Billing & Cancellation

Read once.
Remember always.

Our billing terms are short and written in plain language. No hidden clauses, no ambiguous wording. If something is unclear, email us before you sign anything.

Kernel Host & Kernel Care

Subscription plans are billed on a monthly or annual cycle, depending on the billing period selected at signup. All prices include VAT unless otherwise noted at the time of purchase.

✓Monthly billing renews automatically on the same date each month.
✓Annual billing renews on the anniversary of your start date.
✓You receive a renewal reminder before each billing cycle.
!Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled before the renewal date.
!Pricing is per site. Each additional site is billed separately.
Kernel Care requires Kernel Host

Kernel Care is only available for sites hosted on Kernel Host infrastructure. You cannot purchase Kernel Care for externally hosted sites.

If your billing details change, update them before the next renewal. Failed payments may result in service suspension after a 3-day grace period.

Kernel Build & Kernel Deploy

All project-based work follows a two-milestone payment structure. No full upfront payments. No open-ended billing.

→Milestone 1 - 50% deposit: Due after written scope approval and direction lock. This confirms your project slot and initiates production.
→Milestone 2 - 50% on delivery: Due before staging-to-production deploy or final handover, whichever comes first.

Why a deposit? The deposit is not a down payment for work already done. It reserves dedicated capacity in our schedule. A signed scope without a deposit does not hold a project slot.

✓Price is fixed at scope sign-off. No surprise additions to the final invoice.
✓All milestones and amounts are stated in the written scope document.
!Work beyond agreed scope is priced and approved separately - always in writing before it begins.
!Final payment must be received before the site goes live or files are handed over.

We maintain a clear no-refund policy across all services. This is stated explicitly at the time of purchase and applies as follows:

✗Subscriptions: Monthly and annual subscription payments are non-refundable once a billing period has started. Unused days in a billing cycle are not refunded upon cancellation.
✗Project deposit: The 50% deposit is non-refundable once production has begun. If you cancel before any work starts, a partial refund may be considered at our discretion. Contact us within 48 hours of payment.
✗One-time services: Payments for Stack Setup, Boost, or Uptime are non-refundable once work has been initiated.
Exceptions

If a service was not delivered due to a failure on our side, we discuss resolution case-by-case. We do not issue refunds for change of mind, timeline expectations not specified in scope, or third-party issues outside our control.

You may cancel any subscription at any time. Cancellation is effective at the end of your current billing cycle. You retain access to services until the paid period ends.

✓No cancellation fees or exit penalties.
✓Service continues until the end of the paid period.
✓You receive a confirmation email when cancellation is processed.
!Cancel before your renewal date to avoid being charged for the next cycle.
!Cancellation requests submitted after a renewal date cannot be applied retroactively.

How to cancel: Send a cancellation request to our support email with your account details and the service(s) you want to cancel. We process all requests within 1 business day.

→After Kernel Host cancellation: Site data is retained for 14 days post-cancellation. After that, associated data is permanently deleted. Request a backup before cancelling.
→After Kernel Care cancellation: Maintenance stops at period end. Kernel Host remains active if not cancelled separately.

Anything beyond the agreed written scope is treated as a separate engagement. This applies to both build projects and ongoing service contracts.

✓All scope additions are quoted in writing before any work begins.
✓You approve the additional cost before we proceed.
!Verbal requests for extra work are not actioned until confirmed in writing.
!Scope additions may affect delivery timeline. Revised timelines are communicated in writing.

Revision rounds included in a project are defined in the scope document. Revisions beyond the agreed number are billed at our standard hourly rate, quoted before proceeding.

What counts as out of scope?

Pages added after scope sign-off, feature requests not in the original brief, direction changes after production starts, and third-party integrations not listed in scope are all treated as out of scope.

Payments are due on the date stated on each invoice. Late payments affect our ability to maintain service quality and project schedules.

→Grace period: 3 calendar days from due date for subscription renewals. During this period, services remain active.
!After grace period, subscription services may be suspended until payment is received.
!Project work is paused if a milestone payment is more than 5 business days overdue.
✗Persistent non-payment may result in permanent service termination and data deletion after a 30-day notice.

If you anticipate payment difficulty, contact us before due date. We handle cases individually and prefer communication over suspension.

If you believe there is an invoice error or an unauthorized charge, contact us within 14 days of charge date. We investigate and respond within 3 business days.

✓Billing disputes should be submitted by email with invoice number and issue summary.
✓Undisputed portions of an invoice remain due during dispute review.
!Chargebacks initiated without prior contact result in immediate service suspension pending resolution.

For billing questions, write to [email protected]. Include your company name, service name, and invoice number where applicable.