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

# Start a subscription

> Upgrade a TimeTracker workspace to Pro – pick monthly or yearly billing, pay through our payment provider, and see when your Pro features switch on.

Upgrading takes about two minutes. Go to **Settings → Plan & billing**, pick a cadence, and click **Upgrade to Pro**.

## Before you start

You need the `billing.manage` capability. Owners and admins hold it by default. If you do not, the **Plan & billing** page is not in your settings menu, and upgrade prompts tell you to ask an owner or admin.

You do not need to pick a seat count. Seats follow the number of people with access to the workspace, automatically.

## How to upgrade

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Plan & billing">
    In the workspace, go to **Settings**, then **Plan & billing** under **Billing & rates**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose monthly or yearly">
    Use the **Monthly** / **Yearly** toggle. The price figure below it updates for your current seat count. Both cadences unlock the same features.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check what Pro adds">
    The **Pro adds** checklist under the price lists every feature that turns on: approvals, planner, location rules, invoicing, payments, budgets, profitability, client portal, advanced reports, integrations and exports.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Upgrade to Pro">
    The checkout overlay opens on top of the page. The button waits a moment for checkout to be ready – if it is briefly greyed out, that is why.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pay">
    Enter your details in the checkout. Our payment provider handles billing, tax and VAT as merchant of record, so VAT or GST is added here where it applies. The total on this screen is what you are charged.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for confirmation">
    You return to the billing page and it shows **Confirming your subscription**. The page updates by itself, usually within a few seconds. Pro features turn on at that moment, not before.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What you see on each plan state

| State        | What the billing page shows                                                    |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| On a trial   | A **Trial** card with days left, plus a **Continue on Pro** card               |
| On Free      | A **Free plan** card listing what is included, plus an **Upgrade to Pro** card |
| Paying       | A **Pro plan** card with your price, seats, renewal date and controls          |
| Payment made | A **Confirming your subscription** card while the payment is verified          |

## The price you see

The figure on the plan card is the amount **before tax**, for your current seat count. The line under it says how many seats that is, and notes that VAT or GST is added where it applies.

If the live price cannot be fetched, the page says "Pricing is unavailable right now" rather than showing a figure that might be wrong. You can still continue – checkout confirms the exact amount.

## Example

Northwind Studio is on day 12 of its trial with 12 people.

1. Maya opens **Settings → Plan & billing**. The trial card says **2 days left**.
2. She toggles to **Yearly** and reads the total for 12 seats.
3. She clicks **Upgrade to Pro** and pays.
4. The page shows **Confirming your subscription** for a few seconds, then flips to the **Pro plan** card.

Nothing was interrupted. Because Maya subscribed during the trial, the team never lost a Pro feature for a minute.

## Options and settings

| Control                                       | What it does                                   |
| --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Monthly** / **Yearly** toggle               | Chooses the cadence you are about to buy       |
| **Upgrade to Pro**                            | Opens the checkout overlay                     |
| **Manage billing** (after paying)             | Opens the billing portal for card and receipts |
| **Switch to yearly / monthly** (after paying) | Changes cadence on a live subscription         |
| **Cancel subscription** (after paying)        | Schedules cancellation at the period end       |

## Permissions

| Action                  | Capability       | Roles by default |
| ----------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
| Open **Plan & billing** | `billing.manage` | Owner, Admin     |
| Start checkout          | `billing.manage` | Owner, Admin     |

Members, contractors, project managers and finance users do not see the billing page unless a custom role grants them `billing.manage`. Receipts and dunning notices go to the workspace **owner's** email address.

## What happens next

* Every Pro feature turns on for everyone in the workspace at once.
* Any timesheets, timecards, expenses or leave requests waiting in a queue become approvable immediately.
* Seats sync to your member count. Adding someone later raises the billed quantity; removing someone lowers it at the next renewal.
* The Free 3-person limit disappears.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I have to wait for my trial to end before subscribing?">
    No. Subscribe at any point during the trial and you keep every Pro feature without interruption.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How many seats do I buy?">
    None by hand. Seats follow the people with access to the workspace, and the number is shown on the billing page before you pay.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is my card stored in TimeTracker?">
    No. Our payment provider holds it. TimeTracker never sees card details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can two people upgrade the same workspace at once?">
    Only one subscription can be active per workspace. If a second checkout is opened, the workspace still ends up with one plan.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does upgrading affect my other workspaces?">
    No. Each workspace has its own plan and its own bill.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is the Upgrade button briefly greyed out?">
    Checkout has to load before it can open. The button enables as soon as it is ready, which stops a click creating a payment that no window can show you.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                                     | Cause                                | Fix                                                                                                                            |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| "We couldn't open checkout"                                 | Checkout failed to load              | Reload the page and try again                                                                                                  |
| Checkout closed and nothing changed                         | The payment was not completed        | Nothing was charged. Start again.                                                                                              |
| Paid, but the page still says **Confirming**                | The confirmation has not arrived yet | Wait a few seconds – the page updates itself. If it persists, see [Billing troubleshooting](/billing/billing-troubleshooting). |
| "Only workspace owners and admins can start a subscription" | You lack `billing.manage`            | Ask an owner or admin                                                                                                          |

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Manage your subscription" icon="sliders" href="/billing/manage-your-subscription">
    Cadence, renewal date and the billing portal.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payment methods and receipts" icon="receipt" href="/billing/payment-methods-and-receipts">
    Update a card, download invoices.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Free vs Pro" icon="scale-balanced" href="/billing/free-vs-pro">
    Exactly what upgrading unlocks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Seats" icon="users" href="/billing/seats">
    How the billed quantity is worked out.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Billing troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/billing/billing-troubleshooting">
    Checkout and activation problems.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Seats and billing" icon="user-plus" href="/team/seats-and-billing">
    Adding people and what it costs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>