docs(commercial): one price — $79 Steam DLC rising to $99, subscription retired

Creator ruling 2026-11-01. One SKU, one price, Steam does the selling.

- Pro is a one-time Steam DLC on the free app: $79 introductory, $99 on a stated date, announced
  where the price is shown and actually raised.
- The subscription is retired. The reasoning is in decisions.md: no service behind a monthly fee
  (no servers, no cloud, no content), ~1-3 subscribers per 1,000 installs against 5-8% churn, and
  it carried the most expensive code in the product.
- Polar goes dormant. Its customer-portal design is recorded, not built. The "freemium on Steam,
  convert on Polar, Valve gets nothing" proposal is rejected: in-app purchases must use the Steam
  Wallet, so it risks the listing to save ~$24 a sale.
- Entitlement collapses to `steamDlcOwned`. No lease, no key, no portal, no device limit; the
  greyed tier opens the Steam store overlay, so every purchase stays inside Valve's own surface.
- The site publishes the model and links the store page. It takes no payment and hosts no binaries.
- The $400 lifetime died with the subscription it anchored. Founding 200 died with the coupons and
  passes it needed.

Costs: $115 fixed year one; $79 nets $55.30 after Steam, so three sales cover the year.

TASKS.md

@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ persisted; renderer mirrors `Services/ChatBoxRenderer.cs`.
 | 50 | ☐ | One-button publish of the local recording (resumable upload) | [`task-50`](TASKS/task-50-publish-recording.md) |
 | 53 | ☐ | Output-format contract: pin every tier with a geometry test, prove 9:16 end-to-end, recorded file matches output | [`task-53`](TASKS/task-53-output-formats.md) |
 | 54 | 🔶 | Freemium: EULA + privacy shipped; **no licence path built** — needs the entitlement seam, the output-profile cap and the licence UI below; site copy still says free forever | [`task-54`](TASKS/task-54-marcom-free-merch.md) |
-| — | 🔶 | **Steamworks entitlement** — `IEntitlement` + `SteamEntitlement` (Steamworks.NET) + fake **done**; needs the DLC app id from Steamworks, then the ownership path is live | [`commercial`](docs/ai/commercial.md) |
+| — | 🔶 | **Steamworks entitlement** — `IEntitlement` + `SteamEntitlement` (Steamworks.NET) + fake **done**; needs the DLC app id from Steamworks. **Polar path retired** — one-time Steam DLC only | [`commercial`](docs/ai/commercial.md) |
-| — | ☐ | **Entitlement seam** — Polar customer-portal path for the monthly (org ID public, org token never in the app), `conditions: {channel_id}`, 7–14 day lease, `--activate` CLI. **No claim page, no server** | [`commercial`](docs/ai/commercial.md) |
+| — | ❌ | **Polar subscription path** — retired 2026-11-01 with the one-price model. Design kept in `decisions.md`, not built | [`decisions`](docs/ai/decisions.md) |
 | — | 🔶 | **OutputProfile gate** — resolver + `EncoderOptions` wiring **done** (`Models/OutputProfile.cs`, one ffmpeg/two outputs, dev override); remaining: greyed tier entries in the dropdown, entitlement wiring | [`commercial`](docs/ai/commercial.md) |
-| — | ☐ | **Licence UI** — four states, 7/1/0-day notices, "monthly is on the website, not Steam" line, portal link, licence ID in About | [`commercial`](docs/ai/commercial.md) |
+| — | ☐ | **Licence UI** — two states only: owned → Pro · not owned → greyed tiers + "unlock on Steam" (opens the store overlay). No key entry, no notices, no portal | [`commercial`](docs/ai/commercial.md) |
 | — | ☐ | **System messages** — `SystemMessage` + `MessageCenter`, strip above the dock, dedupe by key, short history, never composited | [`ui-surface`](docs/ai/ui-surface.md) |
 | — | ☐ | **Steam packaging** — rename, `publish` output + `steam_api64.dll`, depot, `steamcmd` upload, store page + assets, DLC app | [`Distribution.md`](Distribution.md) |
 | — | ☐ | **Training-video series** — capture the first 8–10 recurring questions as videos on `@llamacasty`; each is documentation, channel content and monetization at once | MARCOM → support→content loop |

