Billing Policy
Effective Date: May, 2025
Summary
This Billing Policy outlines the payment terms, refund procedures, billing cycles, automatic renewals, and other financial aspects related to your use of SmartHost’s services. This policy is an integral part of the SmartHost Terms and Conditions of Service and should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). By using or purchasing any SmartHost services, you agree to be bound by this Billing Policy.
1. General Billing Terms
1.1. Acceptance of Terms: By accessing or using any of SmartHost’s Services, you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms and Conditions. Your use of our Services constitutes your acceptance of these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you should not use our Services.
1.2. Payment Obligations: You agree to pay the fees associated with your chosen hosting plans and Services, as outlined on our Website and presented during the order process.
1.3. Billing Cycles: SmartHost offers various billing cycles, which will be specified during the order process. The most common billing cycles offered are Monthly, Quarterly, Annual, and Bi-annual.
1.4. Accepted Payment Methods: We accept payments via Credit Card (Visa / Mastercard), Debit Card, and Bank Transfer. SmartHost does not impose any surcharges or fees associated with specific payment methods. All payment information is handled securely by Stripe, a PCI-DSS compliant service. SmartHost never stores any sensitive cardholder data directly on its systems, and our billing system enforces secure data encryption and strict access controls.
1.5. Invoicing and Payment Due Dates: Invoices for your services will be issued periodically based on your chosen billing cycle. Payment for all services is due immediately upon invoice issuance. While specific payment windows may vary, customers are generally expected to complete payments promptly to avoid service interruption.
1.6. Taxation (VAT): For customers within the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), Value-Added Tax (VAT) will be applied to your invoices as required by tax regulations. The applicable VAT rate will depend on your country of residence or the country where your company is registered.
- EU and UK Residents (Consumers): VAT will generally be applied to your purchases at the standard rate of your country.
- EU and UK VAT-Registered Businesses: If you provide a valid VAT number, SmartHost may be able to zero-rate VAT under the reverse charge mechanism, meaning 0% VAT will be charged on your invoices. As a VAT-registered business, you remain responsible for VAT under the reverse charge mechanism of your country. You can add your VAT number in your client portal to ensure VAT is not charged on future invoices. Your VAT number will be validated using the appropriate system (e.g., VIES for the EU, HMRC for the UK).
1.7. Promotional Pricing: Any promotional pricing or discounts offered for initial service periods are applicable only for the first invoice or the specified promotional term. Upon renewal, services will automatically renew at the regular, non-discounted rates unless otherwise stated.
2. Money-Back Guarantee
SmartHost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for Shared Hosting services only. This guarantee does not apply to domain registrations, SSL certificates, VPS hosting, or any other services provided.
2.1. Eligibility: The money-back guarantee is applicable only to initial service periods for Shared Hosting accounts.
2.2. Conditions: There are no specific conditions or eligibility criteria for invoking the guarantee beyond the service being Shared Hosting and within the 30-day period. Please note that any overage costs or one-time fees incurred during this period may be deducted from the refund amount.
2.3. Refund Process: Refunds for eligible services under the money-back guarantee will be processed to the original payment method. While we strive for prompt processing, refunds typically take 5-10 business days to appear in your account, depending on your financial institution.
3. Automatic Renewals and Cancellations
3.1. Automatic Renewals: Subscription-based plans will automatically renew for successive terms unless you cancel the Service before the renewal date. This ensures continuity of your services.
3.2. Renewal Notifications: Customers will receive renewal notifications 14 days in advance of the automatic renewal date.
3.3. Cancellation Process: To cancel a service, customers must do so through the client portal at https://portal.smarthost.ie. Phone cancellations are not accepted, nor are emails to support or sales.
3.4. Notice Period for Cancellation: A notice period of one full business day before the renewal date is required for cancelling a service.
3.5. Data Responsibility Upon Cancellation or Termination: Upon cancellation or termination of any service, it is your sole responsibility to migrate or back up your data prior to the cessation of Services. SmartHost’s data deletion policies post-termination are specified in our Privacy Policy, which details retention periods and secure deletion processes for account-related data, including retention for up to 7 years for financial record-keeping as required by Irish company and tax law. SmartHost cannot guarantee data recovery once services are canceled and data deletion processes have commenced.
4. Suspension and Termination for Non-Payment
4.1. Overdue Invoices: Failing to make timely payments may result in the suspension or termination of your Services. SmartHost also reserves the right to suspend or terminate services for violations of our Terms and Conditions of Service, including the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
4.2. Suspension Grace Period: For domain registrations, there is no grace period for overdue invoices before suspension occurs. For hosting services, there is a 5-day grace period for overdue invoices before suspension occurs.
4.3. Termination Grace Period: Services will be terminated 30 days after suspension for non-payment. Please note that data recovery from backup after termination, if available, may be subject to a recovery fee.
4.4. Late Payment and Reconnection Fees: SmartHost does not charge late payment fees or reconnection fees for suspended services due to non-payment.
5. Resource Overages
SmartHost is committed to fair resource allocation. In cases where a customer’s resource usage exceeds the limits for their plan, SmartHost will contact the customer to discuss their options for upgrading their service. SmartHost does not apply specific per-unit charges or tiered pricing for resource overages for bandwidth, disk space, CPU, or inode count. Our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) provides detailed resource usage guidelines and consequences for exceeding them, which may include requiring an upgrade or resource restriction to maintain server stability and performance. SmartHost will endeavor to proactively notify customers of excessive resource consumption to allow for timely resolution.
6. Non-Refundable Services
Certain services are generally non-refundable due to their bespoke nature and immediate third-party costs.
6.1. Domain Registrations: Domain registrations are considered bespoke purchases and are always non-refundable once registered with the applicable registry, regardless of any cooling-off period. By proceeding with a domain registration, you acknowledge and consent to waive any right to a cooling-off period. This consent is obtained through an explicit checkbox agreement with our terms of service at the point of purchase.
- Domain Renewal, Expiry, Grace, and Redemption Periods: Domain name registration services are subject to the terms and conditions of third-party entities, including ICANN and the specific domain registry (e.g., WeAre.ie for .ie domains, Nominet for.uk domains, EURid for.eu domains). It is your sole responsibility to ensure timely renewals to prevent the loss of your domain. Domains are typically invoiced for a full year in advance. Should a domain not be renewed by its expiry date, it may enter a grace period, followed by a redemption period, during which additional fees may apply for recovery. If not renewed or recovered within these periods, the domain will be deleted and may become available for public registration. SmartHost will provide renewal notifications as per Section 3.2, but ultimate responsibility for timely renewal rests with the customer.
6.2. SSL Certificates: SSL certificates are non-refundable once provisioned due to their personalized and immediate nature. By proceeding with an SSL certificate purchase, you acknowledge and consent to waive any right to a cooling-off period. This consent is obtained through an explicit checkbox agreement with our terms of service at the point of purchase.
7. Chargeback Policy
Initiating a chargeback without prior communication to SmartHost may result in immediate service suspension or termination. Any chargeback fees incurred by SmartHost may be passed on to the customer, and the account may be blacklisted. In the event of a chargeback, SmartHost will contact its provider (Stripe) to dispute the chargeback and provide evidence of services rendered.
8. Amendments to This Policy
SmartHost reserves the right to update or modify this Billing Policy from time to time. We will provide reasonable notice for significant changes (e.g., 15-30 days) via email or a prominent notice on our Website. Your continued use of Services after such notice constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.
9. Contact Us
For any questions or concerns regarding this Billing Policy, please contact us:
SmartHost Web Services Limited
Email: support@smarthost.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1 901 9700
Website: www.smarthost.ie
