# Marketplace: Maintenance Subscriptions, Updates & Perpetual Rights

Understand Maintenance subscriptions -- what they cover, how renewal and cancellation work, why perpetual version rights survive cancellation, and how coupons and 100%-off alpha grants work.

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A Marketplace purchase gives you two distinct things: a **License** and an
optional **Maintenance subscription**. These are intentionally separate so
you understand exactly what you own and what is ongoing.

## What a License Gives You

A **License** grants one project the perpetual right to use and modify a
specific version's source code. This right never expires, regardless of what
happens to the Maintenance subscription, the seller's account, or the listing's
published status.

Specifically, your license guarantees:

- You received the actual source files at the installed version.
- You can modify those files freely within your project.
- The right to use and modify that version in that project is **permanent**.
- If you cancel Maintenance, unpublish occurs, or the seller stops operating,
  your installed source and perpetual use rights are unaffected.

> **Note:** Licenses are project-bound. Using the same pack in a second project requires
> a second license at the same price. One license = one project.

## What Maintenance Gives You

A **Maintenance subscription** is optional and adds:

| What you get | Notes |
|-------------|-------|
| **Compatible updates** | Access to newer pack versions through the Marketplace tab |
| **AI-assisted reconciliation** | When an update has conflicts with your modifications, the reconciler is dispatched |
| **Security notices** | Notifications when a security or compatibility issue is found in an installed pack |
| **Compatibility notices** | Alerts when a dependency or runtime change affects your version |
| **Seller support** | Access to the seller's stated support channel during the active period |

Maintenance is priced as an annual subscription. The default term is one year.
Some listings include first-year Maintenance in the one-time purchase price;
others price it separately. The listing detail page shows both amounts
explicitly before you purchase.

## Renewal and Cancellation

### Auto-renewal

Maintenance subscriptions auto-renew annually by default. The renewal date is
shown in your project settings > Maintenance panel. You receive an email
reminder before the renewal date.

### Cancelling Maintenance

To cancel auto-renewal, go to **Project Settings > Marketplace / Maintenance**
and click "Cancel renewal." Your Maintenance access continues through the
already-paid-for period (the `maintenance_through` date). After that date:

- Update access, reconciliation, notices, and support access lapse.
- **Your license, installed source, and perpetual use rights are completely
  unaffected.** Cancellation touches only the Maintenance subscription record,
  never the entitlement.
- You can re-subscribe to Maintenance at any time to restore update access.

> **Warning:** Cancellation is not the same as losing your code. The installed source files
> remain in your project exactly as they were. The only thing that changes is
> access to future updates and support.

### What "perpetual version rights" means in practice

When Maintenance ends (by cancellation, expiry, or seller account closure):

- Your project keeps every file installed up to that point.
- Those files are yours to modify, deploy, and maintain.
- You cannot pull future pack updates without an active Maintenance
  subscription (or purchasing a new license for the updated version).
- The seller's ability to support, patch, or update their listing does not
  affect your right to use your installed copy.

## Coupons and Alpha Grants

### How coupons work

Coupons reduce the purchase price of a Marketplace Listing at checkout.
A coupon can be a percentage discount or a fixed-amount discount. It may
apply to one specific listing or to any listing. Coupons have optional
expiry dates and redemption limits set by the issuer.

To apply a coupon:

1. Open a listing's detail page.
2. Click "Purchase" (or "Add to project").
3. Enter the coupon code in the "Discount code" field at checkout.
4. The discounted price is shown before you confirm.

### 100%-off alpha grants

During the current alpha period, Chipp issues 100%-off grants for
**all five first-party Recipes** (`web-app`, `agent-storefront`,
`commerce-storefront`, `agency-cms`, `landing-page`).

How grants are applied:

- When you create a project from a first-party Recipe during the alpha period,
  the platform automatically applies the 100%-off grant.
- No payment method is required.
- The project receives a full license (perpetual use rights) at no cost.
- A one-year Maintenance subscription is included with the grant.
- The grant does not require a coupon code -- it activates automatically.

> **Note:** Alpha grants are time-limited. When the alpha period ends, first-party
> Recipes will move to their standard pricing. Projects created under a grant
> are not retroactively charged; they keep their license and the Maintenance
> they were granted.

### Coupon codes for third-party listings

Sellers can issue coupon codes for their own listings (e.g. for promotional
periods or partner arrangements). These behave identically to Chipp-issued
coupons and appear in the same checkout discount field. Contact the seller
directly if you have received a coupon code for a third-party listing.

## Managing Your Subscriptions

All active Maintenance subscriptions for a project are visible in
**Project Settings > Marketplace / Maintenance**. From there you can:

- See the renewal date and next billing amount for each subscription.
- Cancel auto-renewal (access continues through the paid period).
- View changelogs for packs with available updates.
- See historical transactions for the project's licenses and subscriptions.

Workspace-level subscription management (across all projects) is available
from the **Workspace Settings > Billing > Marketplace** panel.

## Related guides

- [Recipes, Feature Packs & the Marketplace](/docs/guides/alchemist-recipes-overview) --
  the vocabulary and mental model behind everything above.
- [Marketplace: Browse, Purchase & Create a Project](/docs/guides/alchemist-marketplace-browse-purchase) --
  where Maintenance is first offered, at checkout.
- [Marketplace: Install into an Existing Project](/docs/guides/alchemist-marketplace-install) --
  how Maintenance gates which updates you can apply.
- [Marketplace FAQ](/docs/guides/alchemist-marketplace-faq) -- concrete
  answers to common licensing and Maintenance questions.