WEBSITE RETAINER SERVICE TERMS
Last revised: February 11, 2026
These Website Retainer Service Terms (these “Terms”) govern the recurring website retainer subscription service provided by Applet Studio LLC (“Consultant,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) to the purchasing customer (“Client” or “you”) (the “Subscription”).
1) Acceptance and How These Terms Apply
Client accepts and agrees to be bound by these Terms by purchasing, starting, or continuing a Subscription through Consultant’s checkout or payment system (the “Checkout System”). These Terms remain in effect for as long as (a) Client’s Subscription is active and paid, and (b) Consultant continues to accept Subscription payments.
2) Checkout Confirmation Controls the Plan Details
The Subscription plan selected by Client, including billing frequency, price, and any plan description shown at purchase, is evidenced by the Checkout System’s payment page, receipt, and customer portal details (the “Checkout Confirmation”). If these Terms and the Checkout Confirmation conflict on plan details (scope, interval, price), the Checkout Confirmation controls.
3) Term, Auto-Renewal, and Cancellation
Term. The Subscription begins when the first Subscription payment is successfully processed, or when services begin, whichever occurs first.
Auto-renewal. The Subscription renews automatically at the interval shown in the Checkout Confirmation unless canceled.
Cancellation. Client may cancel using the Checkout System (for example, through the customer portal) or by written request emailed to Consultant at team@applet.studio. Cancellation timing, including when cancellation becomes effective and whether a final charge occurs, is governed by the Checkout System’s cancellation rules and the settings shown at purchase and in the customer portal.
4) Scope of Subscription Services
While the Subscription is active and paid, Consultant will provide ongoing website support services on an as-requested basis (the “Subscription Services”). The scope of the Subscription Services (the “Subscription Scope”) is defined by this Section 4 together with any plan description, limitations, or inclusions shown in the Checkout Confirmation. Typical tasks may include:
Plugin and website core updates & maintenance
Website server troubleshooting where applicable
Dedicated support & consulting via email
Troubleshooting, minor content updates, configuration changes, and small front-end edits
These services may be provided for WordPress-based and Squarespace-based websites, as applicable to Client’s site and hosting setup.
No guarantee of volume or turnaround. The Subscription provides access to Consultant’s services while active and paid, but it does not guarantee a minimum number of hours, tasks, deliverables, or response/completion times. Consultant will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide support consistent with current workload and prioritization.
How work is performed. Consultant may use subcontractors and may choose the tools, methods, and sequencing of work in its reasonable discretion.
5) Request Process, Prioritization, and Response Targets
Client will submit requests in writing (email or another written channel agreed by the parties).
Consultant will use commercially reasonable efforts to acknowledge standard requests within one (1) business day during normal business hours (Mon–Fri, excluding holidays). This is a response target, not a guarantee of completion or resolution time.
Consultant may prioritize requests based on urgency, complexity, and current workload. If Client indicates a firm deadline, Client should communicate it clearly in the request.
6) No Monthly Itemized Invoices for the Subscription Fee
Client understands and agrees:
The Subscription fee is charged automatically by the Checkout System.
The Checkout Confirmation serves as Client’s receipt for each Subscription payment.
Consultant does not issue separate monthly itemized invoices solely for the Subscription fee.
Consultant may provide non-invoice status updates, for example, brief summaries of work completed, at Consultant’s discretion.
7) Additional Work, Overages, and Out-of-Scope Items
If a request (a) is outside the Subscription Scope, (b) requires specialized work, or (c) is a discrete project that should be quoted separately, Consultant may propose additional work.
Additional work is performed only if the parties agree in writing (including email) on the scope and approval to proceed.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, additional work is billed at $100/hour, itemized, and invoiced separately. Payment terms for such invoices will be stated on the invoice.
Common out-of-scope items unless separately agreed in writing include, but are not limited to: redesigns, new feature development, custom applications, major migrations, copywriting, SEO campaigns, paid ads management, branding, extensive content entry, and deliverable-based projects that should be quoted separately.
