Refund and Billing Policy

1. Summary

A quick overview of how billing and refunds work at Chord Detector:

• Free to try: Analyze the first 60 seconds of any song without an account, get your first full song free with an account (1 free credit), or test full Pro features with a 7-day free trial.
• Cancel anytime in one click: Turn off automatic renewal at any time directly from your account settings; your Pro access runs until the end of the paid period.
• Fair 14-day refund window: Full money-back refunds are available within 14 days on your first Pro payment and on unused credit packs.

2. Who bills you

Payments for Chord Detector are processed and fulfilled by Paddle (Paddle.com Market Limited), Judd House, 18-29 Mora Street, London EC1V 8BT, United Kingdom.

Paddle acts as the Merchant of Record for all our transactions. This means:

• Paddle sells access to Chord Detector directly to you and processes your payment method securely.
• Paddle handles the calculation, collection, and remittance of applicable local sales taxes, VAT, and GST based on your location.
• Charges on your credit card or bank statement will display Paddle and Chord Detector (typically appearing as PADDLE.NET * CHORDDETECT or PADDLE.NET).
• Official tax invoices and payment receipts are issued directly by Paddle and sent to your billing email address after every successful transaction.

3. Free plan and the 7-day Pro trial

We provide multiple ways to test Chord Detector before paying for ongoing access:

• Free without an account: You can upload an audio file or paste a YouTube link to analyze the first 60 seconds of any song for free, without creating an account or providing payment details.
• Free with an account: Creating a free account gives you 1 free credit, which unlocks 1 complete song with chord detection, synchronized lyrics, and export features at no cost.
• 7-day Pro trial: New accounts can start a 7-day free trial of Chord Detector Pro ($9.99/month). You provide a payment method at checkout via Paddle, but your card is not charged during the 7-day trial period.

If you enjoy Pro, do nothing: after 7 days, your trial converts automatically to a recurring Pro subscription at $9.99 per month. If you cancel before the 7 days are up, you are charged nothing.

We send a reminder email 48 hours (2 days) before your trial ends. The reminder specifies the exact renewal date, time, and charge amount, and includes a one-click link to cancel if you do not wish to continue.

Trials are limited to one per account. In addition to monthly subscriptions, we offer a credit pack (10 credits, each unlocking one full song) for a one-off payment of $5. Credit packs do not renew automatically, and credits remain in your account while it is active, until you use them. Only the analysis result is stored in My songs; the audio itself is deleted within 24 hours.

4. How to cancel

You can cancel your subscription at any time without emailing support or waiting in queues:

1. Sign in to your Chord Detector account.
2. Click your account menu in the top right header and select Account and billing.
3. Under the Plan section, click Cancel subscription and confirm.
4. Alternatively, click Manage billing to launch the Paddle customer portal, where you can view active subscriptions, update payment cards, or cancel.

What happens after cancellation: Cancelling stops all future recurring charges. Your Pro access is not removed immediately; you retain full access to Pro features and your remaining monthly song allowance until the scheduled end of your current billing period or trial. Once that date arrives, the account automatically switches back to the Free plan.

5. Refund policy

We offer a fair and transparent refund policy. If Chord Detector is not working as expected or your circumstances change, the following terms apply:

• First Pro subscription payment: If you are charged for your first monthly Pro period and are not satisfied, you may request a full refund within 14 calendar days of the charge date.
• Unused credit packs: A credit pack ($5, 10 credits) is eligible for a full refund within 14 calendar days of purchase, provided that the pack is completely unused (no credits from the pack have been spent to unlock a song).
• Subscription renewals: Recurring monthly renewals are refundable within 14 calendar days of the renewal date only if you have not used the service during the renewed period (zero songs analyzed or unlocked since the renewal charge).
• Partially used services: Credit packs from which one or more credits have been spent, and subscription periods during which you have used your Pro song allowance or exports, are non-refundable except where required by mandatory local law.

Statutory consumer rights: Nothing in this policy limits or excludes your statutory consumer rights. If you reside in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you have a statutory right to withdraw from distance contracts within 14 calendar days without giving any reason, subject to standard statutory provisions regarding digital services commenced with prior express consent.

Paddle Buyer Terms: Because Paddle is the Merchant of Record, all purchases are also subject to Paddle Checkout Buyer Terms.

6. How to request a refund

To request a refund, email our support team at contact@chorddetect.com.

Please include the following details in your message:

• Send the email from the address registered to your Chord Detector account.
• Include your Paddle transaction ID or receipt number (found in the confirmation email sent by Paddle).
• A brief note explaining why you are requesting a refund, which helps us troubleshoot and improve the product.

We review and answer every refund request within 3 business days. Once approved, the refund is processed directly through Paddle to your original payment method. Depending on your bank or payment provider, the refunded funds typically appear in your account within 5 to 10 business days.

7. Failed payments and past due status

If a recurring subscription renewal fails (for example, due to an expired card, bank decline, or insufficient funds):

• Paddle automatically retries the transaction multiple times over the course of several days.
• Your subscription status updates to past_due. Chord Detector provides a 3-day grace period from the first failure during which your Pro features remain active while you update your payment information.
• You can update your payment card anytime by visiting Account and billing and clicking Manage billing to access the Paddle portal.
• If payment cannot be collected after retries, Paddle pauses or cancels the subscription. When paused or canceled, Pro access ends and the account reverts to the Free tier. Any unspent credits remain available in your account.

8. Price and currency

All standard plan prices on Chord Detector (such as Pro at $9.99/month and the 10-credit pack at $5) are listed in US Dollars (USD).

At checkout, Paddle may display prices and process charges in your local currency based on your country. Where required by local laws, applicable taxes (including VAT, GST, or state sales tax) are calculated and itemized by Paddle at checkout based on your billing location.

For more details on terms of service and acceptable use, please refer to our Terms of Service.

9. Chargebacks and payment disputes

If you see a charge you do not recognize, experienced a duplicate billing, or forgot to cancel before a renewal, please contact us first at contact@chorddetect.com before disputing the charge with your bank or card issuer.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can also reach us via our Contact page.