Plans and billing

Your subscription decides which features your organization can use and how much of each - how many sites, how many active lots, whether the Finance module is on, and so on. The Billing section at /billing is where you see what you are paying for and change it without calling support.

Billing has two tabs: Subscription for your plan and renewal, and Billing history for your invoices and the payments made against them. On a phone, use the section switcher to move between them.

Starter is free for life. It does not require a card, does not renew, and has no subscription to cancel. Open Compare plans on the Subscription tab when you want more features or higher limits.

Your trial

A new organization starts with a trial that turns on the paid features so you can try them out. A badge in the app header shows how long is left, and you get reminder emails as the trial nears its end. To keep the paid features once the trial ends, add a payment method before it runs out. If you do not, the organization drops to the free tier: your data stays readable, but the features above that tier pause until you upgrade.

Monthly or annual billing

Paid plans can be billed monthly or annually. Annual billing gives you two months free - about a 17% saving versus paying month to month. Grower is $19 a month or $190 a year; Mother Hen is $49 a month or $490 a year. The free Starter tier and the custom-priced Rooster tier are not billed on this cycle.

• When you sign up, use the Monthly / Annual toggle on the pricing page before you choose a plan. The cadence you pick carries into sign-up. After creating the Organization and signing in, a paid-plan signup returns to Billing to review automatic renewal. Account creation does not start recurring billing.
• During your trial, open Compare plans on Billing's Subscription tab (/billing?plans=1) and use the Billing cadence control to switch between Monthly and Annual. The change applies to the first invoice raised when your trial converts - no charge happens while you are still in the trial.

Your current price and cadence are shown with your current plan. Once a paid subscription is active, changing cadence mid-cycle is not self-serve yet; contact support if you need to switch an active subscription.

Choose how to pay

Open Billing history and select Pay on an unpaid invoice, or open the invoice and go to Pay this invoice. The panel follows your organization's billing setup and the invoice currency. It can show Card and Mobile money, including a visible but unavailable option with an explanation. The initial selection is an available method; an unavailable option never asks for a phone number or starts a payment.

Choosing an available Card option opens a secure checkout. A one-off payment settles only that invoice, not future renewals. If no option is available, Payment unavailable is disabled and Get help remains available. PoultryDesk does not switch to another payment service because the configured one is unavailable.

Kenyan billing: Available Mobile money and Card payments open DPO's secure checkout. For Mobile money, choose your wallet and enter your payment details on that page; PoultryDesk does not ask for a phone number first. Each payment settles one invoice and does not enable automatic renewal. Mobile money stays visible with an explanation when unavailable. Older USD invoices also follow your organization's saved payment setup, not the website address you open. If no method is available, contact support rather than using another provider. An existing checkout or automatic-renewal agreement keeps its original payment service until a change is confirmed.

Available payment options are checked again before a new payment starts. You never need to select a payment provider or supply a callback address yourself. If an option changes before submission, refresh the invoice and use an available method. If an earlier checkout is awaiting confirmation or needs review, see Payments on that invoice, or contact support before trying again. An older attempt that was never submitted may ask you to reopen the invoice to review current options. Submitted or uncertain attempts are never reset into permission to charge again.

When an existing checkout can be continued, the invoice shows Continue payment. Resume checkout reopens the same card transaction, even if new payment options have since changed. Check payment status checks the existing phone payment without asking for your number again or sending a second prompt. A failed card attempt may still be retried in that same secure checkout; the invoice is paid only after confirmed success. A lost connection is not proof that nothing was sent.

The payment detail offers Cancel payment intent only for an attempt that has not been submitted to a payment service. Cancelling a local record cannot cancel a submitted card checkout or phone request. If its outcome is uncertain, contact support rather than trying another payment service.

When automatic renewal is not offered, Manage subscription explains how to pay each invoice and shows unavailable options with their reasons. A manual card payment covers only that invoice. If no online method is available, contact support rather than choosing an unsupported option. Review billing history opens your invoices.

For an existing M-Pesa attempt, PoultryDesk waits for Safaricom's confirmation. If the callback is delayed or lost, the app makes one direct status check after the normal wait. A confirmed payment still marks the invoice paid; a pending result stays visible as processing instead of asking you to pay twice.

