Your Esqase subscription

Your Esqase subscription is how your firm pays Esqase for the platform. From one Billing page you can see your current plan and status, start a free trial, choose or change a plan, update your payment method, review past invoices, cancel, export a copy of your firm's data, and delete your firm. This is separate from the invoices and payments you send to your own clients.

Before you begin

A few things to know before you manage your subscription:

• You must be the firm owner. Only the firm owner can open the Billing page and make any subscription change (start a trial, choose a plan, change a plan, update the card, cancel, export firm data, or delete the firm). If you are not the owner, the page shows a "no access" message instead of the plan details. To find out who owns your firm or to transfer ownership, see Managing firm members and Roles and permissions.
• Every firm gets a 14-day free trial, and right now no credit card is required to start. You get full access to every feature for 14 days and can choose a paid plan whenever you are ready. (In some cases a card may be collected up front through Stripe; see If you are asked for a card below.)
• Payments are handled securely by Stripe. When a card is needed (to subscribe to a paid plan, or in cases where a card is required up front), Esqase sends you to Stripe's secure checkout to enter it. Esqase never stores your full card number.

How to open the Billing page

1. In the sidebar, click Settings.
2. Open the Billing settings page.

View your subscription and plan status

The Subscription section at the top of the Billing page summarizes your firm's plan at a glance. The current-plan card shows everything important on one row.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. Read the current-plan card under the Subscription heading.

Here is what each part of the card tells you:

• Plan name. Shows Annual plan or Monthly plan when you are subscribed, 14-day free trial while you are trialing, or Subscription if a plan label is not available yet.

• Price badge. When you are on a paid plan, a badge shows the rate, for example $49 / user / year or $59 / user / month. (Firms based in the Philippines see prices in pesos, for example ₱499 / user / year.)

• Status badge. A colored badge shows your current state:

  • Trial while your free trial is active.
  • Active when you are on a paid, in-good-standing plan.
  • Trial ended when your trial has lapsed.
  • Canceled after you cancel and the period ends.
  • Past due if a payment failed and is awaiting retry.
  • Unpaid if payment could not be collected.
  • Incomplete if a checkout was started but not finished.

• Time line. Just below the plan name you will see either how much time is left in your trial (for example 9 days left, ends June 29, 2026) or, on a paid plan, your next renewal date (for example Renews on June 29, 2026). If your trial has already lapsed, it reads Trial ended on....

• Member count and cost. The card shows how many active members your firm has and the cost, for example 3 active members (~$147/yr for 3 members). Esqase prices per active member, so your subscription is the plan rate multiplied by your active-member count.

  Important: Billing tracks your active members automatically. When a member is added (an invite is accepted, or a member is restored), Esqase adds them to your subscription and charges a prorated amount for the rest of the billing period. When a member is removed or leaves, Esqase lowers your subscription and applies a prorated credit. To manage who counts as an active member, see Managing firm members. The figure shown here is the current basis for your bill; an individual invoice may differ slightly because of mid-period proration and the exact moment Stripe bills you.

• Card on file. The card ends with the brand and last four digits of the payment method Stripe has saved, for example Visa ····4242, or No card on file if none is saved (which is normal for a cardless trial).

Common questions

• Why does my card say "No card on file"? If your firm started a cardless free trial, no card was collected. You will be prompted to add one when you choose a paid plan.
• Why does my invoice differ from the figure on the card? The card shows your current per-member basis. A given invoice can differ because member changes during the period are prorated (a partial charge when someone joins, a partial credit when someone leaves) and because of exactly when Stripe bills you.

Start your free trial

Every firm starts with a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required to begin. You get full access to every feature and can choose a paid plan whenever you are ready. Most firms start the trial automatically during firm setup (the Subscription step of the setup wizard), so by the time you reach your dashboard your trial is already running.

If your firm does not have a subscription yet, you can also start the trial from the Billing page. The Subscription section shows a Start your free trial card with a 14 days free badge.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. In the Start your free trial card, click Start 14-day trial.
3. Wait while the button shows Starting.... When it finishes, a confirmation appears reading Your 14-day free trial has started, and Esqase takes you to your dashboard home.