docs/ai/commercial.md

@@ -6,15 +6,19 @@ storefront, support or promo work. Cause of death for every retired path:
 [`decisions.md`](decisions.md). Release mechanics (build, depot, SteamPipe upload):
 [`Distribution.md`](../../Distribution.md).
 
-## Model
+## Model — one purchase, one price
 
 - **Free tier — every feature, every scene, every overlay**, free forever, no account, no
   watermark, nothing nagged inside the output. It is not a trial.
-- **Pro — $10/month or $400 lifetime.** No annual tier.
+- **Pro is a one-time Steam purchase: a DLC on the free app.**
+  **$79 introductory → $99** on a stated date before launch. No subscription, no lifetime SKU, no
+  third-party checkout.
 - **The only delta is output quality.** Features are never gated; a payment buys pixels.
 - **No watermark, ever**, in either edition. The branding flash is retired as a paid delta and
   stays off (`ShowBrandFlash`, default `false`).
-- **Clean numbers, no `.99`**, no discount codes, no countdowns, no fake scarcity.
+- **Clean numbers, no `.99`**, no discount codes, no countdowns. **The one dated exception** is the
+  introductory price: it is announced in advance, shown where the price is shown, and actually
+  raised on the date — otherwise the next announcement is worthless.
 - **The site publishes the model, never the numbers** — "free forever, every feature unlocked, a
   paid edition with higher output quality at launch". Price, tier name, cap and frame rate are
   published by the **app**, at the point of sale, not by the page.
@@ -49,64 +53,30 @@ The cap is a pixel budget plus a frame rate, not the word "720p":
   (cancel, revoke, sign-out, channel switch) greys them again on the next refresh.
 - **Bitrate follows the profile** — a capped user is not offered a 1080p bitrate.
 
-## Entitlement — two sources, one profile
+## Entitlement — one source
 
-**Pro is `steamDlcOwned || polarKeyValid`.** Both resolve to the same `OutputProfile`; neither
+**Pro is `steamDlcOwned`, and nothing else.** It resolves to the `OutputProfile`; it never touches a
-touches a feature. Fail closed: anything unresolved is the free tier.
+feature. Fail closed: anything unresolved is the free tier.
 
-### Steam (lifetime)
+- **Steam owns the SKU.** `BIsDlcInstalled(dlcAppId)` after `SteamAPI.Init`, behind
-
-- **Steam owns the lifetime SKU.** `BIsDlcInstalled(dlcAppId)` after `SteamAPI.Init`, behind
   `IEntitlement` (`Services/Entitlement/`). It is a local check against Steam's own state — no
-  server, no key, no lease.
+  server, no key, no lease, no account, no email.
-- **Fail closed, four ways:** no DLC app id configured, `SteamAPI.Init()` false (no client),
+- **Fail closed, four ways:** no DLC app id configured, `SteamAPI.Init()` false (no client), a
-  a thrown native load (missing `steam_api64.dll`), and "not owned" all resolve to the free tier.
+  thrown native load (missing `steam_api64.dll`), and "not owned" all resolve to the free tier.
   None of them may crash the app or grant Pro.
 - **Steam down or not running** → free profile, with a line explaining why, never a refusal to
   start. A Steam build launched outside Steam is the common case for people who pin shortcuts.
-- **No licence key exists for the Steam SKU**, so nothing to paste, email or lose. A refunded DLC
+- **No licence key exists**, so nothing to paste, email, lose or reclaim. A refunded DLC simply
-  simply stops reporting ownership on the next start.
+  stops reporting ownership on the next start.
+- **The upgrade path is the Steam store overlay** (`ActivateGameOverlayToStore`) from the greyed
+  tier menu — Valve's own surface, so the purchase stays inside the Steam Wallet rules. Never a
+  checkout of ours, never an external payment page.
+- **No leases, no dunning, no portal, no device limits.** A one-time purchase has one state:
+  owned or not.
 
