Billing & Subscriptions

Overview

z8 uses a seat-based subscription model powered by Stripe. Each active employee in your organization counts as one seat. Organization administrators can manage their subscription, view billing details, and access invoices from the billing settings page.

Pricing Plans

z8 offers two billing cycles with per-seat pricing:

What Counts as a Seat

• Each active employee in your organization counts as one seat
• Deactivated employees do not count toward your seat total
• Seat counts are automatically synchronized when employees are added or removed
• The billing amount adjusts automatically based on your current seat count

Free Trial

New organizations receive a 14-day free trial when billing is enabled:

• Full access to all features during the trial
• No credit card is required to start the trial
• A trial countdown appears in the app while the trial is active
• Organization admins can add payment details during the trial with Stripe Checkout
• If payment details are added during the trial, the paid subscription starts after the trial expires

Managing Your Subscription

Viewing Subscription Status

1. Navigate to Settings > Billing in z8
2. View your current subscription details:
   • Current plan (Monthly or Yearly)
   • Number of active seats
   • Monthly cost
   • Next billing date
   • Trial status (if applicable)

Subscribing to a Plan

1. Go to Settings > Billing
2. Select your preferred plan (Monthly or Yearly)
3. Click Subscribe
4. You'll be redirected to Stripe Checkout to enter payment details
5. After successful checkout, you'll be redirected back to z8
6. During a trial, the paid subscription starts after the trial expires

Changing Your Plan

To switch between Monthly and Yearly billing:

1. Go to Settings > Billing
2. Click Manage Subscription
3. You'll be redirected to the Stripe Customer Portal
4. Update your subscription plan
5. Changes take effect at the next billing cycle

Updating Payment Method

1. Go to Settings > Billing
2. Click Manage Subscription
3. In the Stripe Customer Portal, update your payment method
4. Add or change credit card, SEPA, or other payment methods

Viewing Invoices

1. Go to Settings > Billing
2. Click Manage Subscription
3. View and download past invoices in the Stripe Customer Portal

Canceling Your Subscription

1. Go to Settings > Billing
2. Click Manage Subscription
3. In the Stripe Customer Portal, click Cancel Plan
4. If cancellation is scheduled for the end of the billing period, access remains active while Stripe reports the subscription as active

If a cancellation is scheduled for the end of the billing period, access remains active while Stripe reports the subscription as active. When Stripe reports the subscription as canceled, the organization is suspended immediately.

Subscription States

Seat Synchronization

z8 automatically keeps your seat count in sync with Stripe:

• When you add an employee, the seat count increases and billing adjusts pro-rata
• When you deactivate an employee, the seat count decreases at the next billing cycle
• The current seat count is always visible on the billing page

Platform Administration

Platform administrators have access to a billing overview dashboard at Admin > Billing that provides:

FAQ

What happens if my payment fails?

Stripe may automatically retry the payment over several days. Your organization remains suspended until payment is resolved and Stripe reports a valid subscription state.

Can I get a refund?

Contact your z8 administrator or support for refund requests. Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis through Stripe.

Do I need billing for self-hosted?

No. Self-hosted z8 deployments can disable billing entirely. All features are available without a subscription when BILLING_ENABLED is not set.

How are seats counted for part-time employees?

All active employees count as one seat regardless of hours worked or employment type. Only deactivated employees are excluded from the count.