If you paid by bank transfer or another method arranged with us, contact support with the reference. PoultryDesk records the payment against the invoice for you; there is no self-serve control for it, because recording a payment marks an invoice settled.

During a Grower or Mother Hen trial that settles in USD, Billing offers automatic renewal only when the organization's payment setup permits it. Review the price, frequency, first-charge timing, and linked policies. Select the recurring-billing acknowledgement, then choose Set up renewal (or Subscribe outside a trial). Paddle shows the first charge date and any trial before the final confirmation, then collects and stores the card details in its secure checkout; PoultryDesk never receives card data.

If you have a promotion code, select + Add promotion code before you subscribe. Enter the code in the field that opens. Paddle applies the discount and shows the updated amount in its checkout. Use Remove to clear the code. An expired, used, or ineligible code stops the subscription from starting and shows a short message so you can remove or correct it.

Payments processed by Paddle, whether a one-off invoice checkout or an automatic renewal, appear on your card or bank statement as PADDLE.NET* PLTRYDSK. Paddle shortens the label to PLTRYDSK (for PoultryDesk) to fit the length banks allow for statement descriptors, and PADDLE.NET identifies Paddle as our payment processor and merchant of record. This label does not describe payments processed by DPO.

Creating an account and accepting the Terms and Privacy Policy does not authorise recurring charges. The recurring-billing acknowledgement is separate and is required immediately before Paddle checkout. PoultryDesk records the policy and disclosure versions you accepted. Paid access changes only after PoultryDesk receives Paddle's signed confirmation; closing the checkout does not activate automatic renewal.

Paddle enrollment is not offered for Kenyan billing. Where DPO automatic card payments are enabled, use the separate workflow below. An eligible GLOBAL active USD subscription can opt in to Paddle when its current paid period reaches the end date; Billing does not offer an immediate mid-period charge.

Automatic card payments with DPO

This option appears only where it has been enabled for your organization. Ordinary Card and Mobile money invoice payments remain available separately. PoultryDesk manages your subscription and DPO stores the card; there is no DPO merchant-portal login for you to manage this subscription.

1. On Billing > Subscription, open Review card setup or Review automatic payments. The setup page is /billing/auto-renew.
2. If asked, choose Verify email. Send verification link sends a single-use, 30-minute link to your signed-in account's email. Open it while signed in to that account and choose Verify my email, then Continue to automatic card payments. Use Resend after the 60-second wait if needed; only the latest link works. You can also verify from Settings > My account, without Billing access. Verification alone does not authorize a payment. Identity confirmation is also required for card setup and changes. If you have not enabled two-step verification, the identity page asks for your current password, then helps you add an authenticator and confirm its code. Save the recovery codes securely. If you already use two-step verification, confirm with your authenticator or a recovery code. Return to Billing and submit the action again; identity confirmation never automatically repeats a payment request.
3. To save a new card, an eligible unpaid subscription invoice must be due. In Review and pay, check First payment for that invoice's actual amount and currency. The separate Maximum renewal and Next renewal describe future automatic payments. Review the policies, enter your billing contact details, select the separate authorization checkbox and choose Continue to secure checkout. No nominal setup charge is created. Free card-only setup during a trial or an already-paid period is not offered.
4. Complete the genuine invoice payment on DPO. After returning, choose Check payment and cards. Payment confirmation and card authorization are separate: an invoice can be paid while card setup still needs review.
5. Choose an identifiable card returned for your own verified wallet, review the renewal limit again, select the acknowledgement and choose Confirm automatic payments. No card is selected silently. If the card cannot be confirmed, automatic payments remain off for that setup.

The progress indicator separates Review and pay from Confirm card. Finishing the first stage pays the invoice; it does not skip the final card selection and authorization.

If you already have a confirmed saved card, Use a saved card lets you review and authorize it without another payment during your current paid period. Choose a saved card does not take money. To add a different new card through hosted checkout, a genuine amount-due invoice is still required. If a replacement setup is unfinished, your existing card setting remains unchanged until the new selection is confirmed.

If you cannot enter a current password, use Forgot password or need to set one? on the identity page. This also applies to accounts created through single sign-on that do not yet have a local password. Complete the emailed password-reset process, then return to the identity page. Email verification and two-step verification protect different parts of setup; neither replaces the separate card authorization.

