Frequently asked questions

Is there a free trial — can I build before paying?

There's no trial, because you don't need one. Signing up is free — no card needed — and so is building: create as many drafts as you like, preview them on desktop and mobile, and take as long as you want. Nothing expires.

You only pay when you're ready to publish — publishing is simply the moment your site becomes publicly visible. Until then, everything is free.

Do I need technical or design skills to build a site with Pylon?

Not at all. Your vision shouldn't be held back by a lack of design or technical know-how. We've hand-crafted a wide variety of components for you to explore, configure, and swap until your site looks exactly the way you want. You bring the vision — we'll worry about the rest.

Can I edit my site after it's published?

Yes — it's your site, your way. You're free to edit and republish whenever you feel like making a change, as often as you like.

Will my site show up on Google?

We do the groundwork automatically: every published site ships with proper page titles, descriptions, a sitemap and structured data, so Google can read and index it without you lifting a finger.

What nobody can honestly promise is where you'll rank. That takes time, and depends on your content and what people search for. We make sure you start on a sound footing — the rest builds as your site does.

What kinds of sites can't I build yet?

Pylon builds five kinds of site today: digital invites, gift registries, portfolios, business websites, and online storefronts. Blogs and booking systems aren't part of the platform yet.

If your site needs something we don't have, tell us at support@pylonsites.co.za — what we build next is guided by what people ask for.

How much does Pylon cost, and what's included in each plan?

Pylon has three plans, each scoped to the kind of site you're building. Lite covers digital invitations and gift registries; Pro covers portfolios, business websites and product catalogues; and Pro Plus unlocks full online stores with checkout, payments, and delivery built in. Pro and Pro Plus are also available as yearly subscriptions at a discounted rate. For current pricing, visit our pricing page.

Can I change my plan later?

Yes. Your plan follows your site: if you're on Lite and add, say, a contact form, your site now falls under Pro — when you publish, we'll ask you to confirm the upgrade (monthly or yearly, your choice) before the site goes live. Downgrades don't happen automatically: if you'd like to move to a lower plan, cancel your current subscription and subscribe to the new one.

What happens to my site if I cancel my subscription?

Cancelling doesn't cut you off overnight. Your cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — you've already paid for that time, so you keep full access to everything until then. After that, your site comes offline, but your work isn't lost — your data stays saved for up to 60 days after cancellation, so you can resubscribe and pick up right where you left off. See our Terms of Service for the details on data retention.

How do I pay for my subscription?

By card, through Paystack — the same payment processor that handles your storefront's sales. Plans are billed monthly, or yearly at a discount on Pro and Pro Plus. See our pricing page for the current rates.

Can I get a refund?

Within your first 7 days, yes. South African law (the ECT Act) gives you a cooling-off period: cancel your initial subscription within 7 days of the service starting and we refund the subscription fee in full, within 30 days. This doesn't apply to renewals, or to domain purchases — a domain is non-refundable once registered.

Outside the cooling-off period, cancelling stops future billing rather than refunding the current one — you keep full access until the period you've paid for ends. The Terms of Service have the detail.

Does Pylon take a commission on my sales?

No — and we never will. Pylon exists to uplift and support businesses of every size, and taking a cut of your sales would work against exactly that. All you need is an active subscription: 100% of every sale is paid directly into the income account set in your profile. (Paystack, our payment processor, charges its own standard transaction fee — see Paystack's pricing for details.)

How do I get paid when a customer buys from my store?

Once you're logged in, head to Account Settings and fill in your Income Account details. It's a one-time setup — every site you create that generates sales will route those funds straight to that account.

How does delivery work for my online store?

Delivery is built in. Pylon integrates with The Courier Guy out of the box: when you're ready to ship, simply action the sale from your Orders tab, and collection and delivery are arranged for you. Prefer your own courier? No problem — arrange the shipment yourself and use our manual waybill tracking to keep your customers in the loop.

Do I get a free web address? Can I use my own domain?

Yes and yes. When you publish, your site automatically gets its own address at yoursitename.pylonsites.co.za. If you already own a domain and would rather use that, we provide a step-by-step guide to route your traffic through it — and your free Pylon address stays active alongside it. Want a brand-new custom domain? You can purchase one right from the Domains tab.

Do you offer business email?

Not yet. If you have a custom domain, an email service such as Google Workspace can run your mail on it — it works independently of your Pylon site, so the two sit comfortably side by side.

If built-in business email would matter to you, tell us at support@pylonsites.co.za — it helps us decide what to build next.

Is my information — and my customers' information — safe?

We take that responsibility seriously. Your data is protected with appropriate technical and organisational safeguards — including encryption, access controls, and secure infrastructure — and we process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). That means you have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your information at any time.

When it comes to your customers: payments are handled by Paystack, our payment processor, and information your site collects from your customers — like names and delivery details — is collected on your behalf. You act as the data controller and Pylon processes that information for you, so we recommend reading our Privacy Policy to understand what that means for your business.

For the full picture, see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Who owns my site's content — and what happens to it if I leave?

The content you create is yours — our Terms say it plainly: you retain ownership of everything you upload. Pylon hosts and publishes it on your behalf; it never becomes ours.

If you cancel, your data stays saved for up to 60 days after your subscription ends, so you can resubscribe and pick up where you left off. After that window it may be permanently deleted — the Terms of Service have the detail. There's no self-serve export today; if that matters to you, tell us at support@pylonsites.co.za.