BESTMOW Transaction Systems Overview

BESTMOW has operated four transaction/billing systems. As of mid-2026, subscription and financing systems are being retired: for new orders in both the U.S. and Canada, the only option is a one-time purchase (through Shopify at bestmow.com, Amazon, or the official BESTMOW eBay store). Identifying which system, plan, and market a customer is on is essential for providing correct account management guidance.

⚠️ Plaid Is Retiring — Migration Deadline August 15, 2026

Both Plaid plan variants — the rent-to-own plan ($59.99/month × 24 months) and the flexible subscription ($79.99/month + $60 setup) — are being retired.

All existing Plaid customers have been sent an EDM (email) containing an unlisted link where they choose one of two migration paths:
- Switch to an Appstle subscription, or
- Early unlock (buyout) — the exact amount is individually calculated and tier-based. There is no fixed price list; the customer's specific amount is shown in their EDM migration flow. Never quote or estimate an early-unlock amount.
Customers who have not responded to the EDM will be locked out after August 15, 2026.
The migration link is unlisted and is not published in this knowledge base. Direct customers to find the EDM in their email inbox (including spam/promotions folders). If a customer cannot find the EDM or needs it resent, escalate to a human support agent.
If a customer contacts support after August 15, 2026 with a locked mower and an unmigrated Plaid plan, escalate to a human support agent.

United States — Systems Status

System	Plan Type	Status	New Orders?
Shopify	One-time purchase	Active	Yes — along with Amazon and the official BESTMOW eBay store ("bestmow"). This is the only route for new orders.
Plaid	Rent-to-own — $59.99/month × 24 months, ownership after the 24th payment	Retiring — existing customers must migrate via their EDM link by August 15, 2026	No
Plaid	Flexible subscription — $79.99/month + $60 setup, no ownership	Retiring — existing customers must migrate via their EDM link by August 15, 2026	No
Fragile	Flexible subscription — no ownership. Original flexible-subscription route before the Plaid migration.	Existing customers only	No new orders since April 22, 2026
Appstle	Legacy rent-to-own ("Gold" $99/mo ×12, "Premium" $59.99/mo ×24) — and now also the destination for Plaid customers who choose the subscription migration path	Legacy contracts continue; receiving migrated Plaid subscriptions	No new direct orders

Canada — Systems Status

System	Plan Type	Status	New Orders?
Shopify	One-time purchase	Active	Yes — the only option for new Canadian orders
Appstle	Legacy rent-to-own — "Gold Plan" (CAD $139.99/mo, 12 months) and "Premium Plan" (CAD $79.99/mo, 24 months)	Being phased out	No new orders. Existing Canadian contracts continue processing until all leases are fully paid off.

Plaid and Fragile have never been available in Canada. Do not reference Plaid plans, Fragile plans, U.S. pricing, or the Plaid migration EDM when speaking with a Canadian customer.

⚠️ Price Collision Warning — $79.99

Two different plans share the $79.99 price point. Do not confuse them:

U.S. Plaid flexible subscription: $79.99 USD/month + $60 setup fee. No ownership. Retiring — no new orders; existing users must migrate by August 15, 2026.
Canada Appstle Premium Plan: CAD $79.99/month. Rent-to-own with ownership after 24 months. Legacy only — no new orders.

Always confirm the customer's country before discussing plan pricing.

Important: Gold Plan and Premium Plan Are Legacy Appstle Plans

The plan names "Gold" and "Premium" are legacy Appstle names only, in both markets:

U.S. Gold: $99/month, 12-month lease
U.S. Premium: $59.99/month, 24-month lease
Canada Gold: CAD $139.99/month, 12-month lease
Canada Premium: CAD $79.99/month, 24-month lease

These plans have not been available for new orders in either market since January 2026. Existing customers continue to be billed through Appstle until their lease is complete. Note that migrated Plaid subscription customers are also billed through Appstle, but on migration terms provided in their EDM flow — not on the legacy Gold/Premium plans.

How to Identify a Customer's System

First, confirm the customer's country (U.S. or Canada).

United States:

One-time purchase — Shopify, Amazon, or the official BESTMOW eBay store, regardless of order date.
Ordered before January 2026 with a subscription or lease — Appstle. Plan will be named "Gold" ($99/mo) or "Premium" ($59.99/mo).
Ordered January 2026 or later with rent-to-own — Plaid rent-to-own ($59.99/mo). Retiring — must migrate via EDM by August 15, 2026.
Ordered between January and April 22, 2026 with a flexible subscription — Fragile.
Ordered after April 22, 2026 with a flexible subscription — Plaid flexible ($79.99/mo + $60 setup). Retiring — must migrate via EDM by August 15, 2026.
Former Plaid customer who already completed migration — either an Appstle subscription (migration terms) or fully paid off via early unlock (owns the mower outright).

Canada:

One-time purchase — Shopify. This is the only option for new Canadian orders.
Ordered before January 2026 with a subscription or lease — Appstle. Plan will be named "Gold" (CAD $139.99/mo) or "Premium" (CAD $79.99/mo).

Why This Matters

Account management steps (reactivation, billing changes, payment updates) differ by system. The unpause, billing date, and payment method articles currently cover Appstle only. For Plaid and Fragile users — including anything related to the Plaid migration, early-unlock amounts, or post-deadline lockouts — escalate to a human support agent.

Off-Season Rates (Appstle Legacy Only — U.S.)

Off-season reduced rates apply only to legacy U.S. Appstle customers:

Premium Plan subscribers: $39.99/month (reduced from $59.99)
Gold Plan subscribers: $59.99/month (reduced from $99.00)

Maximum off-season duration: 4 months. These rates do not apply to Plaid, Fragile, migrated-Plaid, or Canadian customers.