Retainer, Subscription & Deposit Policy

This page governs three types of ongoing and upfront financial commitments with Paddock20: retainer agreements, subscription-based service tiers, and project deposits. All are subject to our Payment Terms and Terms of Service.

Part I — Retainer Agreement

What Is a Retainer?

A retainer is an ongoing monthly engagement for clients who need continuous access to Paddock20 for product iteration, feature development, infrastructure maintenance, or strategic technical advisory. A retainer reserves dedicated capacity each month — meaning your work does not compete with new project intake.

Minimum Commitment

All retainer agreements require a minimum 6-month commitment. This minimum exists because meaningful product development requires continuity. A 6-month window allows us to plan, build, iterate, and deliver results rather than context-switching across short-term engagements.

After the initial 6-month term, retainers convert to month-to-month with 30 days written notice required to cancel.

Billing

Retainer fees are billed monthly in advance on the first of each month via Stripe. The first invoice is due before the engagement begins. Retainer rates are fixed for the initial 6-month term. Month-to-month rates may be adjusted with 30 days notice.

Scope of Retainer Work

Retainer scope is agreed upon at the start of each engagement and reviewed monthly. Retainer hours do not roll over. Work outside the agreed monthly scope will be scoped and billed separately.

Pausing a Retainer

Retainers may be paused once per 6-month term for up to 30 days by written request. The minimum commitment period is extended by the duration of any pause. Pauses are not available in the first or last month of the initial term.

Early Termination

If a client terminates a retainer before the end of the 6-month minimum term, the remaining months in the term are due as a termination fee. For example, cancelling after month 3 of a 6-month retainer results in 3 months of retainer fees becoming immediately due.

Part II — Subscription Services

What Are Subscription Services?

Certain Paddock20 products and tools — including hosted applications, AI-powered tools, and managed software platforms — may be offered on a subscription basis. Subscription tiers, pricing, and included features are defined at the point of purchase or in the applicable SOW.

Billing Cycle

Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually, depending on the selected plan. Annual subscriptions are billed upfront and carry a discount relative to the monthly rate. All subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled.

Cancellation

Monthly subscriptions may be cancelled at any time with effect at the end of the current billing period. Annual subscriptions may be cancelled at renewal; mid-term cancellations are non-refundable. To cancel, email hello@paddock20.com with your account information.

Service Availability

Paddock20 targets 99.9% uptime for hosted subscription services. Scheduled maintenance will be communicated in advance. Unplanned downtime exceeding 4 hours in a billing period may be credited against the following month's invoice upon request.

Data on Cancellation

Upon cancellation of a subscription, your data is retained for 30 days during which you may request an export. After 30 days, data may be permanently deleted.

Part III — Project Deposit Policy

Deposit Requirement

All new project engagements require a 50% deposit before any work begins. This applies to fixed-fee projects, phased builds, and MVP engagements. The deposit secures your place in the build queue and compensates for the reserved capacity and preparation required before the project start date.

What the Deposit Covers

The deposit is applied directly to the total project fee — it is not an administrative charge. It covers pre-build activities including technical discovery, architecture planning, environment setup, and the first phase of development.

Deposit Refund Policy

• Before work begins: Refundable minus a $500 administrative and scheduling fee.
• After work begins: Non-refundable. See kill fee terms in our Payment Terms.
• Fit Call: Free. No deposit is collected for the initial 15-minute Fit Call.

Deposit and Project Start

Project kickoff is scheduled only after the deposit clears. Paddock20 does not hold project dates speculatively. If a deposit is not received within 7 days of invoice, the project date may be released and rescheduled subject to availability.

Questions

For questions about any of these policies:

• Email: hello@paddock20.com