Where these terms live
The plan card shows the headline price; the terms of service and billing docs decide the invoice. For this glossary we read SiteGround's Terms of Service, renewal and refund articles; Kinsta's billing and overage docs; and WP Engine's Terms of Service, visits, bandwidth and change-plan articles, all on 30 October 2026. Section numbers below refer to those documents as published that day.
All examples exclude tax. SiteGround says its listed fees are net of applicable taxes (section 7.3), and WP Engine's terms say you agree to pay applicable taxes unless you provide an exemption certificate.
The terms in one table
| Term | Plain meaning | SiteGround | Kinsta | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory rate | Discounted price for the first term | Plan page: e.g. GrowBig $4.99/mo, prepaid for 12 months | First month free on Single 35k, Single 20GB, WP 2 and Launch plans for new customers | Essential listed at $28/mo billed annually, $336 paid upfront; the plans page says its first-year discount is for new Essential customers only and does not apply to renewals |
| Renewal rate | Price for each later term | Then-current renewal fees, which may differ from the initial term (8.2); GrowBig renews at $29.99/mo per the plan page | Plan price; billing starts in the second month | Then-current rates, with notice of increases before your opt-out deadline (6(a)) |
| Term length | Period you prepay | Fees paid in advance for the entire term (7.1) | Monthly or annual; annual gives 2 months free | Renews for successive terms (7(a)) |
| Auto-renewal | Renewal happens unless you stop it | On by default (8.1); charged 15 days before expiry on 12-month+ cycles, 5 days on monthly | Recurring monthly or annual billing date, set when billing begins | Automatic; non-renewal needs 30 days notice before term end (7(a)) |
| Overage | Usage beyond the plan allowance | Cloud auto-scaling billed for one month (10.3) | Visits $0.50/1,000; server bandwidth $0.50/GB; CDN $0.05/GB; disk $2/GB/month | Visits $2/1,000 on named plans, invoiced monthly in arrears; shared plans not charged bandwidth overages |
| Proration | Charging or crediting part of a period | Upgrade pays the difference (10.2); downgrade prorates full months remaining (10.5) | Prorated down to the second; unused time credited | Downgrades effective next billing date; monthly-to-annual switch charges prorated remainder |
| Refund window | Period for a full refund after purchase | 30 days for shared, 14 for cloud; domains not refundable | 30-day Money-Back Guarantee referenced in billing docs | Fees not refundable except as expressly stated (6(a)) |
Introductory rate, renewal and term length: a worked invoice
SiteGround's WordPress plan page lists GrowBig at $4.99 a month with a renews-at price of $29.99 and the note prepaid for 12 months. The first invoice is therefore 12 x $4.99 = $59.88 before tax. If you renew for another 12 months at the listed $29.99, the renewal invoice is 12 x $29.99 = $359.88, six times the first year. SiteGround's terms say the then-current renewal fees apply and may differ from the initial term, so check the price shown in your account before the renewal date.
Timing matters as much as amount. SiteGround's renewal article says plans with a 12-month or longer renewal period are charged 15 days before expiration and monthly plans 5 days before. If you plan to migrate away, cancel auto-renewal before that charge, not on the expiry date.
Kinsta's version of a term discount is different: annual billing gives two months free compared with monthly. Its pricing page lists the Single 35k plan at $35 a month billed monthly and shows $30 a month on annual billing; for its $35 Single 20GB and Launch plans the page states that paying annually saves $70, which is two months of $35. Confirm the exact annual total at checkout.
Overage: usage billed after the fact
An overage is a charge for using more than the plan includes. Kinsta lists visits at $0.50 per 1,000, server bandwidth at $0.50 per GB, CDN bandwidth at $0.05 per GB and disk at $2 per GB per month, prorated daily. Kinsta says overages are billed at the end of the month when the plan renews, and that overages incurred before an upgrade still appear on the next invoice because upgrades are not retroactive.
Worked example at Kinsta: a launch month on Single 35k records 47,000 visits and 4 GB of extra disk for the last 10 days. Visits: 12,000 over x $0.50 per 1,000 = $6.00. Disk: 4 GB x $2 x (10/30) is about $2.67. The invoice is $35 plus about $8.67.
WP Engine's visits article lists $2 per 1,000 visits over the limit for its Startup, Professional, Growth, Scale and agency plans, gives the example of 10,000 extra visits costing $20, and says overages are charged monthly whether the plan is paid monthly or annually. Its bandwidth article says shared plans are not charged bandwidth overages; WP Engine contacts you instead. Its terms describe usage and overage fees as invoiced monthly in arrears. The visits article did not name the Essential plan shown on today's plans page, so confirm its overage rate on your order.
Proration and plan changes
Proration means paying only for the part of a period you use. Kinsta says its system is prorated down to the second: unused time on the old plan is credited, remaining time on the new plan is charged, and on monthly plans an increase under $100 goes on the next invoice while a larger one may be charged immediately. Switching between monthly and annual closes the old plan and starts a new billing date.
Worked example at Kinsta: on day 10 of a 30-day month you move from a $35 plan to a hypothetical $70 plan. Credit for 20 unused days on the old plan is about $23.33; the charge for 20 days on the new plan is about $46.67; the net difference of about $23.33 goes on the next invoice because it is under $100.
SiteGround's terms say an upgrade fee covers the difference between the two plans (10.2), a downgrade prorates the difference for full months remaining (10.5), and a downgrade can be refused if the new plan does not suit your current usage. WP Engine says downgrades take effect on your next billing date and recommends 30 days notice; moving from monthly to annual charges the prorated remainder at checkout, while annual to monthly requires contacting support.
Refunds and cancellation windows
SiteGround's refund article gives a full refund within 30 days of activation for shared hosting and 14 days for cloud hosting; domain fees are not refundable. For renewals, the terms give a full refund within 30 days of the renewal payment if the renewal term has not started, and otherwise refund the renewal fees less the first month (9.4, 9.5). Refunds are processed within 10 business days of cancellation (9.7).
Kinsta's billing docs reference its 30-day Money-Back Guarantee, which starts from the date you switch plans if you move to a plan without a free month, and state that account credits are non-refundable. WP Engine's terms say fees are not refundable except as expressly stated; check your order form for any guarantee before you buy.
Checklist before you accept an invoice or renewal
- Multiply the introductory rate by the term to get the real first payment.
- Find the renewal price in your account, not only on the marketing page.
- Note the auto-renewal charge date (15 days early at SiteGround on annual terms).
- Read the overage rates for visits, bandwidth and disk, and when they are billed.
- Before changing plans, check whether the change is prorated now or applied at the next billing date.
- Diary the refund window and any notice period for non-renewal (30 days at WP Engine).
Questions before you decide
Does the introductory price apply when my hosting renews?
Not at SiteGround: its terms say renewal uses then-current renewal fees, which may differ from the initial term, and the plan page shows a separate renews-at price, for example $29.99 a month for GrowBig after $4.99.
When are overages billed?
Kinsta bills overages at the end of the month when the plan renews. WP Engine charges visit overages monthly, whether the plan is paid monthly or annually, and its terms describe overage fees as invoiced monthly in arrears.
How does proration work when I upgrade?
At Kinsta, proration is calculated down to the second: unused time on the old plan is credited and the remaining time on the new plan is charged. SiteGround charges the difference between plans on upgrade, and WP Engine applies downgrades on the next billing date.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- SiteGround: WordPress hosting plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: Terms of Service Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: when will I be billed for renewal Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: refund policy Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: WordPress hosting plan billing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: overages Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: Terms of Service Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: how visits are counted Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: bandwidth causes and effects Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: change plan Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.