspace and its data may be deleted 30 days after the trial ends. Export before then.

3. Renewals

• Subscriptions renew automatically for a period equal to the previous term.
• Annual renewals: we email the account administrator at least 30 days before the renewal date with the date and the amount.
• Price changes take effect at renewal, with at least 60 days' notice.
• To stop a renewal, cancel before the renewal date. See Section 4.
• Some US states and other jurisdictions regulate automatic renewal disclosures and cancellation mechanics. Have counsel confirm the reminder timing and the cancellation flow meet the rules that apply to your customers: [[AUTORENEW_COMPLIANCE_CHECK]].

4. Cancellation

• Cancel at any time in the billing settings of the Service, or by emailing hello@seros.dev from the administrator's address. Cancelling in the app takes effect immediately as an instruction not to renew.
• Cancellation stops the next renewal. It does not shorten the current term.
• You keep access until the end of the period you have paid for.
• Monthly plans: cancelling stops the charge at the end of the current month.
• Annual plans: cancelling stops the charge at the end of the current year. See Section 5 for whether any of it comes back.
• Seat reductions take effect at renewal unless the Order Form says otherwise.
• After the subscription ends, export your data within 30 days. After that, deletion follows Section 15 of the Terms.

5. Refunds

The default position is that fees are non-refundable, because the Service is a subscription that you had access to. The exceptions below are the ones we will honour.

How to ask. Email hello@seros.dev with the account name and the invoice number. We respond within 5 business days business days. Approved refunds go back to the original payment method within 10 business days business days, though your bank may take longer.

Consumer protection law does not usually apply to business purchases, but where a mandatory local law gives you a stronger right, that law applies and this policy does not reduce it.

6. Failed payments and non-payment

• If a payment fails we will retry and email the billing contact.
• If it remains unpaid after 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after a failed charge days we may suspend the Service, after at least 7 days' written notice.
• Suspension does not cancel the subscription or the debt. Fees continue to accrue for the term unless the subscription is terminated.
• Overdue amounts may accrue interest at the lower of 1.0% per month, or the maximum the law allows, whichever is lower per month or the maximum permitted by law, plus reasonable collection costs.
• Data is retained during a suspension for 60 days, then becomes eligible for deletion.

7. Chargebacks

Talk to us first. Email hello@seros.dev and we will usually resolve a billing problem faster than a card network will.

If a chargeback is filed:

• We may suspend the account while the dispute is open.
• We will respond to the card network with the account records, the acceptance of the Terms, the usage logs and the invoice.
• If the chargeback is resolved in our favour, you remain responsible for the amount plus any fee the processor charges us, which we may pass on where the law allows.
• If it is resolved in your favour, the subscription is treated as terminated for non-payment unless we agree otherwise.
• Repeated chargebacks may result in the account being closed and future purchases refused.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. Material changes take effect at your next renewal, on notice under Section 17.10 of the Terms.

Questions: hello@seros.dev.

What I need from you

1. Trial length, whether a card is required, and reminder timing.
2. Whether there is a stated money-back window on the first annual purchase, and how long.
3. Payment terms, dunning schedule, and late interest rate.
4. Whether the automatic-renewal reminder and cancellation flow meet the automatic renewal laws in the states where you will sell.
5. The invoicing threshold above which a customer can pay by invoice instead of card.