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At Lightning Payroll, we understand that your business needs can change. If you need to end your monthly or annual subscription, here is how to do so.
Understanding Your Subscription
Lightning Payroll is available via monthly or annual subscriptions. You can pay by credit card or, for annual subscriptions, by direct bank deposit. Subscriptions paid by credit card are set to renew automatically unless cancelled beforehand.
For annual subscriptions we send reminder emails 30 days and 1 day before the renewal date. Monthly subscriptions are renewed and invoiced on the payment date.
Cancelling Your Subscription
Cancelling stops the automatic renewal — your subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period and then expires. Please note that we do not offer partial refunds. To cancel:
If a partner manages your subscription or billing, contact that partner to make this change. The self-service renewal controls may not apply to partner-managed subscriptions.
- Log in to your account at Client Login.
- Click on Account in the menu at the top of the screen.
- Click to Update credit card & auto renewals.
- On the Subscription & payment page, click Turn off automatic renewal and confirm. This setting applies to all subscriptions on your account. (If you change your mind, you can re-enable renewals from the same page using Turn on automatic renewal.)
Once cancelled, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period (monthly or annual), after which it expires without renewing. If you have an annual subscription and your renewal notice explained it, your subscription may be renewed on its expiry date before payment is received so that you keep full access for 7 days while you decide. If you do not pay within 6 weeks of the expiry date, that renewal is cancelled and nothing is owed.
After Your Subscription Ends
Once your subscription has expired, you retain 7 days of free read-only access to your data. During this time you can view and export reports and payslips for record-keeping. After the 7-day period, the application requires a valid subscription for further use.
If you need ongoing access to your data in a read-only format, we offer a reduced-cost annual read-only subscription, which you can purchase at this link.
While in read-only mode, the program prompts you to enter a licence on launch — this screen can be dismissed during the 7-day grace period.
Backups and Data Retention
Remember to back up your data before your subscription expires. If you are using the desktop version of Lightning Payroll, your data is stored locally — a damaged or lost computer could result in permanent data loss if no backup is available.
To back up your data, go to Tools >> Create Backup in the program. Save your backup to a secure cloud storage service, or email a copy to yourself or a trusted team member. Where and how you store your backup is up to you, but we strongly recommend keeping it in a secure, accessible location.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please see our Terms & Conditions page or contact our support team.