docs: add ZITADEL Cloud refund policy (#12577)

Adds a new public-facing Refund Policy to the documentation for ZITADEL Cloud subscriptions. This document clarifies billing expectations for customers and standardizes support operations by outlining: - **Scope:** Eligible situations for refunds (e.g., accidental overages, billing errors, accidental auto-renewals). - **Out of Scope:** Non-refundable items (e.g., Startup plan, standard usage-based fees, partial periods). - **Process:** Clear instructions on how customers can submit a refund request via the customer portal. --------- Co-authored-by: Maximilian <[email protected]>
2026-10-18 05:52:51 +00:00 · 2026-08-25 12:09:43 +00:00
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+---
+title: ZITADEL Refund Policy
+description: "Procedures and requirements for requesting and processing refunds for ZITADEL Cloud services"
+sidebar_label: Refund Policy
+custom_edit_url: null
+---
+
+Last updated on August 11, 2026
+
+This policy is an annex to the [Terms of Service](../terms-of-service) and outlines your responsibilities, as well as our procedures, for handling situations where you are requesting a refund for your ZITADEL Cloud services.
+
+It applies specifically and exclusively to billing and subscription charges for **ZITADEL Cloud** subscriptions processed by **ZITADEL**, and does **not** cover credits or refunds related to Service Level Agreement (SLA) breaches.
+
+## Why do we have this policy?
+
+Users may request a refund for various reasons, such as a misunderstanding of our pricing structure, billing errors, or accidentally enabling unneeded resources that result in unexpected overages.
+
+Because we provide ongoing access to cloud resources and digital infrastructure, we must establish clear boundaries regarding when charges can be reversed. This ensures fairness and predictability for all customers while protecting our infrastructure capabilities.
+
+To assist with such requests, we will require specific billing information and may request additional details throughout the process.
+
+**ZITADEL reserves the right to decline any refund request without providing a reason if the request falls outside the defined scope, violates our terms, or if the required information cannot be verified.**
+
+## Scope of This Policy
+
+This policy applies to the following situations:
+
+- Unexpected overage charges due to accidentally enabling unneeded resources (e.g., unintentionally exceeding the included quota for features like external Identity Providers).
+- Accidental auto-renewals of active **ZITADEL Cloud** subscriptions.
+- Overcharges resulting from verified **billing system errors** or service failures.
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+The following types of refund requests are **not** covered by this policy and are strictly non-refundable:
+
+- **Usage-based fees:** Standard charges for intentionally consumed resources cannot be refunded once consumed.
+- **Historical charges:** We do not provide refunds for previous billing cycles due to lack of instance usage.
+- Accounts suspended or terminated due to **Terms of Service violations**.
+- **Free accounts/Instances**.
+- **Instances in the Startup plan**.
+
+## Process
+
+Before submitting a request for a refund, please ensure that your request falls within our standard guidelines:
+- **Accidental Overages:** If you were charged for exceeding your subscription quota due to a misconfiguration or accidental enablement of features, you may request a refund for those specific overage charges within 3 business days after the invoice is issued.
+- **Subscription Renewals:** You may request a refund for an auto-renewal within **3 business days** of the renewal date, **provided you have not actively used the product or intentionally consumed resources** during that new billing cycle.
+
+### Submitting a Refund Request
+
+Please visit the [support page in the customer portal](https://zitadel.com/admin/support), or email us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]):
+
+- State clearly in the subject line that this is a **Refund Request** for a ZITADEL Cloud account or a specific instance.
+- Include the date of the charge, the relevant invoice number, and state the reason why you are requesting a refund.
+
+Please allow us time to validate your request.
+Our support team will follow up with additional verification steps if needed. If your request is approved, please note that it may take 5 to 10 business days for the funds to appear on your bank statement.