# Licence expiry and auto-renew

_Billing · 3 min read · Updated 2026-10-21 · https://lanachat.ai/guides/licence-expiry-and-auto-renew/_

A new licence runs for 30 days from the moment it is assigned to an account (a licence that went back to your stock keeps its days left). With **auto-renew** on, the account gets a new licence when its days run out, without you doing anything. Auto-renew is on by default when you assign a licence.

## How auto-renew works

When the days run out, for an account with auto-renew on:

1. LanaChat takes **a licence from your stock**: the stock licence with the fewest days left is used first: its remaining days, or 30 days if it is new.
2. If the stock is empty, it **buys one single licence ($19) from your balance**.
3. With no licence in stock and less than $19 on the balance, nothing can renew: the licence expires and **Lana stops on that account** until a licence is assigned to it.

To turn it off, use the switch of the account. The switch is per account, in **Billing**, **Licences** tab, column **Auto-renew**. Above the table, "Auto-renew on for 10 of 12 accounts" tells you where you stand, and **Turn on auto-renew for all** (or **Turn off auto-renew for all**) acts on every account shown, after a confirmation.

![Expiring soon: the accounts with 7 days or less, with their auto-renew switch](https://lanachat.ai/guides/img/licence-expiry-and-auto-renew/expiring-soon.png)
> Tip: Filter by creator before you press **Turn on auto-renew for all**: it only acts on the accounts the table shows.

## Keep an eye on expiry

- **Expiring within 7 days**, at the top of the tab, counts the licences close to their end.
- The **Expiring soon** filter lists them.
- The Overview shows "next renewal in N days" next to your licences.

## When a licence expires

An account whose licence has ended shows a red **Expired** badge. **Lana stops on that account** until a licence is assigned to it. Two buttons:

- **Renew**: gives it a licence from your stock (the stock licence with the fewest days left is used first: its remaining days, or 30 days if it is new), or buys a single licence ($19) if the stock is empty. With less than $19 on the balance, the Console says "Not enough balance. Top up first."
- **Unassign**: clears the account from the licence list.

> Note: Cheaper renewals: buy a pack ahead of time. Auto-renew always takes from the stock first, so a pack of 25 bought at $15 each is used before any $19 single.

## Questions

### Do licences in stock expire?

Never. Only the 30 days of an assigned licence count down.

### What if my balance is empty when a renewal is due?

Auto-renew cannot buy a licence without balance. Keep your stock or your balance ready for the renewals shown in "next renewal in N days", and see [When your balance runs low or hits $0](https://lanachat.ai/guides/low-or-empty-balance/).

## Related

- [Assign, move or take back a licence](https://lanachat.ai/guides/assign-and-move-licences/)
- [Buy licences](https://lanachat.ai/guides/buy-licences/)
- [When your balance runs low or hits $0](https://lanachat.ai/guides/low-or-empty-balance/)