8) Client Responsibilities and Access
Client is responsible for timely cooperation and for providing access needed to perform services.
Required access (WordPress and Squarespace). Client will provide and maintain, at no cost to Consultant, full administrative access to Client’s applicable platform(s), including:
WordPress: Administrator-level access to the WordPress dashboard, and access to any relevant plugin/theme settings.
Squarespace: Administrator-level access to the Squarespace site and billing/permissions settings.
Server and vendor access where needed. Where the website is hosted on third-party infrastructure or a managed host (for example, cPanel, Plesk, Cloudflare, DNS registrars, managed WordPress hosting panels, VPS dashboards, or similar), Client will provide access to the relevant server management interface and vendor portals as reasonably needed to diagnose issues, apply updates, configure DNS/SSL, and perform maintenance.
Client is responsible for ensuring credentials are current and for enabling any required permissions (including MFA access methods) so Consultant can perform the Subscription services. If access is not provided or is revoked, Consultant may suspend performance under Section 13.
Client is responsible for maintaining its own records and backups unless the Subscription or an additional written scope specifically includes backup services.
9) Third-Party Services and Costs
Client is responsible for third-party services and accounts, including hosting, domains, email, plugins, themes, fonts, stock media, APIs, and similar items.
Consultant is not responsible for third-party outages, pricing changes, product changes, vendor performance, billing issues, deprecations, or security incidents originating in third-party services.
10) Security, Updates, Backups, and No Guarantees
Consultant may recommend or apply updates and security measures as part of routine maintenance, but no website can be guaranteed secure, error-free, or uninterrupted.
Incident response and recovery work may be performed as part of the Subscription at Consultant’s discretion, but may also be treated as additional work under Section 7 depending on severity, urgency, and required effort.
If Consultant determines that a request or incident is likely to require additional work, Consultant will use commercially reasonable efforts to notify Client in advance and provide a high-level description of the work and an estimated cost range before incurring significant additional charges. Client understands that estimates are not a guarantee and actual costs may vary based on what is discovered during troubleshooting or implementation.
11) Intellectual Property
Client retains ownership of Client content and pre-existing materials.
Upon full payment of applicable fees, Client owns the specific work product created for Client under the Subscription or approved additional work, excluding Consultant’s pre-existing tools, templates, libraries, and general know-how.
12) Confidentiality
Each party will keep the other party’s non-public business, technical, and financial information confidential and use it only to perform services under these Terms, except where disclosure is required by law.
13) Suspension and Ending the Subscription Relationship
Suspension. Consultant may suspend performance if Client’s Subscription is past due, canceled, or otherwise inactive in the Checkout System, or if Client does not provide required access or cooperation.
Ending services. Either party may end the Subscription relationship with 30 days’ written notice, subject to the Checkout System cancellation rules and any prepaid period. If Client cancels in the Checkout System, that cancellation functions as notice.
14) Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither party is liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages.
Consultant’s total liability arising out of or related to these Terms or the Subscription will not exceed the Subscription fees paid by Client to Consultant in the three (3) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
15) Miscellaneous
Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Missouri, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules.
Entire terms. These Terms and the Checkout Confirmation are the entire understanding regarding the Subscription.
Changes. Consultant may update these Terms from time to time. If we make changes, we will provide notice by email to the address associated with Client’s account (or another email address provided by Client), or through another written channel we use to communicate with Client. Unless we state a later effective date, updated Terms become effective on the date stated in the notice (or, if no date is stated, upon delivery).
If a change is material, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide advance notice before the change becomes effective. Client may cancel the Subscription before the effective date if Client does not agree to the updated Terms. Client’s continued payment for, or use of, the Subscription on or after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Notices. Client may send notices to Consultant at the email address listed below (or any updated email address provided by Consultant). Consultant may send notices to Client using the email address associated with Client’s Checkout System account or otherwise provided by Client.
Electronic communications. Notices and approvals may be provided electronically, including by email.
Consultant contact information:
Applet Studio LLC
PO Box 30756
Columbia, MO 65205
Email: team@applet.studio
Phone: +1 (573) 615-9464