Fair use policy

Some of our packages are marketed as "unlimited transactions" so clients don't have to count bank lines or worry about overage invoices. "Unlimited" is meant to remove friction — not to invite use that's materially out of scope for the package tier a client signed up for. This policy explains where that line sits and what happens when an engagement drifts past it.

For the purpose of our packages, a "transaction" is any single line item that posts to the books and requires categorization, matching, or reconciliation. This includes:

• Bank account debits and credits
• Credit card charges, payments, and refunds
• Sales invoices and customer payments
• Vendor bills and bill payments
• Journal entries posted on your behalf
• Receipts processed through Dext, Hubdoc, or equivalent

Internal transfers between your own accounts are counted once, not twice.

Within the tier you've engaged us at, unlimited means we won't add per-transaction charges or cap monthly volume at a hard number. Routine monthly fluctuation — a busy month, a one-time sales spike, a project closeout — is part of the deal. We absorb it.

An engagement is considered outside fair use when, over any rolling three-month period, the average monthly transaction volume is materially higher than the volume disclosed at onboarding or at the most recent annual review — typically more than 50% above the tier's typical range. Fair use also covers situations where the work required has shifted in kind, not just volume:

• A new entity, division, or revenue stream added to the file
• A new currency, payment processor, or e-commerce platform that requires fresh setup
• Cleanup or back-month rework for periods previously signed off
• Significant AP/AR workflow added that wasn't part of the original scope
• Multi-entity consolidation requirements introduced mid-engagement

Regardless of tier, the following are scoped separately and never absorbed under "unlimited":

• Catch-up or cleanup bookkeeping for periods before the engagement start date
• Tax filings, tax planning, and CPA-level advisory work
• Payroll processing (handled by our strategic payroll partners)
• Audit support, CRA representation, or litigation-related work
• Software migrations and chart-of-accounts rebuilds
• Custom reports or dashboards outside the included Fathom templates

These are quoted as standalone projects or add-ons.

If your activity moves past fair use, we won't surprise you with an invoice. The process is:

1. We flag the trend during your regular check-in with supporting numbers.
2. We propose a re-tiered package that matches your current activity.
3. You approve the change in writing before the new rate takes effect.
4. Re-tiering takes effect the following calendar month — never retroactively.

We understand business volume isn't linear. A slow quarter doesn't trigger a tier review on its own, and seasonal businesses are scoped with their busy months in mind. If volume drops structurally — not just seasonally — we'll proactively offer to move you to a lower tier.

This policy is written in plain English on purpose. It exists to keep pricing predictable for both sides — not as a gotcha. If something about your activity feels borderline, ask. We'd rather have a five-minute conversation than send a surprise invoice.

Reach out via the contact form on this site or call us directly at 226-778-0726.

We may revise this policy from time to time. Material changes affecting active engagements will be communicated to clients in writing before they take effect.