ENCODED uses a simple, transparent billing system designed to make your experience smooth from day one. Here's exactly how billing works, based on our official Terms of Service.

There are two ways in:

After your first month, your membership continues automatically on Digital at $79/month. Cancel anytime. From My account on the web you can switch to Core (monthly Anchor Journal shipments) or to annual billing on either plan whenever you like. For the full picture, see What Is ENCODED Activation?.

Right after purchasing Activation you confirm your journal delivery address, and if you're in one of the 33 countries we ship to, your 3-pack of Anchor Journals goes out as soon as you enroll.

Once your first month ends, you're on one of two memberships. Both are billed monthly or annually.

For what's in each side by side, see Digital vs. Core: Which ENCODED Membership Is Right for Me?.

If you're already a member: you keep your current pricing and plan for as long as you wish. We will never change your pricing or force you to change plans. Any pricing shown on this page applies to new members only.

Example (annual): if your annual subscription starts on March 10, 2026, your next billing date is March 10, 2027. The cycle repeats unless you cancel before your next renewal date. You can switch between monthly and annual at any time from My account on the web.

All payments on the web are securely handled by Stripe, including the Activation charge, monthly and annual membership charges, payment method updates and failed payment retries. Stripe provides banking-level security and encryption.

Billed through the App Store? The Digital plan can also be purchased inside the ENCODED iOS app as an in-app purchase. If your membership is billed through the App Store, plan changes and cancellation happen on your iPhone: open Settings and tap Subscriptions. The rest of this article applies to memberships billed on the web. See How Do I Manage a Membership Billed Through the App Store?.

You can update your card or payment method anytime: open My account on the web and click Manage billing in the Membership section. It opens a secure Stripe billing portal where you can update your payment method, view your invoice history, and change your billing email. Changes take effect immediately and apply to your next billing cycle.

If a renewal payment fails (expired card, insufficient funds, etc.): Stripe automatically retries the payment, and the retry date is shown in your account; you'll receive email notifications, and you can update your payment method any time from My account via Manage billing; your access continues while the payment is past due. Once your payment method is updated, billing continues as normal. See What Happens If My Payment Fails?.

Plan changes are self-serve: open My account on the web and click Change membership. That covers Digital and Core, plus switching between monthly and annual.

Need a break instead? On a monthly plan you can pause for 1, 2 or 3 months from My account: click Cancel membership and choose the pause option. On an annual plan, email [email protected] and we'll set it up. See How to Cancel or Adjust Your ENCODED Plan for how a pause works.

Memberships can be cancelled any time before your next renewal. Your access continues to the end of the term you've paid for, and no further charges are taken. There are no prorated or partial refunds on a term already begun, and the $200 Activation fee is non-refundable.

To cancel: open My account on the web and click Cancel membership in the Membership section. If you change your mind before the term ends, you can resume from the same place. A separate article covers the full process: How to Cancel or Adjust Your ENCODED Plan.

If something has gone wrong (a billing error, a problem with access) email [email protected].

Gift cards are for a set amount you choose and are purchased through the ENCODED gift card store, linked from Gift & Refer on the web. The recipient redeems the card and the amount is deducted from their total charge, whichever product they choose: Activation, a monthly subscription, or an annual subscription.

Referrals live in the same Gift & Refer section. Copy your referral link and share it: your friend gets $50 off, applied automatically at checkout, and you earn $50 in account credit when they become a paying member. Credits are drawn down against your next charge automatically. There's no limit on referrals, credits stack, and credits don't expire.

If pricing for new memberships ever changes, existing members are not affected: we will never change your pricing or force you to change plans. In the event anything about your own plan were ever to change, you'd be notified before your next billing cycle.