Trial and licensing — PrivateACB

Two guides on one page: the trial, then buying, activating and managing a license. The prices and the money-back guarantee are on Pricing.

Trial System Guide

Overview#

PrivateACB includes a 30-day free trial that lets you evaluate all features before purchasing. During the trial, you can import transactions, calculate ACB, and view all reports — but export functionality is disabled until you activate a license.

Trial Duration: 30 days from first launch No registration, email, or sign-up required.

How the Trial Works#

First Launch#

When you launch PrivateACB for the first time, the trial begins automatically. The app detects it’s a fresh install and starts counting. No registration or account creation needed.

What You Can Do During Trial#

Full access to all features:

Create and open databases
Import transactions (CSV files)
Configure currency rates and fetch market data
Calculate ACB (Canadian), Cost Basis (US), CGT (Australian), and Capital Gains (UK) with all methods
View all report types (Schedule 3, Form 8949, CGT Summary, SA108, T1135, etc.)
Use all tax rules (superficial loss detection, wash sale detection, CGT discount, Section 104 pooling)
Use all deletion and data management tools

Restricted during trial:

Export reports to PDF or CSV — locked until licensed
Copy report data — locked until licensed

Trial Status Display#

The app shows your trial status:

“Trial: X days remaining” — Active trial with days left
“Trial Expired” — Trial period ended
“Licensed” — Valid license activated

Trial Expiration#

What Happens After 30 Days#

When the trial expires:

Export remains locked — You cannot export reports to PDF or CSV
Calculations blocked — The ACB Calculator shows a purchase prompt when you try to calculate
Reports show expiration notice — A one-time message appears; you can acknowledge it to continue viewing reports for the current session
Your data is NOT deleted — Everything you imported and calculated remains in your database

Once you purchase and activate a license, all features unlock immediately with your existing data.

Why This Model?#

The trial lets you:

Verify PrivateACB handles your exchange CSV formats
Confirm calculations match your expectations
Review reports before committing to purchase

You only pay after you’ve confirmed the app works for your needs.

Purchasing a License#

When to Purchase#

Purchase a license when:

You’ve verified the app works with your data
You need to export reports for tax filing
Your trial is about to expire

License Editions#

Five editions are available: Canada ($39 USD), United States ($39 USD), Australia ($39 USD), United Kingdom ($39 USD), or All Jurisdictions ($69 USD). All editions include CSV import, PDF/CSV export, and unlimited calculations. See the Licensing Guide for full details on what each edition includes.

How to Purchase#

Visit https://www.privateacb.com/pricing/ (or click “Purchase” in the app)
Select your edition
Complete checkout via Stripe (secure payment)
Receive license key via email
Enter the key in PrivateACB (Settings > License & Activation)

See the Licensing Guide for detailed activation instructions.

Trial vs. Licensed Comparison#

Feature	Trial (30 days)	Trial Expired	Licensed
Open databases	Yes	Yes	Yes
Import transactions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Calculate ACB/Cost Basis	Yes	Blocked (purchase prompt)	Yes
View reports	Yes	Yes (after acknowledging)	Yes
Export reports (PDF/CSV)	No	No	Yes
Copy report data	No	No	Yes

Technical Details#

Machine Binding#

The trial is bound to your computer’s hardware ID. This prevents trial abuse (reinstalling to get a new trial). If you:

Reinstall the app: Trial continues from where it left off
Use a different computer: A new trial begins on that machine
Significantly upgrade hardware: May be treated as a new machine

Where Trial Data Is Stored#

Trial information is stored at the OS level (Windows Registry with DPAPI encryption), not in your database. This means:

The trial persists across all databases you create
Deleting databases doesn’t reset the trial
The trial status is encrypted and tamper-protected

Common Questions#

Can I extend my trial?#

No. The 30-day trial cannot be extended. However, your data remains intact — purchase a license anytime to unlock exports.

What if my trial expires before I’m ready?#

Your data is safe. Everything you imported and calculated stays in your database. You can:

Purchase a license to continue with full access
Continue viewing reports (after acknowledging the expiration notice)
Return later when you’re ready to purchase

Can I use multiple computers?#

Yes. Each computer gets its own 30-day trial. Licenses can be activated on up to 3 devices (deactivate one to free up a slot).

