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What happens when your free trial ends

_In the app: `/help/plan/trial-expiration`_

When your 14-day ArborSlate trial expires, your records stay safe and readable. PDF exports become watermarked; AI features and the tutor pause until you subscribe. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid charges, and your data remains exportable from Settings.

How to

See your trial status and days remaining

  1. Open ArborSlate and go to Settings → Plan (or /settings).
  2. Look for the badge at the top of the Plan card: Trial: X days left (turns red when 3 or fewer days remain).
  3. Below the badge, see your trial AI usage: AI course descriptions, letter-of-recommendation drafts, and tutor messages. Progress bars show how many you have used out of the trial cap.

Understand what Trial ended status means

  1. When your trial_ends_at date passes, your planTier stays trial in the database, but effectivePlanTier() evaluates it as expired at read time.
  2. In Settings → Plan, you will see the badge change to Trial ended (red).
  3. The description changes to: Your free trial has ended. Your records (gradebook, attendance, transcripts you started) are safe and still here. Subscribe to resume generating PDFs and using AI features.
  4. Features requiring hasFamilyAccess() (credentials, tutor, report cards, planner) become inaccessible—you will see a card explaining they are part of the Family plan with a Manage plan button.

Check what records stay readable after trial ends

  1. Your gradebook, attendance log, enrolled students, school years, and any transcripts you started remain in your account and are fully readable.
  2. Tutor conversations stay in /tutor but you cannot start new sessions or send new messages (hasFamilyAccess gate blocks access).
  3. Visit Settings → Your data to see a full list: students, grades, attendance, transcripts, credentials, and uploaded files.
  4. Click Download all my data anytime to export everything as a ZIP with structured JSON plus PDFs—this works whether your trial is active, expired, or you have subscribed.

Understand the PDF watermark

  1. During trial, all PDFs you generate are watermarked. Trial users do not get clean, watermark-free PDFs.
  2. When your trial expires, effectivePlanTier returns expired, which also returns false from hasTranscriptCleanPdf().
  3. Any new PDF exports remain watermarked (same as during trial).
  4. Already-downloaded PDFs you generated during trial keep their watermark status. To get clean PDFs, you must subscribe to the Family plan.

See which AI features pause when trial ends

  1. Visit Settings → Plan to see your trial AI usage in the Trial AI usage box (visible only during active trial or right after expiry).
  2. During trial, the caps are: 10 AI course descriptions, 5 AI letter-of-recommendation drafts, 3 AI ESA curriculum documents, and 10 AI tutor messages (lifetime over 14 days).
  3. When trial expires, gateAndConsumeTrialAi() checks effectivePlanTier() first; expired fails the gate before checking the counter, so you cannot generate any more.
  4. Attempting to generate a course description, LoR draft, or ESA curriculum doc will show: You have used all X feature included in the free trial. Subscribe to keep generating.
  5. The AI tutor at /tutor becomes inaccessible because hasFamilyAccess gates the entire page (not just capping messages).

Avoid being charged by canceling before trial ends

  1. You added a card at signup to start the trial (card-at-signup model). That card is on file.
  2. When trial_ends_at arrives, Stripe will charge your card for the Family plan (29/month or annual equivalent) IF you have not canceled.
  3. Go to Settings → Plan and click Manage billing (if subscriptions are live).
  4. Select Cancel subscription or Cancel trial before your trial end date to prevent the charge.
  5. You will get a heads-up email 3 days before and 1 day before your trial ends; each email has a Manage plan link.
  6. If you cancel, your records stay in your account and remain exportable; your trial status simply becomes expired without a charge.

Resubscribe after your trial ends or after canceling

  1. Visit Settings → Plan (the Manage plan button takes you here).
  2. Click Subscribe to pick a plan: Family monthly (29/month) or Family annual (~290/year).
  3. Stripe Checkout will appear; your card on file may be pre-filled, or you can add a new one.
  4. On successful payment, your planTier flips to family_monthly or family_annual and you regain full access immediately.
  5. All your records, counters, and uploaded files stay exactly as they were during the trial.

