Subscription Terms

These Subscription Terms form part of the OldCat Terms of Use and apply to the Welcome Gift, the Daily Nibble, Pro and Ultra subscriptions, and Snack Packs that you receive or buy in OldCat for iPhone, iPad and Mac. If they conflict with the Terms of Use on a subscription matter, these Subscription Terms prevail. For purchases made through the Apple App Store, payment, renewal and refunds are also governed by Apple's Media Services Terms and Conditions.

1. Definitions

• Kibble: your cloud recognition allowance (cloud live captions and translation), counted in pieces: 1 piece = 10 seconds of cloud recognition, deducted by the second.
• Bowl: the kibble currently left in your account.
• Fish Treats: an in-app reward used only for your cat's outfits, furniture and toys. Fish Treats cannot be exchanged for kibble.

2. Plans

The hours in the table are estimates: close to the top when all kibble goes to cloud recognition; AI features (section 4) use some of it. US dollar prices are for reference; the price shown in the App Store for your region applies. The features included in each plan are as described on the purchase screen.

3. Welcome Gift

• After you link your OldCat account to your own Apple account, you can claim the Welcome Gift once: all Ultra features for 72 hours, with 1,080 pieces of kibble (about 3 hours) each day. Each day's kibble resets at midnight in your time zone and does not carry over.
• The 72 hours start the first time you use cloud recognition after claiming, not when you claim. If you don't use it within 30 days of claiming, the Welcome Gift expires.
• The Welcome Gift is completely free, requires no payment method, and never turns into a paid plan. When it ends, you return to the free plan.
• One Welcome Gift per Apple account and per device. We may revoke gifts claimed by getting around these limits. Accounts that have subscribed to Pro or Ultra before are not eligible.

4. How kibble is counted

• Cloud recognition: deducted by the second of actual recording time.
• AI features: AI Highlights, Ask AI, after-class notes and mind maps are converted to kibble based on actual usage — about 2 pieces per question with Quick Answer and about 18 with Deep Think, which you choose each time you ask.
• Free of kibble: paused time, on-device recognition, viewing saved records, reviewing words and dressing up your cat.
• Order of use: kibble from the Welcome Gift, the Daily Nibble or this month's subscription is used first, then Snack Packs, oldest purchase first.
• Monthly refill: subscription kibble is given once a month (Semester plans too). Unused kibble does not roll over to the next month.
• Daily Nibble: on the free plan, you get 20 minutes of cloud recognition a day, up to 5 hours a month, back on the 1st (calendar months in your time zone). Each day's minutes reset at midnight in your time zone, and unused minutes don't accumulate.
• To prevent abuse, we may rate-limit unusually high volumes of requests. Normal use is not affected.

5. When the bowl is empty

When your kibble runs out, OldCat switches to on-device recognition automatically, so a class in progress is not interrupted. You can buy a Snack Pack or move to a higher plan. We will never buy anything for you without your confirmation.

6. Upgrades (e.g. Pro → Ultra)

All Pro and Ultra monthly and Semester plans belong to one subscription group. Under Apple's rules, an upgrade takes effect immediately: Apple refunds the prorated unused portion of your previous subscription to your payment method, and the new subscription starts on the day you upgrade.

Because the unused portion is refunded, this month's kibble is counted only up to the day you upgrade:

• Earned kibble = previous plan's monthly kibble × days elapsed this month ÷ days in this month
• Excess kibble = kibble used this month − earned kibble (never less than 0)

Excess kibble is deducted from the first month of your new subscription. Unused kibble from the previous plan does not carry over. For Semester plans, only the current month counts. Snack Pack kibble is not affected by upgrades.

Example: you subscribe to Pro on October 1 (up to 30 hours a month; a 30-day month). By October 11 (10 days elapsed) you have used 18 hours, and you upgrade to Ultra (up to 50 hours a month). Earned = 30 × 10 ÷ 30 = 10 hours; excess = 18 − 10 = 8 hours. Apple refunds part of the unused Pro period, and your first Ultra month has 50 − 8 = 42 hours of kibble.

7. Downgrades and billing-period changes

• Downgrades (Ultra → Pro) and switches between monthly and Semester billing on the same plan take effect on your next renewal date. Until then, you keep your current features and this month's remaining kibble.
• After a downgrade, records, notes and mind maps created with Ultra features remain viewable.
• Outfits, furniture and toys you got with Fish Treats, and your Fish Treats balance, are all kept after a downgrade, cancellation or expiry.

