Your 15-Day Trial: What to Expect
Every reminder email, the auto-cancel cliff, and how to recover if you miss the deadline. No surprises.
The 15-day timeline
ContractShield runs trial-enforcement automation daily at 11:00 UTC (~6am Central). Here's exactly when each touchpoint fires.
You sign up
Day 0Trial starts the moment you complete /register. Full platform access for 15 days. Stripe Checkout collects a payment method on signup, which is held but not charged.
T-7 reminder email
Day 8First nudge: 'Your trial ends in 7 days.' Includes a one-click upgrade link to confirm your plan tier and start billing on Day 15.
T-3 reminder email
Day 12Second nudge: 'Your trial ends in 3 days.' If you've used the platform actively (created at least one project or quote), the email also includes a personalized usage summary.
T-1 reminder email + dashboard banner
Day 14Final reminder. A persistent banner appears on every dashboard page reminding you the trial ends tomorrow. Easiest moment to confirm your plan.
Trial ends — billing begins (or cancels)
Day 15If you have a confirmed payment method on file: Stripe charges your selected plan tier and you continue with full access. If not: account auto-cancels and access pauses immediately.
Your trial ends tomorrow
Confirm your plan before Day 15 to avoid auto-cancellation. Your payment method on file will be charged automatically.
If your trial cancels
Auto-cancellation is reversible. Your data sticks around — billing just pauses.
Read-only mode
Your data isn't deleted. You can still log in, browse projects you created, and export quotes/invoices for 90 days. You can't create new work or submit bids.
Resume anytime
Add a payment method via /account/billing and full access restores immediately. No data migration, no setup loss — your projects, quotes, contractors, and clients all stay where they were.
Open work orders pause
Work orders you posted stay visible to bidding contractors but you can't accept new bids until billing resumes. Active projects continue normally — milestones, invoices, and payouts keep flowing.
Recovery paths
Three common situations and how to fix each one.
Forgot to add card before T+0
Send an email to support@contractshield.io within 7 days of cancellation. We can roll the trial back if you confirm your plan promptly.
Card declined at end of trial
Stripe retries 3 times over 7 days (smart retry schedule). You'll get an email after each failed attempt. Update the card via /account/billing to resolve before the third retry.
Need more time to evaluate
Trial extensions aren't self-serve. Email support@contractshield.io with what you're trying to evaluate and we can usually grant +7 days for genuine evaluation cases.
Manage your billing
Add or update your payment method, view past invoices, or change plan tier any time from your account billing page.
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