ShellOrbit logo ShellOrbit
Create an endpoint

Refund Policy

Effective 3 September 2026 Version 1.0 All paid plans and usage charges

Fees paid are not refunded. This page explains why, what Paddle's role means for you, which statutory rights survive that rule, and the narrow cases where we do return money.

Short version: fees already paid are not refunded, including part used months and annual periods. Cancel whenever you like and the plan runs to the end of the period you paid for. Nothing is deleted early because you cancelled.

The rest of this page explains the reasoning, the exceptions, and the rights you keep regardless of what any policy says.

1. Why there are no refunds

The service consumes infrastructure the moment it is used. An event received is stored, queued, delivered, retried, and held for your retention window, and that work cannot be returned once done. The free plan exists so you can test the service properly, with real traffic from a real provider, before paying anything. Because the trial is real and unlimited in time, paid periods are sold as used rather than as a trial you might want to unwind.

Pricing is set on that basis. A no refund rule on a plan starting at 15 United States dollars a month is what keeps the entry price where it is.

2. Paddle is the merchant of record

Payments are processed by Paddle as merchant of record. Practically, that means:

  • Paddle, not ShellOrbit, is the seller for the transaction. Your statement shows Paddle or a Paddle descriptor.
  • Paddle holds your payment instrument. We never see full card details.
  • Paddle collects sales tax, VAT, or GST where local rules require it, and remits it to the authority.
  • Paddle’s own buyer terms and refund handling apply to the transaction alongside this policy. Paddle may, at its own discretion or where the law requires, approve a refund even though this policy does not provide for one, and Paddle may also decline a request this policy does not support.
  • Refunds Paddle does approve are returned to the original payment method. Timing depends on your bank, and typically takes 5 to 10 business days after approval.

If you want a refund considered, email billing@shellorbit.com first. Going through us is faster than a bank dispute, and we can see the metering and delivery records that decide most billing questions.

3. Statutory rights we do not override

Nothing in this policy removes a right you have by law.

  • European Economic Area and United Kingdom consumers. Where you buy as a consumer rather than for business purposes, you normally have 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract. For digital services that begin immediately, that right ends once performance has started with your acknowledgement, which is what happens when you activate a paid plan and events start flowing. If you have not used the paid plan at all within those 14 days, tell us and we will arrange the refund through Paddle.
  • Australia. Nothing here excludes a consumer guarantee under the Australian Consumer Law.
  • Elsewhere. Where local consumer law gives a non waivable refund right, that right applies and this policy yields to it.

Most ShellOrbit customers buy for business use, in which case consumer withdrawal rights generally do not apply.

4. Where we do return money

These are the narrow cases, and we apply them without argument when the records support the claim:

  • Duplicate charge. Two charges for the same period. The duplicate is refunded in full.
  • Billing error on our side. Metering counted events that were not yours, a rate was applied incorrectly, or a cancellation we confirmed did not take effect. We correct the invoice and refund the difference.
  • Unauthorised charge. A payment made through a compromised payment method or account, once verified. Tell us and change your credentials immediately.
  • Charge after confirmed cancellation. If you cancelled before the renewal date and were charged anyway, the renewal is refunded in full.
  • Subprocessor objection under the data processing addendum. If you object to a new subprocessor on reasonable data protection grounds and we cannot offer an alternative, prepaid fees for the unused remainder of the term are refunded pro rata.
  • Service withdrawal by us. If we discontinue the service or terminate your account without cause during a period you have paid for, prepaid fees for the unused remainder are refunded pro rata.

Requests under this section should reach billing@shellorbit.com within 60 days of the charge, with the invoice reference. We answer within 5 business days.

5. Where we do not return money

  • Changing your mind, or an unused subscription. Cancel and the plan simply runs out.
  • Forgetting to cancel before a renewal. The renewal stands, and you can cancel the next one.
  • Part used months, or unused months of an annual plan.
  • Downgrading mid period. The lower price starts at the next renewal, and no difference is refunded.
  • Usage charges for events actually received, including a traffic spike from a misconfigured provider or a retry loop on your side. Set an alert and a lower retention window if that risk matters to you.
  • Your own destination being down, misconfigured, or rejecting deliveries. Storage and retries were still performed.
  • Missed availability, which is handled by service credit rather than cash. See section 9 of the Terms of Service.
  • Account suspension or termination for breach of acceptable use.
  • Dissatisfaction with a beta or preview feature, which is provided as it is.

6. Cancellation and what happens next

Cancel from the dashboard at any time. There is no cancellation fee, no exit interview, and no need to email anyone.

  • The plan stays active until the end of the paid period, and then stops.
  • Endpoints stop accepting events when the plan ends unless the account moves to the free plan, which it does automatically if it fits inside the free limits.
  • Stored events remain available for their retention window and for the 30 day export period described in the Terms of Service, then are deleted.
  • Export what you need through the API before that window closes. We do not restore deleted data.

7. Upgrades, downgrades, and proration

Upgrading takes effect immediately, and Paddle charges the prorated difference for the remainder of the period. Downgrading takes effect at the next renewal, so you keep the higher plan’s volume and retention until then. Retention windows shorten at the moment a downgrade takes effect, which can make older events age out on that day, so export first if you need them.

8. Chargebacks

Filing a chargeback instead of contacting us costs both sides money and gets you an answer slower. Accounts with an open chargeback are suspended until it is resolved, because the payment for the period is in dispute. If you believe a charge is wrong, email billing@shellorbit.com with the invoice reference and we will look at the metering record with you.

9. Taxes

Where Paddle collected tax on a transaction, a refund we approve includes the tax portion, returned by Paddle. Tax already remitted to an authority is refunded on Paddle’s schedule for that jurisdiction, which can take longer than the base amount.

10. Changes to this policy

We publish the effective date at the top of this page. A change applies to charges made after that date, never retroactively to a charge you have already paid. For a material change we give at least 30 days notice by email.

11. Contact