-### Polar (monthly, sold off-Steam)
+⛔ **Subscriptions and third-party checkout are retired for launch** — see
-
+[`decisions.md`](decisions.md). Polar stays dormant; its design is recorded there so it is not
-**Polar is the merchant of record and the only source of truth** for the monthly plan. It takes the
+re-derived.
-money, remits VAT/GST, handles refunds and chargebacks, and holds the keys. **There is no server of
-ours in the loop** — no claim page, no callback endpoint, no key database.
-
-- **Key** — `LCYT-` prefix; org `c05fb364-…` and the endpoints are in `CREDENTIALS.md`. No
-  product is created yet.
-- **The client talks to Polar directly.** The customer-portal endpoints authenticate on the **key
-  itself** plus the `organization_id` (a public identifier). The **org access token must never
-  ship in the app** — it is only needed to create products, not to activate them.
-- **Bound to the buyer's YouTube channel ID** (`UC…` from `channels.list?mine=true` — the
-  signed-in channel, never the `@handle`) through Polar's **`conditions`**, not through a browser
-  flow: `activate` is called with `conditions: { "channel_id": "UC…" }`, and every later `validate`
-  passes the same object. Polar compares them server-side, so the binding is enforced without us
-  hosting anything.
-- **Two activations**, any machine, one channel (`limit_activations: 2` on the benefit). A second
-  channel is a second key. Two keys for one channel is never sold — it doubles the support surface
-  and invites "give one to a friend".
-- **Runtime rule:** Pro requires `licence.channelId == connected.channelId`. Equal → Pro.
-  Anything else → free tier, working normally, with *"This licence belongs to another channel"*
-  and a link to the Polar customer portal. Never an error wall, never a blocked stream.
-- **Lease, not a permanent cache:** validate on launch and daily; **7–14 days offline grace**;
-  no network past grace = free tier until Polar answers. Never lock a paying user out on a DNS
-  failure.
-- **Device management is Polar's** — the customer portal already lists and deactivates
-  activations, so we build no UI for it. A subscription key is **auto-revoked when the
-  subscription ends**, which is what makes a lapse a real state on the monthly SKU.
-- **Four states, and nothing else:** valid → Pro · expired/revoked → free with a banner ·
-  activation limit reached → "manage devices" portal link · mismatch or offline → free, explained.
-- **CLI activation** — `--activate LCYT-…` so silent and fleet installs never meet a dialog.
-  Interactive entry in Settings is the secondary path.
-- **Notice cadence** — 7 days out, 1 day out, and on the day, inline in the go-live panel with a
-  date and a portal link. Recording gets the banner only. Never modal, never blocking a Start,
-  never orange (orange is the dev-only label colour).
-
-⛔ **`conditions` is agreement, not cryptography.** A patched client can send someone else's
-channel ID. That is accepted: the free tier is the defence, the licence is a lease, and a
-determined crack buys little. Do not propose a signed token, a hardware fingerprint or a server
-to "fix" it.
 
 ## Channels — Steam only
 
@@ -114,13 +84,12 @@ to "fix" it.
 no other vector: no direct download, no winget, no Scoop/Chocolatey, no Microsoft Store. The store
 page is the single authoritative source for the download, the stats and the reviews.
 
