Billing FAQ

Common questions about Balance pricing, subscriptions, payments, and billing. Need more help? Contact support.

Pricing & Plans

How much does Balance cost?

Free Trial:

• 30 days free - Full premium access
• No credit card required - Just email to sign up
• All features included - Try everything
• Auto-downgrades to free - No surprise charges after trial

Premium Plans:

• Monthly: $5.99/month
• Annual: $59.99/year (saves 17% - only $4.99/month)

Free Plan:

• $0 forever
• Manual transactions only - Cannot connect bank accounts
• Unlimited manual entries

Learn more about plans →

What’s included in premium?

Premium features:

• ✅ Connect up to 10 bank accounts - Automatic transaction sync
• ✅ Unlimited transactions - No limits
• ✅ Unlimited categories - As many as you need
• ✅ Real-time sync - Latest transactions automatically
• ✅ All devices - iOS, Android, web
• ✅ Couples features - Profiles and shared budgets
• ✅ Priority support - Faster response times

Free plan limitations:

• ❌ Cannot connect bank accounts (manual only)
• ❌ That’s it! Everything else is the same

Is there a family or couples discount?

No separate couples pricing needed!

One subscription covers:

• Both partners
• All your shared bank accounts
• Both using the app
• As many devices as you want

One account = one subscription regardless of how many people use it.

Think of it as: $5.99/month for your household, not per person.

Do you offer student discounts?

Not at this time.

Balance is already very affordable at $5.99/month or $59.99/year.

Students on a budget:

• Use the free trial (30 days)
• Use the free plan with manual transactions
• Annual plan saves money ($4.99/month instead of $5.99)

Future possibility: We may add student pricing based on demand.

Free Trial

How does the free trial work?

30-day free trial:

1. Sign up - Just your email, no credit card
2. Full premium access - All features for 30 days
3. Use everything - Bank connections, sync, all features
4. Day 30 - Trial ends automatically
5. Auto-downgrades - Switches to free plan (manual transactions only)

No automatic billing! We will never charge you without you explicitly subscribing.

Learn more about free trial →

Do I need a credit card for the trial?

No! Just your email address.

Why no credit card?

• We want you to try Balance risk-free
• No accidental charges
• No “forgot to cancel” fees
• Honest, transparent approach

After trial:

• Must add payment method to subscribe
• Conscious decision to become paying customer

What happens when my trial ends?

Automatically on day 30:

• Trial expires - Premium features locked
• Free plan activated - Can still use Balance
• Bank connections stop syncing - Cannot add new connections
• Data preserved - All your transactions and budgets saved
• Manual transactions work - Can continue budgeting manually

No charges! We never bill you without explicit subscription.

To continue with premium:

• Subscribe before trial ends
• Or subscribe after trial ends
• All your data will still be there

Learn more about trial conversion →

Can I extend my free trial?

No trial extensions available.

30 days is plenty to:

• Set up your budget
• Connect banks
• Try all features
• Decide if Balance is right for you

After trial:

• Subscribe for premium features
• Or use free plan (manual transactions)

Can I start another free trial?

One trial per email address.

Why only one:

• Prevents trial abuse
• Fair to paying customers
• Keeps Balance sustainable

Already used trial?

• Subscribe for premium
• Use free plan
• Contact support for special circumstances

Subscription Management

How do I subscribe after my trial?

Easy subscription process:

1. Click “Subscribe” in Balance app or go to Pricing page
2. Choose plan - Monthly ($5.99) or Annual ($59.99)
3. Enter payment details - Credit card
4. Confirm - Review and subscribe
5. Instant access - Premium features immediately available

Or:

• Wait for trial to end
• Balance will prompt you to subscribe
• Follow the same process

Learn more about subscribing →

Can I switch from monthly to annual?

Yes! Save money by switching:

How to switch:

1. First, cancel your Monthly subscription via Plan & Subscription in settings menu
2. Then go to Pricing page or tap “Subscribe” button
3. Choose Annual plan
4. Enter payment information
5. Complete checkout
6. Pay full $59.99 (no credit for unused monthly time)

Important: You must cancel Monthly first to avoid duplicate subscriptions.

