How Otterdock Payments Work with Creem: Checkout, Keys, Refunds
Buying Pro for the Direct edition: Creem as Merchant of Record, the checkout, your license key, three Macs per key, 30-day refunds, and privacy.
Clicking Buy License in the Direct edition opens a Creem checkout page in your browser. Creem is the Merchant of Record: it takes the payment, handles tax, sends the receipt and processes refunds. You receive a license key by email and from the confirmation page, paste it into Otterdock Settings > License, and it activates on up to three Macs. Otterdock never sees your card. Refunds within 30 days go through us or Creem. The Mac App Store edition does not use Creem at all; it buys Pro through Apple's in-app purchase.
On this page
Buying a one-time license from a small developer raises reasonable questions: who is actually charging my card, what do I get, what if it does not work, and what does the app learn about me. This page walks through the Direct edition's purchase from the Buy button to activation and refund, and names every party involved. The Mac App Store edition is covered at the end, because it uses a completely different path.
Who is involved
- SaveTimeForFun makes Otterdock, sets the price and issues licenses.
- Creem is the Merchant of Record. In Creem's own definition, that means it is the legal seller: it processes the payment, collects and remits sales tax or VAT for your country, issues the receipt, and handles refunds and chargebacks. Its name is what you see on your card statement.
- Our license server (
api.savetimefor.fun) checks keys when Otterdock activates, validates or deactivates a device. It relays to Creem's licensing API and never handles payment details. - Your bank or wallet processes the card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or regional method you choose at checkout. Creem's documentation lists which methods appear; it varies by country, currency and device, so two buyers can see different lists.
Otterdock itself never sees a card number, and the payment page is Creem's, in your browser.
Step by step: from Buy to Pro
- Hit a limit or open Settings. The upgrade appears when you try to create a third group or a ninth item, and is always available in Settings > License > Buy License. Either opens the checkout in your default browser.
- Checkout on Creem. The page shows the price in your currency (US$6.99 is the reference price; local price and tax are computed by Creem), the available payment methods, and asks for an email address. That address is where the key goes, so use one you can read.
- Pay. Creem charges the method you chose and shows a confirmation page with your license key. The same key is emailed to you. Keep it; it is the proof of purchase.
- Return to Otterdock. The confirmation page links back to the activation page on our site, and from there to the app. Otterdock Settings > License has a field for the key.
- Activate. Paste the key and click Activate. Otterdock asks the license server to register this Mac as one of the key's three devices and stores the key in your Keychain. macOS may show a Keychain prompt asking for your login password the first time; the app explains it before it appears.
- Pro is on. Group and item limits disappear, skins and the custom opener unlock. What exactly changed is listed in Free vs Pro.
The whole thing takes a couple of minutes. If step 3 happened but step 5 fails, see troubleshooting below.
Devices, moving and deactivating
A key activates on up to three Macs at once. In Settings > License, Otterdock shows "N of 3 devices". To move to a new Mac, click Deactivate this device on the old one, then activate on the new one. If the old Mac is lost or wiped, email support and we release the slot.
Otterdock re-validates the key with the server occasionally. If the Mac is offline, Pro keeps working through a grace period; if the server reports the key as revoked (for example after a refund), the app returns to the free tier and tells you why.
Refunds
Direct edition purchases have a 30-day refund policy. Email support@savetimefor.fun with the email address you used at checkout (or the order number from Creem's receipt). We issue the refund through Creem, which returns the money to the original payment method; timing then depends on your bank, typically a few business days. The license is revoked at the same time, so the app goes back to the free tier and your groups beyond the free limits stay visible but locked.
Chargebacks (disputing the charge with your bank instead of asking us) are handled by Creem under its published process; they are slower and we would rather you just email.
What Otterdock learns from a purchase
- The license server learns the key and a device identifier for each activated Mac, so the three-device limit can be enforced.
- If usage analytics is turned on in Settings, Otterdock can associate its random installation ID with your order so we can see which feature led to the purchase. The Settings text says so, and turning analytics off stops it. In Mac App Store 1.1.4 and later analytics is off until you enable it; in Direct 1.1.3 it is on by default with a switch.
- Your card, address and tax details stay with Creem and your payment provider. Otterdock does not receive them.
- Your groups and files are never part of any of this; they stay on your Mac. The complete inventory of what is local and what goes online is in privacy, permissions and local data.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Paid, no key | Check the confirmation page and spam folder; then email support with your checkout email |
| "Unable to reach the license server" | Check the connection; a VPN or firewall blocking api.savetimefor.fun is the usual cause. Pro stays on during the grace period |
| "Activation limit reached" | Three Macs already active. Deactivate one, or ask support to release a slot |
| "This license has been revoked" | The purchase was refunded or disputed. If that is wrong, email support |
| Key pasted with spaces or line breaks | Paste again; keys are a single line |
| Keychain prompt every launch | Choose Always Allow in the macOS prompt so Otterdock can read its own key |
The Mac App Store edition is different
The App Store edition does not use Creem. Pro is an in-app purchase: tap Buy in the app, confirm with Apple, and Pro unlocks on every Mac signed in to that Apple Account via Restore Purchases. Receipts come from Apple, and refunds follow Apple's process at reportaproblem.apple.com. Prices are set in Apple's local currencies from the same US$6.99 reference.
The two editions' purchases do not transfer to each other, so decide on the edition before buying; the deciding factors are in Direct vs Mac App Store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the checkout say Creem instead of Otterdock on my statement?
Creem is the Merchant of Record, the legal seller of the transaction, so its name is what appears on card statements and receipts. SaveTimeForFun is the developer; Creem is the seller.
I paid but have no license key. What now?
The key is on the confirmation page and in the email from Creem; check spam. If neither arrived within a few minutes, email support@savetimefor.fun with the email address you used at checkout and we will look it up.
On how many Macs can I use one key?
Three at a time. Deactivate on a Mac you no longer use (Settings > License > Deactivate this device) to free the slot. If the Mac is gone, support can release it.
Is Pro a subscription?
No. It is a one-time purchase. There is no renewal and no trial that converts.
How do refunds work?
Within 30 days of purchase, email support with your order email and we process the refund through Creem; the money returns to the original payment method. The license is revoked when the refund is issued.
Does the Mac App Store edition use Creem?
No. It sells Pro through Apple's in-app purchase, with Apple's receipt and refund process. The two editions' purchases are separate.