8. Auto-renewal and cancellation

• Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple account is charged for the next period within 24 hours before the current period ends.
• To cancel: on iPhone / iPad, Settings → your name → Subscriptions → OldCat → Cancel Subscription. To manage an App Store subscription on Mac: App Store → your name → Account Settings → Subscriptions → Manage. Memberships paid for with Alipay on Mac don't renew automatically, so there's nothing to cancel. Card subscriptions on Mac are cancelled on Creem's subscription page; see section 9.
• After cancelling, you keep access until the end of the current period, then return to the free plan.
• If prices change, we'll notify you in advance through Apple's process. Where your consent to a price increase is required, you won't be charged the new price until you agree. A price change applies only to new orders and renewals after it; orders already paid are not affected.

9. Paying on Mac

On Mac you can pay with Alipay (in Chinese yuan) or by card (in US dollars). One account works on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

9.1 Alipay

• Prices: Pro CN¥128 / month or CN¥598 / 6 months (Semester); Ultra CN¥188 / month or CN¥888 / 6 months (Semester); Snack Pack CN¥40 (about 6–8 hours, never expires). Kibble allowances and features are the same as the matching App Store plans, and subscription kibble is given out once a month, 6-month plans included.
• Activation: if you pay by scanning the QR code the app creates with Alipay, your plan starts automatically once the payment goes through. If you pay to our Alipay payment QR code, it starts after we confirm the payment by hand.
• No auto-renewal: the app reminds you 3 days before your plan ends. If you pay again before then: for the same plan (or a lower one), the new time is added after your current plan; if you switch from Pro to Ultra, Ultra starts as soon as you pay. The unused days of your current Pro are converted at the Pro price you actually paid and taken off the Ultra price, and that Pro ends; any amount beyond the Ultra price becomes extra Ultra days at the Ultra price. One account works on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
• Refunds: within 7 days of payment, if less than 5% of the kibble from that order has been used (for a subscription, the first month's kibble; for a Snack Pack, the whole pack; cloud recognition and AI features both count), you can request a full refund to the original payment method. After a refund, the related plan and its remaining kibble are removed. If an Ultra plan was paid for partly with unused Pro, a refund returns the amount you actually paid and the Pro comes back until its original end date. Outside these limits we generally don't give refunds; for special circumstances, please email us.
• How to request a refund: email [email protected] with your order number and account email.
• Nothing in this section affects your statutory rights under the laws of your country.

9.2 Card

• Merchant of record: card payments are processed by Creem as the merchant of record, which handles payment, taxes and billing; Creem is the merchant shown on your card statement.
• Prices: in US dollars: Pro US$18.99 / month or US$88.99 / 6 months (Semester); Ultra US$26.99 / month or US$128.99 / 6 months (Semester); Snack Pack US$5.99. Taxes depend on where you are and are shown at checkout. Kibble allowances and features are the same as the matching App Store plans.
• Auto-renewal and cancellation: subscriptions renew automatically every month or every 6 months. You can cancel anytime on Creem's subscription page (the link in your payment email, or “Manage subscription” on the app's membership page), and you keep access until the end of the current period.
• Snack Packs: a one-time purchase that doesn't renew.
• Refunds: the same as Alipay: within 7 days of payment, if less than 5% of the kibble from that order has been used (for a subscription, the first month's kibble; for a Snack Pack, the whole pack; cloud recognition and AI features both count), you can request a full refund to your card. After a refund, the related plan and its remaining kibble are removed and the subscription is cancelled. Outside these limits we generally don't give refunds; for special circumstances, please email us.
• How to request a refund: email [email protected] with your order number and account email.
• Nothing in this section affects your statutory rights under the laws of your country.

10. Refunds

• This section covers purchases made through the App Store. For payments made on Mac with Alipay or a card, see section 9.
• Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple; we cannot issue them directly. You can request one at reportaproblem.apple.com, and Apple decides under its own policies.
• If Apple issues a refund, the related plan and its remaining kibble, or the remaining kibble of the related Snack Pack, are removed. We won't ask you to pay for kibble you've already used.
• Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights under the laws of your country.

11. Fish Treats and virtual items

Fish Treats are a virtual in-app reward. They cannot be bought with money and can only be used for your cat's outfits, furniture and toys. They have no cash value, cannot be transferred and cannot be exchanged for kibble. Items you obtain are linked to your account and sync across devices signed in to the same account.

12. Changes

We may update these Subscription Terms and will notify you in the app in advance of material changes. Continuing to use paid services after a change means you accept the updated terms.

13. Contact

For any questions, email [email protected].