Savings: $11.89/year (17% discount)

Learn more about upgrading →

How do I cancel my subscription?

Cancel anytime:

1. Tap your profile icon (top right) in Balance
2. Select “Plan & Subscription” from side menu
3. Opens Stripe Customer Portal
4. Click “Cancel subscription”
5. Confirm cancellation
6. Access until end of billing period

What happens:

• Keep premium until current period ends
• Then downgrades to free plan
• All data preserved
• Can resubscribe anytime

No penalties, no questions asked!

Learn more about canceling →

How do I reactivate my subscription?

Easy reactivation:

1. Open Balance app
2. Click “Subscribe” button
3. Choose Monthly or Annual
4. Enter payment details
5. Instant reactivation

Your data:

• All preserved (if within 90 days)
• Bank connections need to be reconnected
• Budgets and categories intact
• Pick up where you left off

Learn more about reactivating →

Payment & Billing

What payment methods do you accept?

Via Stripe (secure payment processor):

• ✅ Credit cards - Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover
• ✅ Debit cards - Most debit cards

Balance never sees:

• Your full card number
• CVV
• Banking details

Stripe handles all payment processing - bank-level security.

When will I be charged?

Monthly plan:

• First charge - When you subscribe
• Recurring charges - Same date each month
• Example: Subscribe Jan 15 → charged Jan 15, Feb 15, Mar 15, etc.

Annual plan:

• First charge - $59.99 when you subscribe
• Renewal - One year later
• Example: Subscribe Jan 15, 2024 → renews Jan 15, 2025

Free trial:

• No charges during trial
• First charge - When you subscribe (after or during trial)

How do I update my payment method?

Update credit card or payment:

1. Open Balance
2. Tap your profile icon (top right)
3. Select “Plan & Subscription” from side menu
4. Opens Stripe Customer Portal
5. Click “Update payment method”
6. Enter new card details
7. Save changes

When to update:

• Card expired
• New card
• Different card
• Before renewal date

What if my payment fails?

If payment doesn’t go through:

1. Email notification - We’ll notify you
2. Grace period - A few days to update payment
3. Retry - Stripe retries automatically
4. Service continues - During grace period

If not resolved:

• Subscription expires
• Downgrades to free plan
• Bank connections stop syncing
• Data preserved

To fix:

• Update payment method in Stripe portal
• Subscription reactivates immediately

Troubleshooting payment issues →

Can I get a refund?

Refund policy:

Within 7 days of subscription:

• Contact support@balancebudget.app
• We’ll issue full refund
• No questions asked

After 7 days:

• Generally no refunds
• Cancel to prevent future charges
• Access continues until end of billing period

Special circumstances:

• Contact support
• We’ll review on case-by-case basis
• May issue partial refunds

Annual subscriptions:

• 7-day refund window applies
• After that, no refunds (but can cancel future renewal)

Where can I see my invoices?

Access billing history:

1. Open Balance
2. Tap your profile icon (top right)
3. Select “Plan & Subscription” from side menu
4. Opens Stripe Customer Portal
5. Billing history section
6. Download invoices - PDF format

Email receipts:

• Sent automatically after each charge
• To your registered email
• Save for expense tracking

Account Limits

How many bank accounts can I connect?

Depends on plan:

Free plan: 0 accounts (manual transactions only)

Premium plans: Up to 10 accounts

What counts as one account:

• Each checking account = 1
• Each savings account = 1
• Each credit card = 1
• Each loan account = 1

Example:

• 2 checking + 2 savings + 3 credit cards = 7 accounts (within limit)

Need more than 10? Contact support - we may be able to accommodate.

Learn more about account limits →

Is there a transaction limit?

No! Unlimited transactions on all plans (free and premium).

Track as many transactions as you want:

• Hundreds per month
• Thousands per month
• No artificial limits

How many categories can I create?

Unlimited categories on all plans.

Create as many as you need:

• Simple budget: 10-15 categories
• Detailed budget: 50+ categories
• No limit enforced

Can multiple people use one subscription?