Contact support if you are charged unexpectedly

  1. Check your email for the trial-ending notification emails (sent 3 days and 1 day before expiry if configured).
  2. Log into your ArborSlate account and visit Settings → Plan to confirm your current status (see the badge).
  3. If a charge appears after trial end and you did not intend to subscribe, contact support with your trial end date and the charge date.
  4. Support can investigate your Stripe subscription status and may issue a refund depending on your payment method and timing.

Options & settings

  • Settings → Plan: View your trial badge, days remaining, and AI usage caps.
  • Settings → Your data: Download all your records as ZIP (works at any plan tier).
  • Settings → Billing/Manage plan: Cancel trial or manage subscription (when Stripe is live).
  • /tutor: Access the AI tutor (gated by hasFamilyAccess, unavailable when expired).
  • /credentials: Diplomas, transcripts, school profile, and letters of recommendation (gated by hasFamilyAccess).
  • /report-cards: Generate report cards (gated by hasFamilyAccess).
  • /dashboard: View your gradebook and students (readable at any tier, regardless of expiry).

Common questions

Can I cancel my trial without being charged?

Yes. Visit Settings → Plan and cancel before your trial_ends_at date. No charge will be applied. You can return anytime to resubscribe, and all your records remain safe and exportable.

What happens to my gradebook and students after the trial ends?

They stay exactly where they are. Your gradebook, attendance log, enrolled students, school years, and all data remain in your account and are fully readable. Only PDF exports, the AI tutor, and AI-powered features lock until you subscribe.

Are my PDFs watermarked during and after the trial?

Yes. PDFs are watermarked during the trial and remain watermarked after expiry. To get clean, watermark-free PDFs, you must subscribe to the Family plan.

Can I still use AI features after my trial ends?

No. The AI tutor, AI course descriptions, AI letter-of-recommendation drafts, and AI ESA curriculum docs all require a paid plan. Attempting to use them shows: Subscribe to keep generating. You can still read older AI-generated content (e.g., past tutor conversations), but cannot generate new content.

How long is the free trial?

Exactly 14 days from the day you complete signup (specifically, 14 calendar days added to your signup timestamp). You will see your exact trial end date in Settings → Plan.

Will I get a warning before I am charged?

Yes. You will receive emails 3 days before and 1 day before your trial ends (if email is configured). Each email includes a link to your billing settings where you can cancel before the charge occurs. If you cancel before trial_ends_at, you will not be charged.

Can I export my data after the trial ends or after canceling?

Yes, anytime. Visit Settings → Your data and click Download all my data. This works whether your trial is active, expired, or you are a paid subscriber. Your data is yours to keep.

What is the difference between a canceled trial and an expired trial?

If you cancel before trial_ends_at, your account status becomes expired but no charge is applied. If you let trial_ends_at pass without canceling, Stripe charges your card and your status flips to family_monthly or family_annual (a paid subscription). Either way, your records stay in your account.

Can I see how many AI features I have used during the trial?

Yes. Visit Settings → Plan and look for the Trial AI usage box. It shows: AI course descriptions (cap: 10), AI letter-of-recommendation drafts (cap: 5), AI ESA curriculum documents (cap: 3), and AI tutor messages (cap: 10 lifetime over 14 days). Progress bars indicate how many you have used.

What if I need help accessing my data after trial ends?

Your data remains readable and exportable at any time after trial expiry. If you cannot access a specific feature or run into a technical issue, contact support with your family name and the feature you are trying to access. Support can help restore access if your subscription lapsed by mistake.

Plans

Trial lasts exactly 14 days from signup. Trial expiry enforced at read-time via effectivePlanTier() helper. hasFamilyAccess() gates family-only features (tutor, credentials, report cards). hasTranscriptCleanPdf() returns false for both trial and expired tiers. At trial expiry, AI usage caps prevent further use. No background cron modifies DB until Stripe webhooks are live. Card collected at signup (card-at-signup model). Trial-nudge cron sends emails at 3-day and 1-day windows (idempotent, tracked by trial_nudge_3d_sent_at / trial_nudge_1d_sent_at columns).

Want answers tailored to your own students and state? Your Teacher's Aide knows your account — or start a free trial.