This is the most important behavior to understand, both for customers and for support:
| Change | When it takes effect | What is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade (to a larger plan) | Immediately | A prorated charge for the rest of the current period is billed right away, and the billing cycle restarts on the upgrade date. |
| Downgrade (to a smaller plan) | At the next billing cycle | No immediate charge or credit. You keep the current plan until the paid period ends, then the new lower price applies. |
| Downgrade to Free | At the end of the current period | The paid plan is set to end at the period’s close; you keep paid access until then. |
| New purchase (from Free/trial) | Immediately | The card is charged for the selected plan when you click Pay and Finish. |
In plain terms:
- Upgrade now, pay the difference now. When you upgrade, you get the larger plan instantly. PSS bills only the prorated difference for the remaining days in your current cycle, and your renewal date resets to the day you upgraded.
- Downgrade later, no surprise charge. When you downgrade, nothing is billed at that moment. You continue on your current plan until your next renewal date, and the smaller plan (and its lower price) begins then. This way you are never cut off from a tier you have already paid for.
Note: Switching between monthly and yearly billing as part of a downgrade is handled as a scheduled change that activates at your next renewal date—again, with no immediate charge.