1. Overview

This Refund and Billing Policy outlines our practices regarding subscription payments, refunds, and billing for Herd UK Ltd ("Herd", "we", "us", or "our"). By subscribing to our services, you agree to the terms outlined in this policy.

We are committed to providing excellent service and fair billing practices in compliance with the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

2. Subscription Plans & Billing

2.1 Available Plans

Herd offers the following subscription tiers:

Free Plan: Basic features at no cost, no payment required
Starter Plan: £99/month or £950/year (save £238)
Pro Plan: £299/month or £2,870/year (save £718)
Brand Plan: £999/month or £9,590/year (save £2,398)
Agency Plan: £1,999/month or £19,190/year (save £4,798)
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, contact sales for details

2.2 Billing Cycle

Monthly subscriptions: Billed on the same date each month
Annual subscriptions: Billed once per year on the anniversary of signup
All prices are in British Pounds (GBP) and include VAT where applicable
Billing occurs automatically unless you cancel before the renewal date

2.3 Payment Methods

We accept the following payment methods through our secure payment processor, Stripe:

Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Apple Pay and Google Pay
Direct Debit (for annual plans)
Bank transfers (for Enterprise plans only)

3. 14-Day Cooling-Off Period

In accordance with the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you have the right to cancel your subscription within 14 days of your initial purchase for a full refund, without giving any reason.

3.1 How to Exercise Your Cooling-Off Right

Contact us at billing@herduk.co.uk within 14 days of purchase
Include your account email and order reference
Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your cancellation request
Refunds will be made using the same payment method as the original transaction

3.2 Important Notes

The 14-day period begins from the date of your initial subscription purchase
If you have used premium features during the cooling-off period, we may deduct a proportionate amount for services already provided
This right applies to first-time purchases only, not to renewals

4. Cancellation Policy

4.1 How to Cancel

You can cancel your subscription at any time through:

Self-service: Go to Settings → Change Plan in your dashboard
Email: Send a cancellation request to billing@herduk.co.uk
Support: Contact our support team through the Help Centre

4.2 What Happens When You Cancel

Your subscription will remain active until the end of your current billing period
You will retain access to premium features until the period ends
After cancellation, your account will be downgraded to the Free plan
Your data will be retained for 90 days after downgrade, then may be deleted
No partial refunds are provided for unused time on monthly plans cancelled after the cooling-off period

5. Refund Policy

5.1 Eligible Refunds

Beyond the 14-day cooling-off period, refunds may be issued in the following circumstances:

Technical issues: If the service was substantially unavailable due to our technical problems for an extended period
Billing errors: If you were charged incorrectly or charged for a plan you did not authorize
Annual plan cancellation: Pro-rata refunds for annual subscriptions cancelled within the first 3 months (see 5.2)
Duplicate charges: Full refund for any duplicate or erroneous charges

5.2 Annual Plan Pro-Rata Refunds

If you cancel an annual subscription within the first 90 days (after the 14-day cooling-off period), you may be eligible for a pro-rata refund calculated as follows:

Refund = (Annual fee paid) - (Monthly rate × months used) - (Processing fee of £5)
The monthly rate used for calculation will be the standard monthly price for your plan
After 90 days, annual subscriptions are non-refundable but can be cancelled to prevent renewal

5.3 Non-Refundable Items

The following are generally not eligible for refunds:

Monthly subscription payments after the billing date (except within cooling-off period)
Annual subscriptions after 90 days of purchase
Add-on services or one-time purchases (unless defective)
Accounts terminated for Terms of Service violations
Unused credits or features that expire

6. Plan Changes

6.1 Upgrading Your Plan

Upgrades take effect immediately
You will be charged a pro-rated amount for the remainder of your billing cycle
New features become available instantly upon upgrade

6.2 Downgrading Your Plan

Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle
You retain access to higher-tier features until the current period ends
No refunds are provided for the difference in plan costs
Some data or features may become inaccessible after downgrade

6.3 Switching Billing Frequency

Monthly to Annual: Takes effect immediately; you receive credit for remaining monthly period
Annual to Monthly: Takes effect at annual renewal; no refund for remaining annual period

7. Failed Payments

7.1 Retry Process

If a payment fails, we will:

Notify you via email immediately
Attempt to charge your payment method again after 3 days
Make a final attempt after 7 days
Send reminder emails before each retry attempt

7.2 Account Suspension

After 3 failed payment attempts, your account may be suspended
During suspension, you will not have access to premium features
Your data will be preserved for 30 days during suspension
To reactivate, update your payment method and clear the outstanding balance

8. Requesting a Refund

To request a refund, please:

Email billing@herduk.co.uk with subject line "Refund Request"
Include your account email address
Provide your order/transaction reference number
Explain the reason for your refund request
Include any relevant supporting information

We aim to respond to all refund requests within 5 business days. If approved, refunds are typically processed within 5-10 business days, though it may take longer to appear on your statement depending on your financial institution.

9. Disputes & Chargebacks

If you have a billing concern, please contact us first before initiating a chargeback with your bank or credit card provider. We are committed to resolving billing issues fairly and promptly.

Chargebacks initiated without first contacting us may result in account suspension
We will provide transaction records and service logs to respond to any dispute
Fraudulent chargeback claims may be reported to relevant authorities

10. Price Changes

We reserve the right to modify our pricing. If we change the price of your subscription:

We will provide at least 30 days' notice before any price increase takes effect
Existing annual subscribers will be notified before their renewal date
You may cancel before the new price takes effect without penalty
Continued use after the price change date constitutes acceptance

11. Free Trial Terms

If we offer a free trial:

No payment is required during the trial period
You must cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged
We will send a reminder email 3 days before your trial expires
Only one free trial is permitted per person/household
Free trial availability may vary by plan and region

12. VAT & Taxes

All prices displayed include UK VAT at the current rate (20%)
For business customers with a valid VAT number, reverse charge may apply
International customers may be subject to local taxes
VAT invoices are available in your billing history

13. Contact Us

For any billing or refund queries, please contact us:

Email: billing@herduk.co.uk
Support: Help Centre
Response Time: Within 2 business days

For urgent billing emergencies (such as unauthorized charges), please include "URGENT" in your email subject line for priority handling.

Refund & Billing Policy