-- **Lifetime Pro = Steam DLC.** Bought on the **store page**; the app only reads ownership
+- **Pro = Steam DLC, one-time.** Bought on the **store page**; the app only reads ownership
-  (`ISteamApps::BIsDlcInstalled` / `UserHasLicenseForApp`). No purchase flow in the app, no Steam
+  (`ISteamApps::BIsDlcInstalled`). No purchase flow, no Wallet code, nothing to reconcile.
-  Wallet code, nothing to reconcile.
+- **The website sends people to Steam.** It publishes the model and links the store page; it takes
-- **The $10/month plan is sold outside Steam** and is **never purchasable inside a Steam build**.
+  no payment, collects no email, and hosts no binaries. One shop, one price, one receipt.
-  Steamworks requires in-app purchases to go through the Steam Wallet — so the app *states* that
+- **No in-app checkout of ours, ever.** Steamworks requires in-app purchases to use the Steam
-  monthly plans exist on the site and does not sell them. If the app ever grows a checkout for it,
+  Wallet, so the only purchase surface is Steam's own store overlay.
-  that is the policy violation.
 - **Boot shape:** the app ships `steam_api64.dll` beside the exe and calls `SteamAPI.Init`. That
   is a functional dependency, not the rejected "native helper DLL for IP protection" — Steam
   ownership cannot be checked without it. Launched without Steam running, the app must fall back to
@@ -130,8 +99,7 @@ page is the single authoritative source for the download, the stats and the revi
 - **Portable mode is no longer a distributable.** `portable.txt` remains as a feature for anyone who
   copies the installed folder; it is not a delivery mechanism.
 - **Steam Direct** is **$100 per app**, recoupable after $1,000 adjusted gross revenue.
-- **Price parity:** if the lifetime is ever sold off-Steam, it may not be cheaper than the Steam
+- **Price parity is trivially satisfied** — there is no off-Steam price to keep in step.
-  price.
 
 **Not channels, ever:** direct download, winget/Chocolatey/Scoop, the Microsoft Store, Patreon or
 any subscription platform of our own, paywalled early access, a paid beta, a Discord. Content is
@@ -170,21 +138,16 @@ repo for bugs that survive the friction of needing an account.
 - **Nobody is locked out over a licence.** A billing hiccup drops the app to the free profile with
   a banner and a portal link — never a blocked stream, never a modal.
 
-## Founding 200 promo
+## The introductory price — the only promotion
 
-Cash cost **$0**; it is priced in support time and forgone list revenue.
+Cash cost **$0**. With one SKU there is no coupon, no founder tier, no pass and no reminder cadence.
 
-- **90 days free** — a 100%-off Polar coupon, `duration = repeating, months = 3`.
+- **$79 until a stated date, then $99.** The date is announced at launch on the store page, the
-- **Founder price lock** — their $10/month stays $10 permanently.
+  site and the in-app upgrade panel, and it is honoured — an introductory price that never rises
-- **Credits + in-app Founder badge** (opt-in channel name on the site).
+  makes the next announcement worthless.
-- **30-day passes** — unique keys carrying the issuer's channel, issued **one per 30 active days,
+- **No launch discount stacked on top.** Two overlapping stories ("introductory" plus "15% off")
-  max 3 held**, activation limit 1–2, expiring 30 days **after activation**. Earned, never handed
+  muddy both, and the increase afterwards triggers Steam's 30-day discount cooldown.
-  out: a pass nobody uses teaches nothing.
+- **No coupons, no keys, no founder badges.** A one-time Steam purchase has nothing to administer.
-- Optional **$250 lifetime** window in the first 90 days — converting a founder beats three
-  months of free.
-- Reminders at day 75 and 85; the renewal cliff is where founders churn.
-- Terms, one paragraph: one per person, passes expire 30 days after activation, no cash value,
-  revoked for resale or abuse, price lock void if the subscription lapses.
 
