Clear terms for a managed website.
These terms keep project proposals focused on your business, your scope, and your price. They apply when a signed proposal incorporates this version by reference.
Effective October 2, 2026
A proposal identifies the project-specific services, fees, schedule, and any different terms that apply. If a signed proposal incorporates these Standard Service Terms, the proposal and this version together form the agreement. Where they conflict, the signed proposal controls.
1. Services and project scope
Open Choice Digital provides website design, development, managed hosting, maintenance, integrations, automation, and related digital services. Each project's scope, deliverables, timeline, and price are stated in its proposal. Work outside that agreed scope, including new pages, major redesigns, new systems, or substantial integrations, may require a separate quote.
2. Project payments and launch
Project payment schedules are stated in the proposal or invoice. Unless the proposal says otherwise, final development begins after the initial project payment is received. That payment becomes non-refundable once substantive development work begins, except where required by law or otherwise agreed in writing. Any remaining project balance is due when the agreed project is complete, ready for launch, or otherwise reaches the payment milestone stated in the proposal. Completed or delivered work is not refundable merely because the client later decides not to use, publish, or continue the project.
3. Managed-service billing and commitment
Managed-service billing begins on launch or final project payment, unless the proposal says otherwise. The first monthly charge is due one month later and recurs on that calendar day; when that day does not occur in a month, the charge is due on the month's final calendar day. Unless a signed proposal states otherwise, new managed website engagements include an initial six-month commitment after launch. This initial term reflects the setup, deployment, technical configuration, testing, monitoring, and ongoing responsibility involved in operating a managed website. After the initial term, service continues month to month until ended under these terms or the proposal.
4. Monthly plans, managed systems, and additional work
Monthly managed-service pricing is based on the infrastructure, systems, integrations, usage, monitoring, and support Open Choice Digital is responsible for maintaining. A basic website may remain on the standard managed website plan. Features such as booking systems, payment processing integrations, customer or employee accounts, databases, dashboards, portals, calendars, automations, messaging systems, APIs, or other ongoing backend functionality may require a higher managed-service plan. If one of these features is added after the original website launch, the development or integration work may require a separate one-time quote. Once the feature is active, the client's monthly managed-service fee may also be adjusted to reflect the additional infrastructure and ongoing support required. Any recurring price adjustment will be disclosed and agreed to before the new system or feature is placed into ongoing service. Significant increases in third-party usage, storage, messaging, API consumption, or other provider costs may also require a plan adjustment. Third-party processing fees and extraordinary usage charges are not included unless specifically stated in the client's proposal. Approval of the original project does not make later major requests included maintenance.
5. Third-party services, payment processing, and usage costs
Websites and business operations may rely on hosting providers, domain and DNS services, payment processors, email platforms, APIs, calendars, analytics, and other third-party services. Open Choice Digital does not control their availability, pricing, policies, fraud controls, reserve practices, payout timing, or changes. A payment provider may place a transaction under review, delay payout, request verification, or manage disputes under its own terms. Those actions do not by themselves cancel the client's payment obligation or change the agreed project scope. If traffic, storage, database activity, email, SMS, paid APIs, AI usage, premium integrations, or another third-party cost materially exceeds the assumptions of a plan, Open Choice Digital may propose a plan adjustment or pass-through charge before continuing that additional service.
6. Availability, security, and results
Open Choice Digital uses reasonable efforts to monitor, maintain, and secure the agreed technical stack. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, absolute security, third-party integration performance, search rankings, leads, bookings, sales, revenue, conversion rates, or other business outcomes. We are not responsible for events outside our reasonable control, including provider, internet, DNS, platform, processor, or API failures. Material redevelopment made necessary by a third-party change may require a separate quote.
7. Client responsibilities and delays
The client is responsible for timely access, approvals, content, logos, images, accurate pricing and service information, business policies, licenses, and authorization for third-party accounts. The client confirms it has the right to use all supplied materials. Missing information, approvals, or access may extend timelines. Long periods of inactivity may pause a project, require rescheduling, or create additional work when the project resumes.
8. Ownership and reusable systems
The client retains ownership of its domain, business content, customer data, payment accounts, and client-owned business accounts. After all applicable project fees are paid, the client receives the rights to the finished client-specific website described in the proposal. Delivery of source files, repository access, and migration assistance is handled under Section 9 and may depend on completion of the initial managed-service commitment and the account being in good standing. Open Choice Digital retains ownership of reusable templates, utilities, internal systems, generic architecture, processes, know-how, and other non-client-specific components.
9. Ending services and portability
After the initial six-month commitment, either party may end managed services with 30 days' written notice unless the proposal states otherwise. When the account is current and the initial commitment has been completed, Open Choice Digital will provide reasonable standard handoff assistance for client-specific website files, source code, and data. Agency-managed services may need to move to client-owned accounts. If a client asks to end service before the initial commitment is complete, source-code transfer and migration assistance are not included automatically. They may be provided after the remaining commitment is satisfied, through an agreed early-termination or buyout arrangement, or under another written agreement. Substantial migration, redevelopment, replacement-provider support, or work beyond the standard handoff may be quoted separately.
10. Payment default, refunds, suspension, and termination
Invoices are due as stated in the proposal or invoice. Refunds and cancellations are also subject to the published Refund & Cancellation Policy and any project-specific terms in the signed proposal. Open Choice Digital may pause nonessential updates or managed services when an invoice remains unpaid after reasonable written notice and an opportunity to cure. Persistent nonpayment, unlawful use, abuse, security risk, or another serious breach may result in suspension or termination. We will not intentionally destroy client data as a collection tactic.
11. Website use
You may not misuse this website, attempt unauthorized access, interfere with its operation, introduce harmful code, or use it for an unlawful purpose.
12. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Open Choice Digital is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from the website or services. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
13. Changes and contact
We may update these terms for future engagements by posting a new effective date on this page. A signed client remains subject to the version incorporated into its proposal except as that agreement or applicable law permits. For questions about these terms, please use the contact options on this website.