Payment & Refund Terms

Payment Processor and Fees

Payments may be processed through Stripe. Stripe may handle payment methods, payment card information, invoices, receipts, subscriptions, fraud prevention, tax-related information, and customer portal access. Stripe's own terms and privacy policy apply to Stripe's processing. Clearstep does not intend to store raw card numbers on its own systems.

Fees may be fixed-price, milestone-based, hourly, retainer-based, subscription-based, or otherwise stated in the statement of work, proposal, invoice, or payment link.

Deposits, Upfront Fees, and Non-Refundable Work

Deposits, scoping fees, audit fees, planning fees, and upfront fees are due before work begins unless otherwise stated. Clearstep may refuse to begin or continue work until payment clears.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, fees are non-refundable once work begins, time is reserved, services are performed, or custom deliverables are created. Client pays for Clearstep's time, expertise, reserved capacity, planning, consulting, software development, AI-assisted work, documentation, support, and completed or partially completed work, not only for final launch.

Cancellations, Abandoned Projects, and Monthly Plans

If the client cancels, pauses, delays, or abandons a project, the client remains responsible for work performed, reserved time, approved expenses, third-party costs, and non-cancellable commitments. Clearstep may invoice for completed work and may retain deposits or prepaid amounts to cover work already performed or capacity reserved.

Monthly support or managed expansion plans renew monthly unless the written scope says otherwise. Unless otherwise stated, monthly fees are non-refundable and do not roll over after the applicable month. Either party may cancel monthly support with 30 days' written notice unless the written scope says otherwise, but the client remains responsible for fees through the end of the then-current billing period.

Late Payments and Failed Payments

Invoices are due by the date stated on the invoice. If no date is stated, payment is due upon receipt. Clearstep may pause work, suspend access, withhold deliverables, charge late fees where lawful, revoke licenses until payment, or terminate services for late payment.

If the client authorizes card-on-file billing, the client authorizes Clearstep and its payment processor to charge approved fees, retainers, invoices, subscriptions, late fees, and other amounts authorized by the written scope or written approval. Failed payments may delay or suspend work.

Taxes, Third-Party Costs, Chargebacks, and Outcome-Based Refunds

Fees do not include taxes, third-party subscriptions, licenses, hosting, domain registration, software accounts, AI usage fees, payment processing fees, chargeback fees, storage, usage-based charges, or other external costs unless expressly stated in the written scope. The client is responsible for those amounts.

The client agrees to contact Clearstep in writing before initiating a chargeback or payment dispute. Chargebacks should not be used to avoid paying for completed work, approved work, or non-refundable fees. If the client initiates an improper chargeback, Clearstep may suspend work, terminate access, recover chargeback fees, recover collection costs, and pursue unpaid amounts to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Clearstep does not guarantee revenue, profit, savings, lead volume, customer retention, AI accuracy, or any specific business outcome. Dissatisfaction with business results, changed preferences, failure to provide input, delayed feedback, or changed business direction does not create a refund right unless the written scope expressly says otherwise. Nothing in these terms limits refund rights that cannot be waived under applicable law.