1 Milestone Payment Schedule
Every build is paid in stages tied to what you can see and use — so you pay as the work proves out, and never float months of unbuilt work.
Start
Start invoice
A signed agreement and a start invoice begin the work.
30%
~2 weeks
Prototype
30% of balance at working mockups / prototype
30%
2–4 weeks
Staging
30% at a reviewable staging build
40%
2–4 weeks
Handoff
Remaining 40% at final delivery / go-live
How it works: the signed agreement (MSA + SOW) sets the scope, acceptance criteria, payment schedule and a liability cap for each engagement; where it uses milestones, the balance after the start invoice is split 30% / 30% / 40% unless the SOW says otherwise. The start invoice is credited toward the engagement. A Private AI Lab retainer, where applicable, is billed monthly in advance with a 3-month minimum. Timelines are targets and move with access readiness and review turnaround. Estimate only, not an offer. We do not take medical, card-payment or other regulated data unless a signed agreement scopes it.
2 Refunds & Cancellation
QMAI sells custom engineering, design, and AI consulting services — labor and delivered work, not returnable goods. This policy reflects that plainly.
Start invoice
A signed agreement and a start invoice begin the work. The start invoice is credited to the engagement. If QMAI cannot start or declines the engagement, it is refunded in full. Once work has started, the start invoice is governed by the signed agreement.
Milestone payments
Each milestone payment is for work already delivered and accepted at that stage. Once a milestone is delivered, its payment is non-refundable. You only ever pay ahead of work by the start invoice.
Cancellation
- You may cancel at any time with written notice. You owe for work performed and milestones delivered through the cancellation date, and nothing for future milestones.
- Work completed to that point is delivered to you upon final settlement of amounts due.
Retainers (Private AI Lab)
Billed monthly in advance, with a 3-month minimum; after that, either party may end the retainer on 30 days' written notice. Fees already billed for the current period are non-refundable.
If something isn't right
Revisions, not refunds. Because this is labor, problems are handled by fixing the work, not returning it. Revisions within scope are handled as the SOW sets out, and the SOW's acceptance criteria decide when a milestone is complete.
AI outputs are assistive and require your review. QMAI's total liability is limited to fees paid in the preceding period, and neither party is liable for indirect or consequential damages. This is a plain-language summary; the signed Master Services Agreement governs where terms differ. Not legal advice.