# Annual vs monthly billing

> The tradeoffs between paying monthly and paying annually for Ordinary — the 17% discount, how cancellation works, and when to switch.

Source: https://help.tryordinary.com/billing/annual-vs-monthly

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Every paid plan is available in **monthly** or **annual** cadence.
Annual saves you 17% — effectively "two months free."

## How the discount works

At every GMV bracket, the annual price is **10 × the monthly price**
(instead of 12). The math works out to ~17% off, or the equivalent
of two months free.

Example (<$250K Starter):

- Monthly: $99/mo × 12 = $1,188/yr
- Annual: $990/yr (effectively $82.50/mo)
- Savings: $198/yr

## What changes when you switch

- Nothing in the product. Features, limits, integrations are identical.
- You get billed once (annual) instead of every month.
- Cancellation refund math is different — see below.

## When to pick annual

- You've been on Ordinary 60+ days and know you're sticking with it.
- You want to simplify accounting (one invoice per year, not 12).
- Your CFO prefers capex-style predictability over opex.

## When to pick monthly

- You just installed — try before committing.
- You're uncertain about plan tier and might need to switch often.
- Your cash flow prefers small recurring charges.

Most teams start monthly and switch to annual after 1-2 months.

## Switching cadences mid-subscription

**Monthly → Annual**

- Current monthly subscription is cancelled.
- New annual subscription starts; you're charged the full annual
  amount immediately (at the discounted rate).
- Shopify prorates any unused monthly portion against the annual
  charge.

**Annual → Monthly**

- Technically possible but unusual. You'd lose the discount. Usually
  better to just ride out the annual and switch at renewal.

## What happens at renewal

- Monthly subscriptions auto-renew every ~30 days as long as your
  Shopify account is in good standing.
- Annual subscriptions auto-renew once per year on the anniversary
  of your original approval.

Shopify emails you about upcoming renewals (usually 3-7 days ahead).

## Cancellation

You can cancel at any time — **Settings → Billing → Change plan → Free**.

- **Monthly**: you keep paid access through the end of the current
  cycle. No further charges.
- **Annual**: same — keep access through the end of the prepaid year.
  Shopify doesn't refund unused annual time by default. If this
  creates a real problem, email
  [support@tryordinary.com](mailto:support@tryordinary.com) and we can
  help.

## Related articles

- [Understanding your plan](https://help.tryordinary.com/billing/plans-overview)
- [Upgrading your plan](https://help.tryordinary.com/billing/upgrading)
- [Billing charge declined](https://help.tryordinary.com/troubleshooting/billing-declined)