Service Cancellation: Immediate vs. End-of-Billing-Cycle
At Hovixa, we provide a self-service cancellation process that allows you to decommission infrastructure according to your specific project timelines. Understanding the technical distinction between "Immediate" and "End of Billing Cycle" requests is critical to preventing accidental data loss or unwanted automated renewals.
1. The Cancellation Workflow
A cancellation request is a formal instruction to the system to stop invoicing and eventually purge the associated data. This action is separate from simply letting an invoice expire.
- Log in to the Hovixa Client Portal.
- Navigate to Services > My Services.
- Select the active service you wish to terminate and click Manage.
- In the sidebar or under the "Actions" menu, click Request Cancellation.
- Briefly describe your reason for leaving (this helps our engineering team improve the platform).
2. Choosing Your Cancellation Type
You will be presented with two distinct options. Selecting the wrong one can lead to immediate downtime.
| Option | Technical Behavior | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate | The service is terminated within 24 hours (usually during the next automated system cron run). DNS, files, and VPS instances are purged. | Testing environments, compromised sites, or services you no longer wish to exist online for even another hour. |
| End of Billing Cycle | The service remains active until the "Next Due Date." No further invoices will be generated. Termination occurs at the end of the paid term. | Production sites where you want to utilize the remaining days you've already paid for, but do not wish to renew. |
3. Critical Data Warnings
- Irreversible Purge: Once a cancellation is processed (especially "Immediate"), the server data, databases, and configuration files are purged from the node. We cannot guarantee recovery of data from a cancelled service.
- Backups: Before submitting a request, ensure you have used JetBackup (for cPanel) or Snapshots (for VPS) to download an offline copy of your data.
- Domain Names: Cancelling a hosting or VPS plan does not cancel your domain registration. Domains must be managed separately under the "Domains" section.
4. Technical Implementation & Invoicing
- Automated Stop: Once a cancellation request is submitted, any "Unpaid" future invoices for that specific service will be automatically marked as "Cancelled" by the system.
- Refund Policy: Cancellation does not automatically trigger a refund for remaining time. Please refer to the Hovixa Terms of Service regarding our 30-day money-back guarantee for new shared hosting accounts.
- Retraction: If you change your mind before the termination date, you must open a Support Ticket immediately to request the removal of the cancellation flag.
Pro Tip: For high-stakes production environments, always choose "End of Billing Cycle." This provides a safety buffer in case you realize you missed a specific file or database during your migration process.
