$ cat billing.md
billing policy
We bill in two ways and never mix them. Apps are billed by Shopify, on your Shopify invoice. Work you hire us for directly is invoiced by us, against a scope you approved first.
two ways we bill
- through shopify
- Every StoreSmith app, and anything you buy inside an app. Charged by Shopify, shown on your Shopify bill, paid with the method on your Shopify account.
- direct from us
- Build sprints, retainers and fixed-price fixes agreed with us outside an app. Invoiced by StoreSmith under a written scope or agreement.
If you bought something inside an app, Shopify bills it — we will never invoice you for it separately. If something was agreed directly with us, it won’t appear on your Shopify bill.
app plans
- Prices for each app are on its page on this site and on its Shopify App Store listing. Many apps have a free plan.
- Billing runs through Shopify. Paid plans renew every 30 days, or yearly where an app offers an annual plan, and appear on your Shopify invoice. We never see or store card details.
- Currency is US dollars. Shopify may show or charge in your local currency where it supports that.
- Taxes are added by Shopify based on your store’s location.
- Free trials, where offered, are shown on the listing. You are charged when the trial ends unless you uninstall or move to a free plan first.
- Usage-based charges, where an app has them, are listed on the app’s pricing, billed monthly and shown in the app before they apply.
- Plus-only features, such as checkout extensions, need your store to be on Shopify Plus.
plan changes
- Change plan at any time from inside the app — no support ticket, no reinstall.
- Upgrades apply straight away. Shopify credits the unused part of your old plan.
- Downgrades apply from your next billing cycle. A move to a free plan takes effect at the end of the period you’ve already paid for.
- Price increases are announced at least 30 days ahead, in the app and by email. Shopify asks you to approve a new price before it’s charged; until you do, you stay on your current price.
cancelling an app
Uninstall the app or switch to its free plan. Uninstalling stops all future charges straight away. Charges Shopify has already raised for the current period still apply. What happens to your data after uninstall is in our privacy policy.
app refunds
App charges cover a period of service, so we don’t normally refund part of a period. We do refund when:
- you were charged in error, or twice;
- the app didn’t work for a sustained period because of a fault on our side;
- you forgot to cancel and haven’t used the app since the charge — ask within 14 days of it.
Refunds are issued through Shopify, usually as a credit on your Shopify bill. Write to billing@storesmith.dev with your store URL and the charge.
direct engagements
For work agreed with us directly — see services pricing:
- build sprints
- Fixed price per sprint, quoted after scoping and approved in writing before work starts. If the scope changes, the quote changes in writing first.
- retainers
- A fixed monthly fee, billed in advance for the month ahead. What’s included is set out in your agreement.
- fixes
- A fixed price per fix, approved before we start.
- not included
- Shopify plan fees, third-party app subscriptions, hosting and licences are billed by those providers directly. If we pay for one on your behalf, we pass it on at cost, with your approval first.
- repairs
- If something we merged regresses within 90 days, we repair it free. Repairs are never invoiced.
invoices & payment
- Sprints are invoiced before each sprint starts. Retainers are invoiced at the start of each month. Fixes are invoiced on approval.
- Invoices are due within 14 days, by bank transfer or card. We invoice in US dollars unless your agreement says otherwise.
- VAT or other taxes are added where they apply.
- If an invoice is more than 14 days overdue, we let you know before we pause work. We restart as soon as it’s paid.
cancelling direct work
- Retainers can be cancelled at any time and end at the close of the month already paid for. No exit fee.
- Sprints: stop after any sprint. You pay for sprints started; anything you prepaid for sprints we haven’t started is refunded in full.
- Everything we’ve delivered and you’ve paid for is yours, including the code and the repository.
questions & disputes
If a charge looks wrong, tell us within 30 days at billing@storesmith.dev. We reply within two business days and fix our mistakes without argument. For app charges, please come to us before opening a dispute with Shopify or your bank — it’s usually faster.