If you are asked for a card

In some cases your 14-day free trial collects a card up front through Stripe so your access continues automatically when the trial ends. You are not charged during the trial. The card is charged the day after the trial ends (day 15), unless you cancel before then. When this applies, the Subscription section (or the Subscription step of the setup wizard) shows a Start your 14-day free trial card that routes you through Stripe.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.

2. In the trial card, click Start free trial.

3. The Choose a plan dialog opens. Compare the two plans:

   • Monthly plan, billed every month, labeled Pay as you go.
   • Annual plan, marked Best value, billed once a year. It shows how much you save versus monthly and includes a Landing page website that the monthly plan does not.

   Review the What is included list to see the full feature set both plans share, such as Matters, Contacts, Documents (unlimited storage), e-Signature, IOLTA trust accounting (the trust account that holds client funds), and more.

4. Click a plan card to select it (the selected card is highlighted).

5. Click the button at the bottom (it reads Continue with Annual plan or Continue with Monthly plan, depending on your choice).

6. The button changes to Opening Stripe... and you are taken to Stripe's secure checkout. Enter your card details there and confirm.

7. When you finish, Stripe returns you to the Billing page in Esqase to activate your trial (see the next section).

Confirm your checkout and activate your subscription

After you finish payment in Stripe, Stripe sends you back to the Billing page in Esqase. Esqase then confirms the checkout and turns on your subscription automatically. You do not need to do anything except wait for the confirmation.

1. After confirming in Stripe, you land back on the Billing page.
2. Esqase verifies the checkout in the background. A confirmation appears reading Payment confirmed. Welcome aboard!.
3. The page refreshes and the current-plan card updates to show your new status (for example Trial or Active), your plan, your renewal or trial-end date, and your saved card.

Change your plan

You can switch between the annual and monthly plans at any time. Changing a plan runs you through Stripe so payment can be confirmed for the new plan.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. On the current-plan card, click Change plan.
3. The Change plan dialog opens, showing both plans with your existing plan marked Current.
4. Click the plan you want to move to. The selected card is highlighted.
5. Click the button at the bottom. It reads Switch to Annual plan or Switch to Monthly plan, depending on your choice.
6. The button changes to Opening Stripe... and you are taken to Stripe to confirm. After you finish, Stripe returns you to the Billing page, where the new plan is confirmed and applied.

Cancel your subscription or trial

You can cancel at any time. Esqase cancels at the end of your current period, so you keep access for what you have already paid for (or for the rest of your trial) and you are not charged early.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. On the current-plan card, click Cancel plan.
3. A confirmation dialog opens. Its wording depends on your state:
   • On a trial: the title reads Cancel your free trial? and it explains that your trial keeps running until its end date and your card will not be charged.
   • On a paid plan: the title reads Cancel your subscription? and it explains that you keep access until the end of your current billing period, after which your subscription ends.
4. Click Cancel trial or Cancel subscription to confirm. (To keep your plan, just close the dialog.)
5. The button shows Cancelling... while it works. When done, you see Trial will not auto-renew or Subscription cancelled, and the page refreshes.

Update or view your payment method

Your saved card (brand and last four digits) appears on the current-plan card, for example Visa ····4242. Card details are managed in Stripe, not stored in Esqase, so you update them through Stripe.

To change the card on file, use the plan flow that routes you to Stripe:

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. Click Change plan (or Start free trial if you have not subscribed yet).
3. Choose your plan and continue to Stripe.
4. In Stripe's checkout, enter the new card details and confirm. The new card becomes your card on file, and it appears on the current-plan card when you return.

View and download past invoices

Esqase keeps a record of every invoice Stripe has issued for your subscription. You can open any one to view it or download a PDF.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. Scroll to the Invoices section below the subscription card.
3. Review the table. Each row shows:
   • Invoice number.
   • Date the invoice was issued.
   • Amount charged.
   • Status, such as Paid, Open, Draft, Void, or Uncollectible.
4. To view or download an invoice, click Open on its row. The invoice opens in a new browser tab on Stripe, where you can view the details and download the PDF.

What happens when your trial or subscription lapses

What happens next depends on whether you were on a free trial or a paid subscription. In both cases your data is kept safe and is never deleted.

