> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.soneka.africa/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Soneka Pricing Plans, Billing Cycles, and Refund Policy

> Compare Soneka's four plans, understand billing cycles, learn how to upgrade or downgrade, and find out how to request a refund with the 14-day guarantee.

Soneka offers four plans designed to grow with your business — from a permanently free Starter tier to a fully custom Enterprise plan. Every plan unlocks the full feature set; what scales between plans is your monthly message volume, the number of WhatsApp numbers you can connect, the number of contacts you can store, and your team seat allowance. You pay for capacity, never for features.

## Plan Comparison

|                      | **Starter** | **Growth** | **Pro**    | **Enterprise** |
| -------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ---------- | -------------- |
| **Price (monthly)**  | Free        | \$96 / mo  | \$320 / mo | Custom         |
| **Price (annual)**   | Free        | \$77 / mo  | \$256 / mo | Custom         |
| **WhatsApp Numbers** | 1           | 2          | 5          | Unlimited      |
| **Messages / month** | 1,000       | 20,000     | 100,000    | Unlimited      |
| **Contacts**         | 500         | 5,000      | 25,000     | Unlimited      |
| **Team Seats**       | Unlimited   | 3          | 10         | Unlimited      |
| **All Features**     | ✓           | ✓          | ✓          | ✓              |

<Note>
  Annual billing saves you **20%** across Growth and Pro plans. The discount is applied automatically when you choose the annual billing option at checkout or from your workspace's Billing settings.
</Note>

## How Billing Works

Soneka bills **in advance** — your subscription charge covers the upcoming billing period, not the one just completed. Your billing date is set on the day you upgrade from the free Starter plan.

* **Monthly plans** renew automatically every 30 days from your upgrade date.
* **Annual plans** renew automatically every 12 months from your upgrade date.
* You will receive an invoice by email before each renewal. All invoices are also available in **Admin → Settings → Billing**.

<Tip>
  Switch to annual billing at any time from the Billing page. You'll be charged a prorated annual amount immediately, and your billing date resets to today.
</Tip>

## Upgrading and Downgrading

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Upgrading">
    When you upgrade mid-cycle, Soneka calculates the prorated cost of the new plan for the remaining days in your current billing period and charges your payment method immediately. Your new plan limits take effect the same day — no waiting until the next renewal.

    **To upgrade:** Go to **Admin → Settings → Billing → Change Plan**, select your new plan, confirm the prorated charge, and you're done.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Downgrading">
    Downgrades are always scheduled for your **next renewal date**. You keep your current plan's limits until the billing period ends. At renewal, your workspace moves to the lower plan and your new (lower) rate is charged.

    **To downgrade:** Go to **Admin → Settings → Billing → Change Plan**, select the lower plan, and confirm. You'll see a banner confirming the scheduled downgrade date.

    <Warning>
      If your current contacts, messages, or numbers exceed the lower plan's limits at the time of downgrade, you will need to reduce them before the changeover to avoid your workspace entering read-only mode.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Payment Methods

Soneka supports **22 payment gateways** so you can pay the way that works best for your region.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="East Africa" icon="mobile">
    M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Safaricom Global Pay (virtual cards)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cards" icon="credit-card">
    Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and most virtual prepaid cards
  </Card>

  <Card title="Global Platforms" icon="globe">
    Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Paytm, Cashfree, PhonePe
  </Card>

  <Card title="African Fintech" icon="building-columns">
    Paystack, Flutterwave, and other regional gateways
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

To update your payment method, go to **Admin → Settings → Billing → Payment Methods**.

## What Happens When a Payment Fails

If a payment fails, Soneka automatically retries your card or mobile wallet **three times over seven days**. You'll receive an email after each failed attempt with a link to update your payment details.

If all three retries fail:

* Your workspace enters **read-only mode** — you can still view all data but cannot send messages or make changes.
* Your data is preserved for **30 days** from the date of the first failed payment.
* Updating your payment method and settling the outstanding balance immediately restores full access.

<Warning>
  After 30 days in read-only mode with no payment, workspace data may be permanently deleted. Update your billing details as soon as you receive a failed-payment notification.
</Warning>

## 14-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Not satisfied? Soneka offers a **14-day money-back guarantee** from the date of your first paid upgrade.

* The guarantee applies **once per workspace**.
* **Monthly plans:** Full refund, no questions asked.
* **Annual plans:** Prorated refund for unused complete months, minus a 10% processing fee.
* Refunds are returned to the original payment method within 5–10 business days.

To request a refund, email [**billing@soneka.africa**](mailto:billing@soneka.africa) with your workspace name and the reason for your request. Our team typically responds within 2 hours on business days.

***

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I stay on the Starter plan forever?">
    Yes. The Starter plan is permanently free with no time limit. You get 1 WhatsApp number, 1,000 messages per month, 500 contacts, and unlimited team seats — no credit card required.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I try Soneka before paying?">
    Yes. Every new workspace starts on the free Starter plan with no credit card required — you can explore Soneka's features straight away. If you upgrade to a paid plan and aren't satisfied, the 14-day money-back guarantee applies from the date of your first payment.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What counts as a 'message' toward my monthly limit?">
    Every outbound message sent from Soneka — whether via broadcast, automation flow, or a manual reply in the inbox — counts toward your monthly message limit. Inbound messages from contacts do not count.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I have more than 10 seats on the Pro plan?">
    The Pro plan includes 10 seats. If you need more, you can upgrade to Enterprise, which includes unlimited seats, or contact us at [connect@soneka.africa](mailto:connect@soneka.africa) to discuss an add-on.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do unused messages roll over to the next month?">
    No. Message allowances reset at the start of each billing cycle and do not roll over.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I switch between monthly and annual billing at any time?">
    Yes. You can switch from monthly to annual billing at any time and you'll receive the 20% discount immediately on a prorated basis. Switching from annual back to monthly takes effect at your next renewal date.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is VAT or tax included in the listed prices?">
    Prices shown are exclusive of local taxes. Applicable VAT or withholding tax will be displayed at checkout based on your billing country.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>