Settings: Family account and billing

_In the app: `/settings`_

Manage your family account, subscription plan, security, and data from one place. Your Settings dashboard shows your trial or paid subscription status, lets you update family information, connect a second parent, enable two-factor authentication, download all your data, or delete your account.

How to

Access your settings

From the Dashboard, click the link "← Dashboard" at the top left of the page.
Or click the gear icon in the bottom left of your navigation sidebar.
You'll land on the Family settings tab, which shows your plan status card and family information form.

See your plan status and trial days remaining

Go to Settings > Family tab.
Look at the Plan card near the top. For trial families, it shows a badge like "Trial: 14 days left" (or fewer if close to expiration).
If on a paid plan (Family or Transcript Pro), the badge shows your plan name, e.g., "Family · annual".
During trial or after it ends, the card displays AI usage: how many course descriptions, letter-of-recommendation drafts, and tutor messages you've used against your limits.
On a paid Family plan, the card shows your weekly AI tutor message count (resets every Monday).

Start a subscription or upgrade from trial

Go to Settings > Family tab.
In the Plan card, click "Choose a plan". (If you see "Paid plans launching soon" instead, subscriptions are not yet available.)
Pick one: Family · annual ($249/year, shown first as best value), Family · monthly ($29/mo), or Transcript Pro · annual ($60/year).
Click the button for your chosen plan. You'll be taken to Stripe checkout.
Add or enter your card. Your trial keeps running—you won't be charged until it ends, and you can cancel anytime before then.
After checkout succeeds, you return to Settings and can manage your subscription from there.

Manage an active subscription (change card, plan, or cancel)

Go to Settings > Family tab.
If you have an active paid subscription, you'll see a "Manage billing" button in the Plan card.
Click it. You'll open the Stripe Customer Portal in a new window.
From there you can update your card, change your billing interval (monthly to annual or vice versa), or cancel your subscription.
When done, close the portal window and you'll return to Settings.

Update your family information

Go to Settings > Family tab.
Below the Plan card, fill out the form with: Family name, State, Pedagogical style, Worldview (and optional notes).
These settings tailor compliance reminders and prepare for future AI tutor customization.
Click "Save changes" at the bottom of the form. A "Saved." toast notification confirms the update.

Add a second parent

Go to Settings > Parents tab.
You'll see the primary parent (your account) listed as "Primary".
The invite flow is still in development (noted as PHASE-1.5 in the UI). Currently: ask the second parent to sign up with their own email, then email their auth user ID to support so they can be linked to your family.
Once linked, the second parent can log in, see the same family records, and log attendance and grades on their own account.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) with an authenticator app

Go to Settings > Family tab.
Scroll down to the Security card.
Click "Enable two-factor authentication".
A QR code appears. Scan it with your authenticator app (Google Authenticator, 1Password, Authy, etc.).
If you can't scan, tap "Can't scan?" to reveal the secret key and enter it manually.
Once added to your app, enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator into the input box.
Click "Turn on two-factor". A "Two-factor authentication is on." toast confirms success.
Next time you sign in, after entering your password you'll be prompted for your authenticator code.

Disable two-factor authentication

Go to Settings > Family tab.
In the Security card, if 2FA is on, you'll see a badge "2FA on" and a button "Turn off two-factor".
Click the button.
A browser confirmation dialog appears: "Turn off two-factor authentication? Your account will be protected by password only."
Click OK to confirm. A "Two-factor authentication is off." toast confirms the change.

Download all your data as a ZIP

Go to Settings > Family tab.
Scroll to the "Your data" card (after the family form).
Click "Download all my data".
A ZIP file begins downloading to your computer. The filename is like "arborslate-export-2026-06-30.zip".
The ZIP contains: arborslate-export.json (all your records—students, grades, attendance, transcripts, credentials) plus a "files" folder with all your uploaded documents and generated PDFs.
If any files were too large or couldn't be bundled, a "skipped-files.txt" lists them with reasons to contact support if needed.

Set up your planner to sync with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook

Go to Settings > Family tab.
Scroll to the "Sync planner to your calendar" card.
Click "Show my calendar URL".
Two URLs appear: HTTPS (works everywhere) and webcal:// (one-click for Apple and Outlook).
Copy the URL that matches your calendar app. Paste it into your calendar's "Subscribe from URL" or "Add subscribed calendar" flow.
Expand "How to subscribe (step-by-step per platform)" for detailed instructions for iPhone/iPad, Mac, Google Calendar, Outlook web, or Outlook desktop.
Once subscribed, your ArborSlate planner updates in your calendar app (read-only). Edit events in ArborSlate; they sync to your calendar app on its refresh cycle.

Rotate your calendar subscription URL (to cut off over-shared access)

Go to Settings > Family tab.
In the "Sync planner to your calendar" card, click "Rotate URL".
A confirmation message appears: "Rotating breaks anyone already subscribed—they'll get a 404 until you share the new URL. Continue?"
Click "Rotate URL" to confirm. A new URL is generated and displayed.
Anyone still using the old URL will see a 404 until you share the new one with them.
Copy and share the new URL with whoever should stay subscribed.

