Refund Policy
Last updated: 17 October 2026
Every purchase on Hardmode adds credits to your balance, and those credits never expire. That's why purchases are final. This policy explains how that works, the cases where we do refund, and how to cancel a plan. It's part of our Terms of Service.
Purchases are final
- Credit packs aren't refundable once purchased.
- Subscription payments aren't refundable, including for the current billing period after you cancel.
- Your credits stay yours. Credits from packs, plans, and sign-up never expire while your account exists, so you can pause and use them whenever you're ready, even years later.
Cancelling a plan
Cancel anytime from your account settings. Your plan stays active until the end of the billing period you've paid for, and then stops renewing. Credits already added to your balance stay there.
When we do refund
We refund your unused paid credits, to your original payment method, if:
- we close your account without cause;
- we discontinue the Service; or
- we make a material change to our Terms and you decline it and close your account.
Free credits are used before paid credits, so as many of your paid credits as possible stay refundable in these cases.
Sessions that fail
If a session fails because of a problem on our side (for example, the interviewer stops responding, voice or code running fails on our end, or the session can't start), the credits it used are returned to your balance automatically. The same applies if we can't produce your feedback after a session. If that doesn't happen, email us and we'll fix it.
Credits aren't returned for:
- sessions you end early;
- sessions you start and leave: the timer keeps running, and the session is charged when it ends;
- sessions affected by problems on your side, such as a lost internet connection, a blocked microphone, or closing the tab.
We show how a session is charged, and ask you to confirm, before every session starts.
Take-home briefs
Issuing a take-home brief holds its credits, and you have 7 days to submit and start the review call. If the brief expires, or you cancel it, the credits are charged and not refunded. If the review fails because of a problem on our side, the credits are returned as above.
Free credits
Free credits, such as those given on sign-up, have no cash value and can't be refunded.
Payment disputes
If you dispute or charge back a payment, the credits it added are removed from your balance. If you've already used them, your balance may go below zero and you won't be able to start sessions until it's back to zero or above. If the dispute is resolved in our favour, the credits are restored. If you think a charge is wrong, please email us first; we'll usually sort it out faster.
How refunds are paid
Refunds in the cases above are issued by Dodo Payments, our merchant of record, to your original payment method, and usually appear within 5 to 10 business days. Email [email protected] from the address on your account if you think one applies to you.
Your legal rights
This policy doesn't limit any rights to a refund or remedy you have under consumer protection law where you live.