> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.rytz.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Subscription and billing

> How RYTZ subscriptions work, where to view your billing history, how to upgrade or downgrade, what happens when a trial ends, and the platform's refund and cancellation policy.

import { CardGroup, Card, Note, Tip, Warning, Steps, Step } from '@mintlify/components'

This page covers how RYTZ subscriptions work — viewing your plan, upgrading, downgrading, billing history, payment methods, and what happens when a trial ends. Subscription management lives at `app.rytz.com.au/subscription`.

## Plans

See [Pricing and tiers](/account/pricing-and-tiers) for the full plan comparison. In summary:

* **Free** — every authenticated user. Includes [Education Portal](/learn/education-portal), [Legal Research Library](/learn/legal-research-library), [Legal Aid eligibility](/learn/legal-aid-eligibility), basic profile.
* **Free + 5 AI messages/month** — same as Free plus 5 AI assistant messages per calendar month.
* **Premium** — unlimited AI messages, all planners (Parenting / Settlement / Case Roadmap), full Affidavit Preparation toolkit, full Evidence Portfolio with Stage Review and Court Readiness Matrix, Master Case File, full Forms Library access.

## Viewing your plan

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to /subscription">
    From the user menu (top-right) → Subscription. Or directly to `app.rytz.com.au/subscription`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the current plan summary">
    The summary shows: current plan, billing cycle (monthly / annual), next billing date, payment method on file, recent invoices.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click any line for detail">
    Clicking the plan opens the upgrade/downgrade interface. Clicking the payment method opens the update flow. Clicking an invoice opens the PDF.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Upgrading

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click 'Upgrade'">
    From the Subscription page or any premium-locked feature surface.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose monthly or annual">
    Annual is discounted (typically 20%) compared to monthly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm payment method">
    Add a card if you don't have one on file. The platform supports Visa, Mastercard, AMEX. Payments processed by Stripe.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the upgrade">
    The upgrade is immediate. Premium features unlock the moment the payment processes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If you're upgrading mid-cycle on monthly, you're charged a pro-rated amount for the rest of the cycle. Annual upgrades are charged in full at the time of upgrade.

## Downgrading

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click 'Change plan' on the Subscription page">
    Choose **Free** or one of the lower-tier options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the downgrade">
    Downgrades take effect at the end of the current billing period. You retain premium features until then.

    Why end-of-period rather than immediate? You've paid for the period; the platform doesn't take that access back.
  </Step>

  <Step title="See the downgrade-effective date">
    The Subscription page shows the date the downgrade activates. After that date, premium features become locked behind the upgrade prompt.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **Your data persists across plans.** Downgrading doesn't delete anything you've created. Affidavit drafts, Evidence Portfolio items, parenting plans — all retained, just locked behind the premium gate. If you re-upgrade later, everything's there.
</Note>

## Cancelling

Cancelling means moving to the Free plan. Same flow as downgrading.

If you want to **delete your account entirely** (not just cancel the subscription), see [Privacy and data](/account/privacy-and-data) for the full account-deletion flow.

## Billing history

Every invoice is available in the Subscription page → Invoice history.

* **Click any invoice** to open the PDF
* **Download all** for bulk export (useful for tax or expense purposes)
* **Email invoices** to a different email address (for users who handle billing through an accountant)

Invoices include:

* Date of issue
* Plan + cycle
* Subtotal, GST (Australian GST applies for AU billing addresses), total
* Payment method (last four digits)
* Tax invoice number

Invoices are automatically generated for every payment.

## Updating payment method

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click 'Payment method' on the Subscription page">
    Opens the secure Stripe-hosted update form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter new card details">
    Card number, expiry, CVC, billing address. The platform never sees the raw card number — Stripe handles it directly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    The new card replaces the previous one. Future charges go to the new card.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If a payment fails (expired card, insufficient funds), the platform retries automatically over 7 days. After 7 days of failed retries, the subscription downgrades to Free pending payment-method update.

## Free trial

New premium upgrades typically include a 7- or 14-day free trial (current details on [Pricing and tiers](/account/pricing-and-tiers)).

During the trial:

* You have full premium access
* No card is charged
* Cancel any time before the trial ends to avoid the charge

When the trial ends:

* If you have a payment method on file, you're charged for the first cycle
* If you don't have a payment method on file, you're moved to Free

The Subscription page shows a banner with days remaining in the trial; the platform also emails reminders 3 days, 1 day, and on the day the trial ends.

## Trial-ended page

If a trial ends without payment-method-on-file, you land on the [Trial Ended page](https://app.rytz.com.au/trial-ended) the next time you try to access a premium feature. It's a soft paywall — you can choose to upgrade and restore access, continue with the Free tier (premium features locked), or contact support.

## Refund policy

The platform's refund stance:

* **Within 7 days of charge** — full refund on request, no questions asked. Email [tech@rytz.com.au](mailto:tech@rytz.com.au).
* **After 7 days** — refunds are case-by-case. Refund granted where:
  * There has been a billing error (double-charge, charge after cancellation)
  * You have not used premium features in the period
  * Material platform issues affected your ability to use the platform
* **Annual subscriptions** — pro-rated refund for unused months on cancellation, less a 20% retention fee.

The platform's commercial intent is clearly: don't charge users who aren't getting value. If you feel the value isn't there, ask for the refund.

## Receipts and tax

For Australian users:

* All invoices include GST where applicable
* Subscription is generally **not** tax-deductible for self-represented family-law matters (these are personal expenses, not business expenses)
* For lawyers using RYTZ to support client work (the [pro portal at pro.rytz.com.au](https://pro.rytz.com.au) — out of scope for these consumer-app docs), the subscription is a deductible business expense

For non-Australian users, GST does not apply; standard invoices apply.

## Promotional codes

Promotional codes are accepted at checkout. Enter the code in the **Promo code** field on the upgrade page; the discount applies before payment.

The platform does not generally publish unrestricted promo codes. Codes are typically issued for:

* Legal-aid-eligible users (significant discount)
* Community-legal-centre referrals
* Specific advocacy partnerships

If you've been given a code through a community legal centre or similar, use it at upgrade.

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Pricing and tiers" icon="circle-dollar" href="/account/pricing-and-tiers">
    Plan comparison and feature matrix.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Privacy and data" icon="lock" href="/account/privacy-and-data">
    Including the account-deletion flow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Settings" icon="gear" href="/account/settings">
    Account settings broader than billing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Legal Aid eligibility" icon="hand-holding-heart" href="/learn/legal-aid-eligibility">
    Free eligibility checker — relevant if cost is a concern.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>