Delete your account and all family data

Go to Settings > Family tab.
Scroll to the bottom: "Delete account" section (with a red border).
Read the warning: "Close your account and permanently erase all of your family's data."
Download your data first if you want a copy (see "Download all your data as a ZIP" above).
In the text input, type DELETE (uppercase) to enable the delete button.
Click the red "Delete my account" button.
Your entire family account and every record (students, grades, transcripts, credentials, files) is permanently deleted. You are signed out. This cannot be undone.

Options & settings

Family name—your household name for compliance and records
State—your location, used for compliance reminder tailoring
Pedagogical style—classical, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, eclectic, unschooling, etc.; prepares for AI tutor customization
Worldview—secular, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Montessori, etc.; used for curriculum recommendations
Worldview custom notes—optional field for additional context
Plan selection—Family annual, Family monthly, or Transcript Pro
Two-factor authentication—enable/disable TOTP via authenticator app
Calendar sync—show/rotate your ICS feed URL for Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook
Data export—download a ZIP of all records (JSON) and files
Account deletion—permanent, irreversible removal of all family data

Common questions

My trial ends in 3 days. What happens if I don't subscribe?

Your trial badge changes from "Trial: 3 days left" to "Trial ended" in the Plan card. Your family records (students, grades, transcripts) stay safe and readable. You lose: clean PDFs (they'll have watermarks if you generate new ones), all AI features (course descriptions, letter-of-recommendation drafts, AI tutor), and access to credentials. You can resubscribe anytime to restore full access.

Can I use my ESA funds to pay for ArborSlate?

Yes, if you have an Education Savings Account (ESA) and your state allows educational software subscriptions. ArborSlate subscriptions are ESA-eligible in participating states. Use your ESA debit card or account to pay at Stripe checkout just like any credit card. Your records and receipts are yours to document the expense. We don't handle ESA reimbursement directly—that's between you and your state's ESA administrator.

What's the difference between Family and Transcript Pro?

Family ($249/year or $29/mo) includes: full access to all record-keeping (gradebook, attendance, transcripts), all AI features (course descriptions, letter-of-recommendation drafts, AI tutor with 60 messages/week), clean PDFs (no watermark), and calendar sync. Transcript Pro ($60/year) is for families who only need to generate and download clean transcripts—no AI, no gradebook, no planner. It's a narrow tier for transcript-only workflows.

Can I switch from monthly to annual (or vice versa)?

Yes. Click "Manage billing" in the Plan card to open your Stripe Customer Portal. Inside, you can change your subscription interval from monthly to annual or back. You'll be charged a prorated amount based on your current billing cycle.

I lost my phone with my authenticator app. How do I turn off 2FA?

You can't turn off 2FA yourself without the authenticator. Contact support and provide proof of identity. They can reset two-factor on your account so you can sign back in with just your password, then re-enable 2FA with a new device.

Is my data safe if I cancel my subscription?

Yes. Canceling your subscription does not delete your data. Your records stay in your account and you can still view them (though AI features and clean PDFs won't work). If you want to completely erase everything, use the "Delete account" button in the Danger Zone at the bottom of Family settings. Deletion is permanent and irreversible.

Good to know

Your trial is only 14 days. After that, without a subscription, AI features and clean PDFs stop working immediately—but your records stay safe. Most families don't notice until they try to generate a PDF or use the tutor.
The Plan card shows your effective plan tier. If you're in an active co-op, your tier displays as 'co_op' (full Family access via the co-op's subscription), even if you haven't paid yourself. If you leave the co-op or it cancels, your access drops to trial/expired unless you subscribe independently.
Two-factor authentication uses TOTP (time-based one-time passwords) via an authenticator app. SMS-based 2FA is not supported. If you lose your device, contact support—only they can reset it.
Calendar subscriptions are read-only in your calendar app. Edit events in ArborSlate; your calendar app pulls updates on its own refresh schedule (iOS: 30 min to a few hours, Google: 6-24 hours). Don't edit them directly in the calendar app or changes won't sync back.
Rotating your calendar URL breaks everyone currently subscribed to the old URL—they'll see a 404 in their calendar app until you share the new URL. Only rotate if the old URL was over-shared and you want to cut off access.
Account deletion is permanent and irreversible. Every record (students, grades, transcripts, credentials, files) is erased. Make sure to download your data first if you need it.
ESA payments: ArborSlate accepts ESA funds as payment, but we don't manage ESA reimbursement or submit expense reports. You handle that directly with your state's ESA administrator using your receipt.

Plans

All families start with a 14-day free trial. Trial families can add a card and pick a plan anytime; the trial keeps running and you won't be charged until it ends. On a paid plan, all features unlock: clean PDFs, all AI features, and calendar sync. Trial families can use limited AI (course descriptions, letter-of-recommendation drafts, tutor messages capped at 10 lifetime). Transcript Pro is plan-gated: it does not include AI features or the planner. Co-op memberships (B2B2C): if your family is part of an active co-op subscription, you get full Family-plan access automatically (the co-op leader pays per student).