Subscription Terms & Billing Policy

5.1 Scope

This Subscription Terms & Billing Policy applies to paid memberships, recurring subscriptions, continuous-service arrangements, promotional subscriptions, free-to-paid trials, and other recurring billing offerings made directly by The Shepherd Network LLC. A one-time purchase is not an automatically renewing subscription unless the applicable offer expressly states otherwise.

5.2 Clear and Conspicuous Renewal Terms

Before a consumer enters an automatic-renewal or continuous-service arrangement, The Shepherd Network LLC will present the material renewal terms clearly and conspicuously and in proximity to the consumer's request to enroll, to the extent required by applicable law. The disclosed terms will identify, as applicable: that the service renews or continues until canceled; the recurring price and billing frequency; whether and how the price may change; the length of the renewal term or continuous nature of the service; any minimum purchase obligation; and the applicable cancellation method.

5.3 Free Trials and Promotional Offers

If a free trial, introductory price, discount, or promotional period converts to a paid recurring arrangement, the pre-enrollment disclosure will clearly identify the duration of the trial or promotional period, the price or pricing method that applies afterward, the billing frequency, when the first paid charge will occur, and how the consumer may cancel before being charged, to the extent required by applicable law.

5.4 Affirmative Consent Before Recurring Charges

The Company will obtain the consumer's affirmative consent to the applicable automatic-renewal or continuous-service terms before charging the consumer for recurring service where required by applicable law. A preselected box, silence, inactivity, or acceptance of unrelated legal terms will not be treated as affirmative consent to recurring billing where the law requires a separate affirmative act.

5.5 Retainable Acknowledgment

After enrollment, the Company will provide the consumer with an acknowledgment in a form the consumer can retain when required by applicable law. The acknowledgment will include or provide access to the applicable renewal or continuous-service terms, price and billing frequency, cancellation policy, and instructions describing how to cancel.

5.6 Cancellation

The Company will provide a cost-effective, timely, and reasonably easy-to-use cancellation method consistent with applicable law and the enrollment method. A Kentucky consumer who accepted an automatic-renewal or continuous-service offer online will be permitted to terminate that arrangement exclusively online as required by KRS 365.402(3). The Company will not require a Kentucky consumer who enrolled online to telephone the Company as the sole method of cancellation.

5.7 Effect of Cancellation

Cancellation ordinarily prevents future renewal charges. Unless the applicable offer or law provides otherwise, cancellation does not automatically refund a properly charged current billing period, and access may continue through the end of that paid period. The Company may terminate or restrict access sooner where permitted by the Terms of Service, including for serious misuse, fraud, security threats, nonpayment, or unlawful conduct.

5.8 Material Changes

If the Company makes a material change to an accepted automatic-renewal or continuous-service arrangement, the Company will provide the notice, cancellation information, and renewed consent required by the law applicable to the consumer. For Kentucky consumers, a clear and conspicuous notice of a material change and retainable cancellation information will be provided as required by KRS 365.402(4).

5.9 Refunds and Nonwaivable Rights

Except where the applicable offer states otherwise or applicable law requires a different result, subscription fees already paid are generally non-refundable. Nothing in this Policy limits a refund, cancellation right, chargeback right, consumer-protection remedy, or other right that applicable law makes nonwaivable.

5.10 Payment Processing

Recurring charges may be processed by one or more authorized payment processors. The Company may change payment processors without amending this Policy solely because the provider changes. The Company will not intentionally retain full payment-card credentials unless necessary, lawfully permitted, and handled under applicable payment-security requirements.

5.11 SMS and Marketing Independence

Purchasing, renewing, or maintaining a subscription does not automatically enroll a subscriber in optional recurring SMS/text messaging or unrelated promotional communications. Any consent required for those communications will be obtained separately under the SMS/Text-Messaging Communications and Consent Policy and applicable law.

5.12 Kentucky-Specific Authority and Multi-State Application

For Kentucky consumer automatic-renewal and continuous-service offers, KRS 365.400 through 365.408 govern applicable Kentucky requirements, including clear disclosures, affirmative consent, retainable acknowledgment, cancellation methods, online cancellation for online enrollment, and notice of material changes. For consumers in other jurisdictions, the Company will comply with any nonwaivable subscription, automatic-renewal, cancellation, or negative-option requirements applicable to that consumer or transaction. Compliance with Kentucky law alone is not represented as satisfying another jurisdiction's law.

5.13 Federal Consumer-Protection Requirements

Online recurring billing practices will be administered consistently with applicable federal consumer-protection law, including the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) where applicable. The Company will not misrepresent material subscription terms, obscure recurring charges, charge consumers without the consent required by applicable law, or impose cancellation barriers prohibited by applicable law.

5.14 Records and Retention

Subscription and billing records are governed by Part II §18. The Company will retain only those enrollment, consent, billing, cancellation, tax, accounting, processor, chargeback, or legal records necessary for the applicable purpose or required period and will not impose a blanket multi-year post-cancellation retention period absent a specific requirement.