Do I need a credit card for the free plan?

No. The Free plan is completely free forever — no credit card, no trial period, no catch. Sign up with just your email and you get immediate access.

How does the 7-day free trial work?

Start any paid plan and the first 7 days are free. We take your card when the trial starts, and if you do nothing the plan continues and the card is charged on day 8 — Pirate is $30/mo, Captain $59/mo, Buccaneer $149/mo. Cancel in Settings before day 7 and you are not charged at all; you keep the plan until the trial ends either way. We email you 3 days before it ends with the date, the amount, and a link straight to cancel.

Can I upgrade or downgrade anytime?

Yes. Switch plans any time from your account settings. Upgrades take effect immediately and are prorated. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing period.

What's the difference between monthly and annual billing?

Annual saves you 16.6%. Pirate: $25/mo (annual) vs $30/mo. Captain: $49.17 vs $59. Buccaneer: $124.17 vs $149. Annual plans have a 7-day refund window from purchase date. After 7 days, annual plans are non-refundable.

What is the Early Crew program?

Early Crew is our beta testing program. Complete the platform checklist, submit feedback, and you earn a badge plus priority access benefits at launch. Join at /early-crew.

What is Bob?

Bob is Bidness's AI trading analyst, powered by Anthropic's Claude API. Bob generates pre-market stock plays, answers your trading questions while you work, grades your paper trades, and analyses your positions. Bob is for educational purposes only, not financial advice, and Bob is not a licensed financial adviser or broker.

How many Bob questions can I ask per day?

Hustle: 10/day. Pirate and above: unlimited.

What is the Predictions Arena?

The Predictions Arena lets you make daily bullish or bearish market calls, earn points for accuracy, and compete on the leaderboard. Predictions are for entertainment and educational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.

How accurate are Bob's plays?

Every play Bob writes is logged and resolved on the platform, winners and losers alike. Past performance does not predict future results. Bob is an educational tool and not a financial adviser. Always do your own research before trading. Win rate statistics are backward-looking only.

What time does Bob post his daily plays?

Bob posts plays at 9AM ET on market days (Monday–Friday). A second afternoon scan runs at 2:30PM ET. Plays are cached daily and reset each morning.

Is Bob a registered financial adviser?

No. Bob is an AI system for educational purposes only. Ember Media LLC is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, or fiduciary. Nothing Bob says is financial advice. Consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

What is the Academy?

A free four-level trading program that starts at zero, from what a share is. Every lesson gates on verified practice in the paper terminal rather than on clicking Next, so progress means you did the thing. It is free on every plan, including Free, with no card.

Is the Academy open yet?

Yes. Season 1 is open. Ten modules, free, no card, and you can read the whole thing without an account.

Does the Academy tell me what to trade?

No. The Academy teaches setups and the reasoning behind them. Bob explains why something is a setup; he never tells you to take it. Nothing in the Academy is financial advice.

Is paper trading included in my plan?

Paper trading is free on every plan, including Hustle. There is no add-on to buy and nothing to unlock — open the terminal and it is there.

Can I use paper trading to prepare for a prop firm eval?

Yes. Eval Mode simulates Apex Trader Funding, TopStep, FTMO, and other firm rules with real account sizes, drawdown limits, and profit targets. Note: Bidness is not affiliated with any prop firm. Passing the Bidness simulator does not guarantee passing any real prop firm evaluation. Always verify current rules directly with the firm before purchasing an evaluation.

Is the market data live?

No. Market data on Bidness is delayed by 15 minutes, and every surface that shows a price says so. Paper trading fills against that same delayed data, so a fill you get here is not a fill you would have got live.

Does paper trading use real prices?

Yes — paper trading executes against 15-minute delayed market data via Alpha Vantage. However, paper trading doesn't account for slippage, liquidity constraints, partial fills, or the psychological pressure of trading real capital. Strong paper results don't guarantee live performance.

What is the Founding Member / Lifetime offer?

The first 250 users (including free accounts) can lock in lifetime access to any paid plan at 2 years of annual pricing minus 10% — paid once, never renewed. Available until April 27, 2026 or 250 slots — whichever comes first. Lifetime plans are non-transferable, non-refundable under any circumstances, and governed by Section 8 of our Terms of Service.

What is the Buccaneer tier?

Buccaneer ($149/mo) is live and you can subscribe today. It includes everything in Captain plus features we can't fully reveal yet.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Cancel from account settings — no questions asked, no cancellation fees. Your access continues until the end of your current paid period. Lifetime plans are non-refundable.

Do you offer refunds?

Monthly plans: no refunds for partial months. Annual plans: 7-day refund window from purchase date, non-refundable after 7 days. One-time purchases (Paper Trading, Trading Course): non-refundable once access is granted. Lifetime plans: non-refundable under any circumstances. Refund requests must be sent to support@askbidness.com.

What payment methods do you accept?

All major credit and debit cards via Stripe, Inc. Stripe handles all payment processing under PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance — Bidness never stores your full card details.

How does the affiliate program work?

Share your unique affiliate link. Earn a commission on every paid subscription your referrals convert to. Apply from the affiliate page. Commissions are tracked and paid monthly for qualifying conversions. Affiliate activity is subject to our Affiliate Program Terms.

How do I check my affiliate stats?

Log in and navigate to your affiliate dashboard to see clicks, signups, conversions, and pending commissions. For affiliate-specific support, contact affiliates@askbidness.com.

Is Bidness financial advice?

No. Bidness is an educational and entertainment platform. Nothing on Bidness — including Bob's analysis, plays, screener results, or community predictions — is financial advice. Ember Media LLC is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, or fiduciary. Always consult a licensed financial professional before making investment decisions.

Is my data safe?

Yes. We use Supabase with AES-256 encrypted storage, TLS 1.2+ for all data in transit, MFA on all admin systems, and strict access controls. We do not sell your personal data. Payment data is handled entirely by Stripe under PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance. We do not run ads. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

What company operates Bidness?

Bidness is operated by Ember Media LLC, a Louisiana limited liability company.

Who do I contact for support?

Email support@askbidness.com for all general help, billing issues, and legal or privacy questions. For affiliate-specific inquiries: affiliates@askbidness.com. We aim to respond within 2 business days.