---
url: /gst-manager-acellemail/licensing.md
description: >-
  How GST Manager for AcelleMail is licensed — the Leased and Lifetime license
  types, the license-gated GST admin surface, and how to enter, re-activate and
  manage your key.
---

# Licensing

GST Manager is licensed per install. This page explains the two license types, what the license
actually gates, and how you enter and manage your key inside AcelleMail.

## The two license types

| Type | What you get | Updates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Leased** | Works while the license is active. | Updates included for as long as it stays active. |
| **Lifetime** | Perpetual use of the installed version — you own it forever. | Newer versions need an active **Support & Updates** plan. |

Your key's prefix tells you which family it belongs to: **OWNED** and **LIFETIME** keys are
perpetual, while **LEASED**, **MONTHLY**, **ANNUAL**, **TRIAL** and **FREE** keys are time-limited.

## The license-gated feature

The gated feature is the **whole GST admin surface**. Until a valid key is Active, GST Manager shows
only its **License** page: the sidebar entry, the top pill tabs and the Plugin Settings navigation
all collapse to it, and any other plugin URL redirects back to the License page with a message.
Enter a valid key and everything — Dashboard, Setup, Reports — opens up.

Your subscribers are never affected by a network hiccup. The subscriber-facing paths — the invoice
PDF, the paid-invoice download and the `{Bank_Details}` tag — use the offline gate only and **never
block** on the licensing server.

## Where to enter and manage your key

You manage your license under **GST Manager → Plugin Settings → License**.

![The License page in Plugin Settings](/gst-manager-acellemail/img/gst-licensing-license-page.png)
*GST Manager → Plugin Settings → License*

* **Activate** — paste your key and activate it on this domain. Help on the field: "Get one from
  relyweb.co. Domain, IP, and install path are validated on activation."
* **Re-activate** — use this if access has stopped after a prolonged outage or a binding mismatch
  (for example after a migration to a new domain, server IP or install path).
* **Deactivate this license** — release the license from this domain. You are asked to confirm:
  "Deactivate this license on this domain?"

Once active, the key is shown **masked** — the full key is never displayed again. A status is only
shown when the live check and the offline binding agree.

::: info How the check works
GST Manager checks your license **locally in the background**. The check is refreshed on admin page
loads, on activation, and by the daily scheduler (no admin login needed). Brief licensing-server
outages are tolerated; if access stops after a prolonged failure or a binding mismatch, simply
**re-activate** on the License page to restore it.
:::

If you need to force a check from the server, run this from your AcelleMail Laravel root:

```
php artisan gstmanager:license:refresh
```

## Related pages

* [Requirements](/gst-manager-acellemail/requirements) — why a license is needed
* [Installation](/gst-manager-acellemail/installation) — enter your key during setup
* [Settings reference](/gst-manager-acellemail/settings) — the License page fields
* [Error reference](/gst-manager-acellemail/errors) — the license gate messages and what to do