This policy explains how subscriptions, upgrades, downgrades, and billing work on Teloa. Our goal is to keep billing fair, predictable, and transparent, while aligning with how design-as-a-service actually operates.

1. Core Principles

   These rules apply to all Teloa plans:

   • Only one plan can be active at a time
   • Plans define a maximum active request capacity (they do not stack)
   • Upgrading replaces your current plan with a new one
   • Your work and requests are never lost during an upgrade

   You are paying for access to a plan tier, not accumulating request slots.

2. What an “Active Request” Means

   An active request is a design task currently being worked on.

   Each plan sets a maximum number of active requests you can have at any time:

   • Starter plans: up to 1 active request
   • Growth plans: up to 2 active requests
   • Scale plans: up to 4 active requests

   Queued or paused requests do not count toward your active limit.

3. Monthly Plan Billing
   • 3.1 Monthly Subscriptions
     • Monthly plans are billed every month
     • Billing renews automatically unless canceled
   • 3.2 Upgrading a Monthly Plan

     When you upgrade a monthly plan, you can choose when the new plan should start.

     • Option A: Upgrade Immediately (Prorated)
       • Your current plan ends immediately
       • The unused time on your current plan is calculated as a prorated amount left
       • This amount is applied toward the new plan price
       • You pay only the difference at the time of upgrade
       • The new plan starts immediately
       • Your billing cycle resets to the upgrade date
     • Option B: Upgrade at Next Billing Cycle
       • Your current plan continues until its renewal date
       • No immediate charge is made
       • The new plan starts automatically on your next billing date
       • The full price of the new plan is charged at that time
   • Capacity After Upgrade
     • Your active request limit updates to match the new plan
     • Plan limits do not stack
     • Existing requests continue without interruption
4. Yearly Plan Billing
   • 4.1 Yearly Subscriptions
     • Yearly plans are prepaid for 12 months
     • Yearly plans include a discounted rate compared to monthly billing
   • 4.2 Upgrading a Yearly Plan

     When upgrading from one yearly plan to a higher yearly plan:

     • The upgrade takes effect immediately
     • The unused time on your current plan is calculated as a prorated amount left
     • This amount is applied toward the new yearly plan price
     • You pay only the difference between the two plans
     • A new 12-month billing cycle starts from the upgrade date
   • Important Notes
     • Prorated amounts apply to billing only, not capacity
     • Plan limits do not stack
     • Your active request limit updates to match the new plan
5. Downgrades

   Downgrades work differently from upgrades.

   • 5.1 Downgrade Timing
     • Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing cycle
     • Your current plan remains active until renewal
   • 5.2 Request Limits on Downgrade

     If your current number of active requests exceeds the limit of the downgraded plan:

     • You will be asked to complete or pause requests
     • The downgrade will apply once your request count meets the new limit
6. Requests Near the End of a Billing Cycle

   Some design requests require more time than what may be left in your current billing cycle.

   To ensure uninterrupted delivery and fair usage, Teloa applies the rules below.

   • 6.1 Renewal Means Commitment to the Next Cycle

     Renewing your plan means you are committing to the next billing cycle. It does not reset, extend, or modify your current cycle.

     • Your current billing period always runs to completion
     • The next billing cycle begins only after the current one ends
     • There is no overlap or double-counting of time
   • 6.2 When There Isn't Enough Time Left

     If you try to create a request that typically takes longer than the time remaining on your plan:

     • Request creation may be temporarily blocked
     • You will be informed that there isn't enough time left in the current cycle

     Example message:

     • This request usually takes about a week to complete, but your plan ends in 3 days.
     • Renew your plan to continue without interruption.
   • 6.3 Committing to next cycle to Continue Work

     If you choose to commit to the next cycle:

     • You authorize payment for the next billing cycle
     • Payment is processed immediately
     • Your current billing cycle remains unchanged
     • The next billing cycle will still begin when the current one ends

     However, once renewal payment is completed, request creation unlocks immediately. This is because:

     • You have already paid for the upcoming cycle
     • Service continuity is guaranteed
     • There is no gap between billing periods

     Teloa provides continuous design capacity, not isolated calendar blocks. Once the next cycle is secured, work continuies and span across the billing boundary.

   • 6.4 How Delivery Spans Across Cycles

     Example scenario:

     • 3 days left in current cycle
     • Renewal payment completed
     • Request estimated to take 7 days

     Delivery timeline may look like:

     • 3 days of work within the current cycle
     • 4 days of work within the next cycle This is valid and expected.

     There is:

     • No reset of the current billing period
     • No double-dipping of time
     • No loss of remaining days

     The renewal secures continuity, allowing the request to begin immediately while respecting cycle boundaries.

7. Switching Between Plan Types
   • 7.1 Marketing → Product → Full-Stack

     When switching between plan categories:

     • Existing requests remain active
     • New design scopes become available immediately
     • All requests are handled under the rules of the new plan

     Full-Stack plans unify marketing and product work into a single execution stream.

8. Pausing and Cancellations
   • You may cancel your subscription at any time
   • Your plan remains active until the end of the billing period
   • No refunds are issued for unused time on monthly plans
   • Yearly plans are non-refundable once started
   • Pausing or canceling your plan takes effect at the end of your current billing cycle.
   • If you pause your plan and resume it within the same billing cycle, no additional payment is required. Your regular billing schedule remains unchanged.
   • If you resume after your current billing cycle has ended, a new subscription payment will be required to reactivate your plan.
9. Fair Usage & Abuse Prevention

   To ensure consistent quality for all customers:

   • Capacity does not accumulate across plans
   • Early upgrades do not grant extra permanent capacity
   • Teloa reserves the right to pause or reschedule work if usage exceeds plan limits
10. Need Help?

    If you have questions about billing, upgrades, or plan selection, contact Teloa support at support@teloa.xyz before making changes. We're happy to help you choose the right plan for your workflow.