Yes! One subscription covers your household:

Perfect for couples:

• Both partners use same account
• Share one subscription
• Each can have a profile
• Use on multiple devices

One person pays, both benefit!

International & Taxes

Can I pay in other currencies?

USD only at this time.

If you’re in another country:

• Can still subscribe
• Charged in USD
• Your bank converts to local currency
• May incur foreign transaction fees (depends on your bank)

International expansion:

• Considering other currencies
• As Balance expands to more countries

Do you charge sales tax?

Depends on location:

US customers:

• Sales tax may apply based on state
• Calculated at checkout
• Shown before you confirm

International customers:

• Generally no additional taxes from Balance
• Your country may charge VAT/GST separately

Tax amount:

• Varies by location
• Stripe calculates automatically
• Included in total on invoice

Is Balance available outside the US?

Currently US-focused:

• Works best with US banks
• Plaid supports 12,000+ US institutions

Can use from abroad:

• Web app accessible globally
• iOS/Android apps available internationally
• Need US bank accounts to connect
• Or use manual transaction entry

International expansion:

• Canada and UK potentially next
• Depends on bank connection availability

Troubleshooting Billing

Why can’t I subscribe?

Common issues:

Payment method declined:

• Check card details are correct
• Ensure sufficient funds
• Contact your bank (may flag as international transaction)
• Try different card

Technical error:

• Refresh page and try again
• Try different browser
• Clear browser cache
• Try mobile app instead of web

Account issue:

• Ensure email verified
• Log out and back in
• Contact support if persists

My subscription isn’t activating

After subscribing but premium features not working:

1. Wait 5 minutes - Processing delay possible
2. Log out and back in - Refresh account status
3. Check Stripe email - Confirm charge went through
4. Check payment method - Ensure not declined
5. Contact support - We’ll check your account

Support needs:

• Your email address
• Screenshot of Stripe confirmation
• When you subscribed
• Error messages if any

Troubleshooting activation →

I was charged but don’t have premium

If charged but still on free plan:

1. Check email - Stripe sends receipt
2. Log out and back in - May just need refresh
3. Check you’re on correct account - Might have multiple emails
4. Wait 10 minutes - Processing delay

Still not working?

• Contact support@balancebudget.app immediately
• Include Stripe receipt
• We’ll resolve quickly

How do I download my receipt?

Get invoices:

1. Profile icon > Plan & Subscription
2. Opens Stripe Customer Portal
3. Billing history section
4. Click invoice to download PDF

Email receipts:

• Check email after each charge
• From Stripe
• Subject: “Payment receipt for Balance”

For expense reports:

• Download PDF from Stripe portal
• Submit to employer/accountant

Education & Nonprofit

Do you offer nonprofit discounts?

Not at this time.

Balance is already very affordable for organizations.

For nonprofits:

• Individual staff can use personal accounts
• Affordable enough for org to expense
• Contact support for potential bulk discounts

Do you offer educational discounts?

Not currently.

For educators:

• Use personal account
• Very affordable at $5.99/month
• Annual plan saves more

For students:

• Free trial to try it out
• Free plan for manual budgeting
• Premium is only $5.99/month

Getting Help

I have a billing question not listed here

Contact support:

• Email: support@balancebudget.app
• Subject: “Billing Question”
• Include: Your email, description of issue

Response time:

• Usually within 24 hours
• Faster for billing/payment issues

How do I dispute a charge?

First, contact us:

1. Email support@balancebudget.app
2. Explain the issue
3. We’ll review your account
4. May issue refund if appropriate

Then, if needed:

• Contact your credit card company
• File dispute through Stripe
• We’ll work with you to resolve

Most common resolutions:

• We issue refund directly
• Resolve misunderstanding
• Cancel future charges

More Help

Other FAQ sections:

• General FAQ - General Balance questions
• Technical FAQ - Technical issues

Subscription Help:

• Managing Your Subscription - Full guide
• Plans Comparison - Choose right plan
• Canceling Subscription - How to cancel

Need immediate help? Email support@balancebudget.app