When your free trial ends

A free trial has no grace period. The moment your trial ends, the dashboard is paused and Esqase shows a dedicated Access suspended screen until you choose a paid plan. To avoid any interruption, choose a plan before the trial ends. In the last few days of an active trial an amber banner reminds you, with a Choose a plan shortcut, that your trial is ending soon (that is a heads-up, not a lockout). Your data stays safe, and the firm owner can still go to billing, export the firm's data, or delete the firm from the suspended screen.

When a paid subscription lapses

If you cancel a paid plan and the period passes, or a payment fails, your firm does not lose access immediately. Esqase follows a gradual wind-down, similar to other business tools.

Stage 1: Grace period (30 days of full access). As soon as your paid subscription lapses, your firm keeps full access to the dashboard for 30 days. During this time a red banner appears at the top of every page. The banner explains why (for example We could not process your latest payment or Your subscription has been canceled) and counts down the days left, for example Restore billing within 12 days to keep your firm active. The firm owner sees a Manage billing button in the banner; other members are reminded to ask their owner to resolve billing.

Stage 2: Suspended. If the 30 days pass without billing being resolved, the dashboard is paused and Esqase shows a dedicated Access suspended screen instead (this is the same screen a firm sees the moment a free trial ends). Your data is retained, never deleted. From this screen everyone can still switch to another firm (if they belong to more than one) and sign out, and:

• The firm owner can Go to billing to reactivate, Export firm data to download a copy of the firm's records, or Delete firm.
• Other members see a message asking them to contact the firm owner or an administrator to restore access.

Restore access (owner)

1. Click Manage billing in the banner (during the grace period) or Go to billing on the suspended screen. You can also open Settings, then Billing, directly.
2. On the current-plan card, click Change plan (or Start free trial if no subscription exists), choose a plan, and continue to Stripe to confirm payment.
3. Once payment is confirmed, your full dashboard unlocks again right away.

Export your firm data

You can download a copy of your firm's core records at any time, including while your firm is suspended, so you are never locked away from your own data. The export is a single JSON file covering your firm profile, members, contacts, matters, and leads.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing.
2. Scroll to the Data and account section.
3. In the Export firm data row, click Export firm data.
4. The button shows Preparing export... while Esqase gathers your records. When it finishes, your browser downloads a file named like esqase-your-firm-export-2026-06-22.json and a confirmation reads Your firm data export has downloaded.

Delete your firm

If you no longer need your firm, the owner can permanently close it. This removes access for every member and cannot be undone. Your data is retained according to our retention policy and can no longer be opened from the app.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then open Billing (or use the Delete firm option on the suspended screen).
2. Scroll to the Data and account section.
3. In the Delete firm row, click Delete firm.
4. A confirmation dialog opens. To make sure this is deliberate, type your firm's name in the box exactly as shown.
5. Click Delete firm to confirm. The button shows Deleting... while it works.
6. When it finishes, you see Your firm has been deleted. If you belong to another firm, Esqase moves you there; otherwise it returns you to firm setup so you can create a new firm.

Troubleshooting

• My status did not update after paying. Refresh the Billing page. Esqase confirms your checkout and updates from Stripe automatically, but it can take a moment. If it still does not update after a minute or two, try again or contact support.
• I do not see the Billing page or the plan controls. Only the firm owner can manage the subscription. If you are not the owner, you will see a no-access message. Ask your owner to make billing changes.
• The cancel button is missing. The Cancel plan button only appears when there is an active Stripe subscription to cancel. A cardless trial that has not been through Stripe will not show it.
• My invoices list is empty. Invoices appear only after Stripe charges your firm. During a cardless or not-yet-charged trial, there will be no invoices yet.

Who can manage the subscription

Managing the subscription is owner only. Only your firm owner can:

• Open the Billing page and see the plan, status, payment method, and invoices.
• Start a free trial (with or without a card).
• Choose or change a plan.
• Update the card on file through Stripe.
• Cancel the subscription or trial.
• Resubscribe to restore access after a lapse.
• Export the firm's data.
• Delete the firm.

Other members, regardless of role, do not see these controls. If a non-owner opens the Billing page, Esqase shows a no-access message instead of the subscription details. To learn how ownership and roles work, see Roles and permissions.

Related

• Your firm profile and details
• Managing firm members
• Roles and permissions
• Using the Setup Guide
• Creating and sending invoices
• Integrations overview