The review distinguishes an older invoice's original currency from the future KES renewal limit; it does not convert an issued invoice. The KES limit includes tax, and invoice discounts can reduce the charge. A higher limit or changed plan, currency or frequency needs fresh approval. Only eligible subscription cycles are collected automatically, not arbitrary unpaid balances or add-ons. Confirmed payment advances paid access; opening checkout or selecting a card does not.

Stop or recover automatic payments

Use Stop automatic payments in Billing to review and confirm local stopping. This removes the organization's authorization and cancels unfinished replacement setups; it does not delete the card from DPO or another organization's wallet. Cancel card setup removes only the unfinished setup and leaves an existing active card unchanged. Neither action cancels your current paid subscription. An already-processing payment may still complete.

If a payment is awaiting confirmation, use Billing history to inspect it. PoultryDesk checks the same payment rather than sending another charge after an uncertain response. Late, unavailable or conflicting results may need support review. Do not start another payment to work around an uncertain one. Stopping auto-pay preserves accepted billing currency; it does not switch future invoices silently back to USD.

Stop automatic payments before changing plan. The plan-change review separates the current paid period's adjustment currency from the future renewal rate. Contact support to change an active subscription's billing frequency. Subscription cancellation and Keep subscription remain separate actions with their existing permissions and access-end-date review.

Existing Paddle automatic renewal

If a pending renewal setup no longer matches the current payment options, Billing shows review guidance instead of reopening it. Do not start another agreement to work around an uncertain result. Existing automatic-renewal agreements retain their original management controls. An invoice already handled by automatic payment cannot be paid again through a separate manual checkout.

Ordinary Kenyan invoice billing does not show Manage auto-renew, Update card, or Paddle enrollment. If your organization has moved to DPO but still has an automatic-renewal agreement with Paddle, Billing shows Existing Paddle agreement. Expand Manage existing Paddle agreement to reach the actions your role permits. The agreement has not moved to DPO and stays in effect until a change is confirmed. Review it or contact support before changing how you pay. The same disclosure preserves existing management when current payment options cannot be loaded; the page also shows the error rather than assuming a market. Read-only users see the notice but must ask a billing administrator to act.

After auto-renew is active, the Manage subscription section below the overview lists Update card and, when your permissions allow full subscription management, Manage auto-renew. Select the row you need to open the secure Paddle-hosted portal in the current tab. If opening fails, the error stays in Manage subscription; select the action again to retry. PoultryDesk does not store the temporary portal link or your card details. A cancellation made directly in that portal is also reflected in Billing after confirmation.

To return to manual invoice payment, choose Switch to manual billing under Manage subscription, expanding Manage existing Paddle agreement first if shown. Review the end date and choose Confirm switch to manual. Opening the review page does not change your subscription. The request stops automatic renewal at the confirmed date without cancelling access to your current paid period. Future invoices need your approval and payment. Before the switch takes effect, Keep automatic renewal lets you withdraw it.

Checkout completion is not the same as confirmed renewal. If Billing shows a request as pending, it checks for confirmation for up to a minute. If confirmation takes longer, choose Refresh status before submitting another request, or Continue renewal setup to reopen an existing checkout. Contact support if the outcome remains uncertain. PoultryDesk does not create a second checkout merely because confirmation is missing. A lost connection or payment-service error does not mean your subscription was cancelled.

Plans and limits

The Subscription tab shows your current plan, price, period and renewal setting. Open Compare plans to see other tiers. Each card shows four short highlights; View plan details opens that tier on the public pricing page for the full features and limits. Use Switch to this plan in Billing when you are ready to review a change. When you reach a limit, the app tells you and offers the upgrade that lifts it.

The cards pair the friendly names with their professional tiers: Starter, Grower (Pro), Mother Hen (Business) and Rooster (Enterprise). For Rooster, choose Contact sales team to open Sales and onboarding on the contact page. Rooster remains custom-priced rather than a self-serve switch.

