Subscription & Billing

Audience: This article is for church administrators.

TimelyChurch uses a tiered subscription model that grows with your church. Whether you are just getting started or running a large multi-campus ministry, there is a plan that fits your needs. This guide covers how to view your plan, understand your usage, and manage your subscription.

Accessing Subscription & Billing

1. Navigate to Settings in the left sidebar.
2. Click the Subscription tab.

Subscription Plans

TimelyChurch offers three self-serve plan tiers that you can choose and subscribe to directly from the Subscription tab — Starter, Growth, and Pro.

(Two higher Multi-Campus tiers exist for associations managing several campuses, but they are concierge-onboarded rather than self-serve, so they do not appear in the Subscription tab. If you run a multi-campus ministry, contact support.)

Starter (Free)

Core features to get your church started with digital management:

• People & Families
• Classes
• Schedules
• Attendance
• Events
• Calendar
• Team Management
• Settings
• Messaging
• Sermons

Limits (defaults): 5 team members, 2 classes, 100 MB storage, 100 people, 3 groups, 3 forms, 10 events, 500 emails/mo, 1 check-in kiosk, 25 volunteers, 5 custom fields. No SMS or Q&A sessions on Starter.

Growth ($49/mo or $488/yr — save ~17%)

Everything in Starter, plus:

• Follow-Ups
• Lesson Library
• Check-In
• Forms
• Volunteers
• Serving Teams
• Announcements
• Groups
• Website Builder
• Live Q&A

Limits (defaults): Unlimited team members, 5 classes, 500 MB storage, 500 people, 10 groups, 20 forms, 50 events, 2,000 emails/mo, 100 SMS/mo, 3 check-in kiosks, 100 volunteers, 15 custom fields, 3 Q&A sessions. Includes the AI Assistant with a 100,000-token monthly allowance.

Pro ($129/mo or $1,290/yr — save ~17%)

Founding rate: The first 25 churches to subscribe to Pro lock in the founding price of $129/mo for the life of their subscription. After those slots fill, the list price for new subscribers is $149/mo. The Subscription tab shows your current applicable price.

Everything in Growth, plus:

• Rooms & Facilities
• Email Templates / Campaigns / Automations
• Tasks
• Giving & Donations
• Funds
• Giving Statements
• Reports & Analytics
• Pledges
• Budgets
• Accounting
• Songs & Music
• Service Plans
• Import & Export
• Custom Fields
• Push Notifications
• Custom Branding (church logo)
• Custom Domain
• Priority Support
• AI Assistant (500,000-token monthly allowance)

Limits: Unlimited team members, classes, groups, forms, events, people, lessons, songs, rooms, volunteers, website pages, custom fields, and Q&A sessions. 5 GB storage, 10,000 emails/mo, 500 SMS/mo.

Note: Pro is the highest tier you can subscribe to yourself. The only plans above Pro are the concierge-only Multi-Campus tiers described above. A previously offered "Unlimited" tier was retired, and any churches that were on it were automatically moved to Pro.

Billing Cycles

TimelyChurch offers two billing options:

• Monthly — Pay month-to-month with the flexibility to cancel anytime.
• Yearly — Pay annually and save about 17% versus paying monthly for 12 months. (For example, Pro is $1,290/yr instead of $1,548, and Growth is $488/yr instead of $588.)

Use the Monthly / Yearly toggle near the top of the plan grid on the Subscription tab to compare costs before subscribing. Switching the toggle to Yearly shows a "Save 17%" badge and displays each paid plan's effective monthly rate along with the total annual charge.

Understanding Your Current Usage

The Subscription tab displays real-time usage cards for your key resources. Each card shows a circular progress ring with your current count in the center and your plan's limit below it. The ring changes color as you approach your limit:

• Indigo — Normal usage (under 70%)
• Amber — Approaching limit (70-89%)
• Red — At or near limit (90%+)

If a resource is unlimited on your plan, the card shows "Unlimited on your plan" instead of a percentage.

Team Members

Shows how many team members (admins, teachers, and other staff) you currently have versus your plan's limit, with a "Manage team" link to the Team page. (Paid plans include unlimited team members; the seat cap applies only to the free Starter plan.)

File Storage

Shows how much file storage you are using (lesson attachments, room photos, resource files, song attachments, etc.) versus your plan's limit, displayed in MB or GB. When you approach your cap, the card offers an "+ Add extra storage" link to purchase a storage add-on without changing tiers.

Tip: If a usage ring is consistently in the amber or red zone, it may be time to consider upgrading your plan or, for storage, adding a storage add-on.

Trial Period

When you first create a church on TimelyChurch, you receive a free trial with access to Pro-level features. During your trial:

• A banner at the top of the Subscription tab shows how many days remain
• You have full access to try all features before committing
• No credit card is required to start

When the trial ends, your church will move to the Starter (Free) plan. Any features from higher tiers will become locked, but your data is preserved. You can upgrade at any time to restore access.

Upgrading Your Plan

1. Go to Settings > Subscription.
2. Review the available plans (Starter / Growth / Pro).
3. Toggle between Monthly and Yearly to see pricing for each cycle.
4. Click the Subscribe or Upgrade button on the plan you want.
5. You will be redirected to Stripe Checkout to enter your payment information.

After subscribing:

• Your new plan takes effect immediately
• All features included in the new plan are unlocked
• Your resource limits are updated to the new plan's levels

Heads up: Subscription payments use Stripe Checkout (a hosted payment page). This is separate from Stripe Connect, which is the integration churches use to accept online giving. See Integrations for the giving setup.

Complimentary (Comped) Plans

In some cases, TimelyChurch may grant complimentary access to a paid plan. If your subscription status shows Comped, it means:

• You have been granted free access to a paid plan
• No payment method is required
• A purple banner on the Subscription tab indicates your complimentary status

Subscription Status Types

Your subscription will be in one of these statuses:

Cancelling Your Subscription

If you need to cancel your paid subscription:

1. Go to Settings > Subscription.
2. Click the Manage Billing link to open the secure Stripe billing portal, where you can cancel your subscription.
3. When you cancel:
   • You retain access to paid features until the end of your current billing period
   • After the billing period ends, your church moves to the Starter (Free) plan
   • All your data is preserved -- nothing is deleted (including data from higher-tier modules such as giving history and accounting records)
   • You can re-subscribe at any time to restore access

Payment Methods

TimelyChurch uses Stripe Checkout for secure payment processing of subscriptions. When you subscribe:

• Your payment card information is stored securely by Stripe (TimelyChurch does not store your full card details)
• You can update your payment method through the billing management portal

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens to my data if I downgrade? A: Your data is never deleted when you downgrade. Features from higher tiers will be locked (you cannot create new items in those modules), but existing data remains accessible in read-only mode.

Q: Can I switch between monthly and yearly billing? A: Yes. Use the Manage Billing link on the Subscription tab to open the Stripe billing portal, or contact support for help switching cycles.

Q: Is there a discount for non-profit organizations? A: TimelyChurch is built specifically for churches and ministries. Contact our support team to learn about any available discounts or special pricing.

Q: What happens if my payment fails? A: Your subscription status will change to "Past Due." You will receive notifications to update your payment method. Your features remain accessible during a grace period. If payment is not resolved, your plan will eventually be downgraded to Starter (Free).

Q: Can I get a refund? A: Please contact TimelyChurch support for refund requests. Include your Church ID and Support PIN (found on the Profile tab) for identity verification.