 ## Costs
 
@@ -193,14 +156,14 @@ Cash cost **$0**; it is priced in support time and forgone list revenue.
 | Domain | ~$15/yr |
 | Droplet | $0 — serves the existing site |
 | Steam Direct | **$100 once**, recoupable after $1,000 AGR |
-| Steam revenue share | 30% on the lifetime DLC → $400 nets **$280** |
+| Steam revenue share | 30% → **$79 nets $55.30**, **$99 nets $69.30** |
-| Polar | 5% + 50¢ per sale → $10 nets $9.00 (monthly only) |
+| Polar | **$0 — dormant.** No subscription at launch |
 | Steamworks, public issue repo, Gitea | $0 |
 | Azure Artifact Signing — **not needed** | Steam installs don't meet SmartScreen |
 | Microsoft Store — **not used** | — |
 
-Fixed year one ≈ **$115** (domain + Steam Direct, one time). The Steam cut is the price of not
+Fixed year one ≈ **$115** (domain + Steam Direct, one time). At $79, **three sales cover the year**.
-paying for a certificate, a storefront or an update path.
+The Steam cut is the price of not running a storefront, a certificate or an update path.
 
 **Signing is now moot as a launch cost.** Steam installs never meet SmartScreen, so the certificate
 that existed only to soften that wall has no job. Artifact Signing stays on the shelf for the day a
@@ -218,9 +181,10 @@ pointless and a leak that is traceable — not an unbreakable binary.
   machine that never runs Steam.
 - **The distribution is not a handout.** Steam deliveries go through Valve's client and account, so
   there is no public zip for a mirror site to repackage, and no hash pin for us to maintain.
-- **Short leases** — a revoked or refunded Polar key dies inside the grace window; a refunded Steam
+- **Steam is the licence state** — a refunded DLC stops reporting ownership the next time Steam is
-  DLC stops reporting ownership the next time Steam is asked.
+  asked, and the app drops to the free profile on the next start. Nothing to revoke by hand.
-- **Licence ID in About** — a leaked build traces back to a purchase.
+- **The Steam purchase is in About** — a leaked build traces back to a Steam account, which Valve
+  can action; we hold nothing to trace.
 
 ⛔ **Rejected, do not re-propose:** a native helper DLL for "IP protection", obfuscation, hardware
 locking, remote code that downloads and executes, and gating asset downloads as an auth check.

docs/ai/decisions.md

@@ -5,6 +5,32 @@ you are about to re-open one of them. **Live commercial rules (prices, entitleme
 signing, support, promo) are in [`commercial.md`](commercial.md)**; the other live rules live in
 the subsystem files. This is the graveyard with cause of death.
 
+## The business model — one price, settled 2026-11-01
+
+**$79 one-time, raising to $99 on a stated date. Sold only on Steam, as a DLC on the free app.**
+The website publishes the model and links the store page; it never takes payment.
+
+**What died the same day:**
+
+- **The subscription.** $10/month for pixels, with no service behind it — no servers, no cloud, no
+  content library, updates free through Steam. Estimated 1–3 subscribers per 1,000 installs, at
+  5–8% monthly churn, against the most expensive code in the product (leases, activations,
+  revocation, portal, dunning). Retired for launch.
+- **Polar as a live rail.** Dormant. Its customer-portal design (`conditions` binding, two
+  activations, 7–14 day lease) is preserved here only so it is not re-derived if a cheaper entry
+  tier is ever justified by real support traffic.
+- **The $400 lifetime** — it was an anchor for a subscription that no longer exists, and above what
+  a beginner pays for a tool with a free incumbent.
+- **Founding 200** — coupons, price locks, earned 30-day passes, founder badges: all machinery for
+  a recurring plan.
+- **Off-Steam conversion of any kind.** The "freemium on Steam, convert on Polar, Valve gets
+  nothing" proposal was rejected: Steamworks requires in-app purchases to use the Steam Wallet, so
+  it is a listing-level risk to save ~$24 a sale.
+
+**Kept:** the free tier is the whole app at a 720p30 output profile, the paid delta is output
+quality only, and the app never sells anything itself — the greyed tier opens the Steam store
+overlay.
+
 ## Commercial mechanics — died 2026-10-31 (same week they were written)
 
 - **The licence "claim page" is dead.** The binding was going to be an OAuth web page that wrote