Billing & the free trial

πŸ“– 8-minute read Β· Beginner Β· Last updated 2026-05-23

Everything you need to know about paying for Planscape: how the trial works, switching plans, mobile money, how we handle exchange rates, invoices and tax compliance, and how to cancel.

The 30-day free trial

Every new tenant starts on a 30-day free trial with full Standard-tier features. No credit card needed at signup.

What you get during the trial

What happens as the trial ends

DayWhat happens
βˆ’7Push notification + email reminder to tenant Owner
βˆ’3Second reminder; in-app banner appears
βˆ’1Final reminder; banner turns orange
0 (expiry)If a plan has been chosen + paid β†’ seamless transition. If not β†’ tenant moves to read-only mode
+1 to +60Read-only grace period: full data access, but no new projects, no new issues, no Revit plugin sync
+60Data archived; export available on request for 12 months
Adding a payment method early means a seamless transition on day 31 β€” your subscription starts and you keep working. We charge on day 31, not day 1.

Choosing your plan

Plans are documented on the pricing page. Quick decision matrix:

Paying β€” supported methods

Mobile money (recommended for East & West Africa)

All routed through Flutterwave. Setup once, auto-debit monthly. Confirmation comes via SMS and email.

Card

Visa / Mastercard via Stripe. Standard 3D Secure if your card requires it.

Bank transfer (annual only)

Pay annually, get an invoice, transfer to our bank. Setup time: about 24 hours after we receive your transfer confirmation.

Crypto (Enterprise only)

USDC, USDT, or BTC for donor-funded international work. Contact us for the wallet address and exchange-rate fix policy.

How currency & FX work

You pick your billing currency at signup. Once chosen, prices are fixed in that currency. We don't pass on day-to-day FX volatility β€” you pay the same UGX figure each month regardless of what the dollar is doing.

We do, however, review FX rates quarterly and may adjust local-currency prices to track the underlying USD plan price. Any adjustment is announced 30 days in advance and never applies to your current billing cycle.

To change your billing currency: Tenant Dashboard β†’ Billing β†’ Currency. Change takes effect at the next billing cycle.

Invoices & tax

Every payment generates a tax-compliant invoice in your billing currency. Invoices include:

Download from Tenant Dashboard β†’ Billing β†’ Invoices. We retain invoices for 7 years.

VAT registration status by country:

This isn't tax advice. Consult your accountant for the right treatment in your jurisdiction.

Upgrading mid-cycle

Upgrades take effect immediately. We pro-rate the new plan from the upgrade date:

  1. Calculate days remaining in the current cycle.
  2. Refund proportional credit of the old plan.
  3. Charge proportional cost of the new plan for the same period.
  4. Apply the credit to that charge; you pay the difference.

Example: 15 days into a Starter ($35/mo) cycle, upgrade to Standard ($65/mo). Old plan credit: $17.50. New plan pro-rated: $32.50. You're charged $15. Next month onwards, you pay $65 in full.

Downgrading mid-cycle

Downgrades take effect at the next billing cycle. You keep the higher plan until then; you don't get a refund for the unused portion. This protects you from losing access mid-month.

Cancelling

Tenant Dashboard β†’ Billing β†’ Cancel subscription. You're asked to confirm + give a reason (optional but appreciated).

Effects of cancellation:

Refunds

If you cancel within 30 days of your first paid invoice (i.e. within day 60 of your account), we refund 100% β€” no questions. Email hello@planscape.co.

After 30 days we don't pro-rate refunds for the current cycle. You can cancel any time and you'll keep access until end-of-cycle.

Annual plans: if you cancel partway through an annual cycle, we refund the unused months minus a 10% admin fee. So month 4 cancellation on a 12-month plan = refund of (8 months Γ— monthly equivalent Γ— 90%).

Failed payments

If a payment fails (insufficient funds, expired card, mobile money limit hit):

Educational & non-profit discount

Accredited universities, vocational training institutes, and registered non-profits get 50% off the Standard tier. Email hello@planscape.co with your accreditation documents (or non-profit certificate). Verification takes 1–3 business days.

Anything else

If your question isn't covered here, contact us or check the pricing FAQ.