• Upgrading creates an invoice for the prorated cost of the rest of the current cycle. Your current plan stays active until that invoice is paid and the payment is confirmed. Before you confirm, review the current and new monthly price, the amount due now, and the features and limits that become available. If the price or billing period changes before confirmation, refresh and review the updated amount.
• Downgrading is scheduled for the end of your current period. Before you confirm, review the lower monthly price and the features and limits that change. Existing data is retained, but some access or new activity may be restricted by the lower plan. You can cancel the scheduled change until it takes effect.

Local plan and cadence changes are not offered while automatic renewal is managed by Paddle, or while a conflicting renewal change is pending. Contact support if you need to change that contract. This avoids changing the plan shown in PoultryDesk without changing what your saved card will be charged.

For DPO automatic card payments, stop automatic payments before changing plan. The review loads a current server quote and preserves the actual paid period's currency for any adjustment, even if future renewals use KES. Applying a promotion code uses that same adjustment currency, not a relabelled amount.

Select the acknowledgement after reviewing the cost, timing, and organization-wide access changes. After confirming an upgrade, complete payment from the invoice page. You can return to Billing and reopen the pending invoice if checkout is interrupted. Cancelling an abandoned attempt before it is submitted releases the pending upgrade so you can choose a plan again. A submitted or uncertain checkout needs confirmation or support review first.

If you have a promotion code, enter it in the upgrade review and select Apply. The order summary shows the discount and the new amount due now before you confirm. The discount applies to the amount you are being charged. Remove the code to clear it, or enter a different one. An expired, used, or ineligible code shows a short message and is not applied.

Add-ons use the same review and payment confirmation rules.

Invoices and payments

Billing history lists your invoices, newest first, one row per invoice. Each row shows its status, the amount, what is still outstanding and the due date, and an unpaid invoice carries a Pay button. A settled invoice shows a dash rather than a zero in Outstanding. On a phone the amount and due date are hidden so the invoice, its status, what is owed and Pay stay on screen; open the invoice for the full detail.

Payments are not listed separately. A payment settles an invoice, so it appears on that invoice's page under Payments, with its method, status, amount and date. Open a payment there for its own details. Older links to the payments list now open Billing history, and existing invoice and payment links still work.

Use Filter for status and date filters. Clear all returns to the unfiltered list.

To review subscription changes, expand Subscription activity on the Subscription tab when activity is available.

At the end of each billing cycle PoultryDesk keeps an internal invoice as the tax and audit record. For manual billing, you open that invoice and pay it by card or M-Pesa. For Paddle auto-renew, Paddle charges the saved card and PoultryDesk marks the matching invoice paid after the signed provider confirmation. Every invoice lists its line items so you can see exactly what each charge is for.

Cancel or keep a subscription

1. Open Billing > Subscription. Under Manage subscription, choose Cancel subscription, expanding Manage existing Paddle agreement first if shown.
2. In Before you cancel, check the subscription and access end date. Review what stops, what remains available and how earlier payments or unpaid balances are treated.
3. Under Reason for cancelling, enter a reason of 3-500 characters.
4. Choose Request cancellation. For automatic renewal, PoultryDesk sends the request to the payment service; a pending request is not a confirmed cancellation.
5. Once confirmed, Billing shows the date your subscription will end. You keep access through the current period; cancellation does not refund earlier payments or erase outstanding invoices.
6. Before the effective date, choose Keep subscription, review the change, and confirm to withdraw the cancellation. An optional reason can be added. Automatic renewal is restored only after provider confirmation.

Cancelling a paid subscription is different from switching to Starter. After cancellation takes effect, new paid activity stops and Billing history remains available; contact support to discuss access. Keep subscription is only for a cancellation that has not taken effect yet.

An ordinary trial without automatic renewal has no recurring charge to cancel. If you set up automatic renewal during a trial, renewal management remains available so you can stop the upcoming charge. Starter itself has nothing to cancel.

Only users with subscription-cancellation permission see the cancellation action. Keeping a subscription, managing renewal, and switching payment mode require billing-management permission.

If a payment fails

If a charge fails, the subscription becomes past due and PoultryDesk retries over the next several days, emailing you a link to fix the payment. If it still cannot collect, the organization is suspended and everyday actions are paused until you update your payment method - your data is never deleted. As soon as the outstanding balance is paid, everything is restored.

See also

• Members and roles
• Sites and houses