Terms of Use & License

These terms are between you and PennyWrite (operated by Christopher Mayberry) ("we", "us"). By downloading or using PennyWrite or this website, you agree to them.

1. App Store purchases

If you get PennyWrite from Apple's App Store, your use of the app is governed by Apple's Licensed Application End User License Agreement (the "Standard EULA"), together with these terms. If the two conflict, the Standard EULA wins. Apple handles payment, billing and refunds for App Store purchases.

2. Direct Mac download

If you download PennyWrite for Mac from pennywrite.com, we grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to install and use it on Macs you own or control. Please don't resell, redistribute, reverse engineer (except where the law allows it) or remove notices from the app.

PennyWrite for Mac (direct) costs $49.99 (US price, before any sales tax or VAT shown at checkout). It's a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Your license key works on up to 5 Macs at a time; you can move it by deactivating a Mac in Settings › License. It includes updates to PennyWrite for Mac and Story Coach (subject to the fair-use limit in section 6). Checkout is run by Stripe, which acts as the merchant of record and reseller under Stripe's Managed Payments terms; it collects payment and any sales tax and may appear on your statement. If PennyWrite isn't right for you, email [email protected] within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. A refunded license stops working.

3. Subscriptions (PennyWrite Pro Annual and Monthly)

• PennyWrite Pro Annual is $29.99 per year and PennyWrite Pro Monthly is $4.99 per month (US prices; your App Store shows local prices). Launch prices may change; any change applies to new purchases or your next renewal after notice, as the App Store requires.
• The Annual plan includes a 14-day free trial. It converts to a paid annual subscription unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Each Apple ID can use the free trial once.
• Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase or when the trial ends.
• Subscriptions renew automatically at the same price and period unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Renewal is charged within the 24 hours before the period ends.
• Manage or cancel in your Apple ID account settings at any time. Cancelling stops future renewals; you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for.
• Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple under its policies (reportaproblem.apple.com).

4. Lifetime purchase (PennyWrite Pro Lifetime)

PennyWrite Pro Lifetime is a one-time, non-renewing purchase ($59.99 at launch) that unlocks PennyWrite Pro for as long as we offer and support the app on your platform. Like subscriptions, it's tied to your Apple ID and works on iPad and Mac. Use Restore Purchases in the app to unlock it on another device. Refunds are handled by Apple.

One purchase (subscription or lifetime) covers both iPad and Mac versions from the App Store.

5. Your content

Everything you write in PennyWrite belongs to you. We claim no rights to it and never receive it. You're responsible for keeping backups of your files (the app keeps daily backups, but please keep your own too, especially before moving your library).

6. Story Coach

Story Coach is optional. With PennyWrite Pro it's built in, answered by Google's Gemini through our server, with a fair-use limit of 50 questions a day that we may change. As an advanced option you can use your own Anthropic API key instead; that use is also subject to Anthropic's terms, and Anthropic bills you directly. Story Coach's suggestions are generated by AI and may be wrong or unsuitable, so use your own judgment. Don't use it to create content that breaks the law or Google's or Anthropic's usage policies. See our Privacy Policy for what's sent.

7. This website

You may browse and share this website and the press kit for personal use, reviews and news coverage. Please don't misuse it (for example by attacking it or scraping it in bulk). The PennyWrite name and icon are ours; the press kit may be used to write about PennyWrite.

8. Disclaimers and limits

PennyWrite is provided "as is". To the extent the law allows, we make no warranties beyond those in the Standard EULA (for App Store copies), and we aren't liable for indirect or consequential losses, including lost writing. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid for PennyWrite in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing here limits rights you have under consumer law where you live.

9. Changes and contact

We may update these terms; the effective date above will change when we do. Questions? Email [email protected].

Privacy is covered in our Privacy Policy.