> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useplinth.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Strict

> For services where access and payment are tightly coupled. Short grace, no exceptions.

Use Strict when access to your service carries real value or risk — content platforms, API services with per-call costs, or anything where giving free access during a payment dispute costs you money.

## Who should use this

* API-first products where unpaid usage has a real cost
* Content or media platforms (access = direct revenue lost)
* Services with tight margins where grace periods hurt
* Products with high fraud or chargebacks where you want fast cutoffs

## Settings

| Policy knob                   | Value                    | Why                                                            |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Upgrade strategy              | Immediate, prorated      | Charge now, upgrade now                                        |
| Downgrade strategy            | Immediate credit         | Credit the unused amount to customer balance immediately       |
| Grace period                  | 3 days                   | Short window — clear payment issues fast or lose access        |
| Dunning retries               | 4 (days +1, +3, +7, +14) | Standard schedule, but grace kicks in sooner after final retry |
| Plan changes while `past_due` | Block all changes        | No plan adjustments while an invoice is outstanding            |
| Billing mode                  | Advance                  | Invoice at start of period                                     |
| Max debt                      | 0                        | No outstanding balance tolerated beyond grace                  |

## Apply

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X POST https://api.useplinth.com/v1/tenant/apply-preset \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_DOCS_SHARED_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"preset": "strict"}'
  ```

  ```typescript Node.js theme={null}
  await client.tenant.applyPreset('strict');
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Warning>
  Strict's 3-day grace period is short. Make sure your `subscription.past_due` webhook handler sends an immediate, actionable notification to the customer — they need to know fast. If your notification system is unreliable, consider Lenient or SaaS-Standard instead.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Immediate downgrades issue a credit to the customer's balance (not a refund to their card). The credit offsets their next invoice automatically.
</Note>