Is internet required during trial?#

No. The trial works completely offline. Internet is only needed to purchase and initially activate a license.

Troubleshooting#

Checkout page won’t load (blank page or spinner)#

Some antivirus and internet security software (Kaspersky, Norton, Bitdefender, ESET, McAfee, and others) intercepts encrypted web traffic for scanning. This can prevent Stripe’s secure checkout page from loading.

Fix: Add these domains to your security software’s trusted sites or exclusion list:

buy.stripe.com
js.stripe.com
merchant-ui-api.stripe.com

The exact steps vary by software — look for “Trusted URLs”, “Web protection exclusions”, or “Encrypted connection scanning” in your security settings.

Quick checks:

Try incognito/private browsing — browser extensions (especially ad blockers) can also interfere
Try a different browser — if it works in another browser, a browser extension is the cause
Temporarily disable your security software — if checkout loads, you’ve confirmed the cause; re-enable it after adding the exclusions

This does not affect the security of your purchase — Stripe handles all payment processing on their own servers.

“Trial Expired” but I just installed#

The trial is tied to your machine, not the app installation. If you previously had PrivateACB installed (even a different version), the trial may have already started. Purchase a license to continue.

I purchased but still see “Trial”#

After purchasing, you must activate your license:

Go to Settings tab
Expand License & Activation panel
Enter your license key
Click Activate

See the Licensing Guide for detailed instructions.

“Trial status unavailable”#

This usually means the trial data is corrupted or inaccessible. The app will treat this as expired (fail-secure). If this happens on a fresh install, try restarting the application.

Next Steps#

During trial: Import your data, run calculations, review reports
Before expiration: Purchase at https://www.privateacb.com/pricing/
After purchase: Activate your license (see Licensing Guide)

Last Updated: July 2026 PrivateACB Version: 2.12.0

Licensing Guide

Licensing Overview#

PrivateACB uses a one-time purchase license model — no subscriptions, no recurring fees. Purchase once and use the software indefinitely.

This guide covers how to purchase, activate, and manage your license.

License Tiers#

PrivateACB offers five license editions based on jurisdiction:

Edition	Price	Jurisdiction	What You Get
Canada	$39 USD	Canada only	ACB calculations, Schedule 3, T1135, Superficial Loss, ACB Summary, Income Report, Audit Provenance
United States	$39 USD	US only	FIFO/LIFO/HIFO calculations, Form 8949, Schedule D, Wash Sale, Lot Tracking, Income Report, Audit Provenance
Australia	$39 USD	Australia only	FIFO/LIFO/HIFO calculations, CGT Summary (Q18), CGT Worksheet, CGT Discount, Lot Tracking, Income Report, Audit Provenance
United Kingdom	$39 USD	UK only	Section 104 pooling, SA108 Summary (HMRC boxes), Capital Gains Detail, Pool History, Income Report, Audit Provenance
All Jurisdictions	$69 USD	Canada + US + Australia + UK	All features for all jurisdictions combined

All editions include:

CSV import from any exchange
All tax reports for your jurisdiction(s)
PDF and CSV export
Unlimited calculations
Offline operation (no internet required after activation)

Trial vs. Licensed#

The 30-day trial gives you full access to calculate and view reports — the only restriction is exporting (PDF/CSV export and copying report data require a license). See the Trial System Guide for the full trial lifecycle, including what happens after expiration.

Buying a License#

Step 1: Visit the Pricing Page#

Go to https://www.privateacb.com/pricing/

You can also access the purchase page from within PrivateACB:

Click any locked export button — a purchase dialog appears with all four editions
Click “Purchase Now” on the trial banner

Step 2: Select Your Edition#

Choose based on your tax jurisdiction:

Canada ($39 USD) — If you only file Canadian taxes
United States ($39 USD) — If you only file US taxes
Australia ($39 USD) — If you only file Australian taxes
United Kingdom ($39 USD) — If you only file UK taxes
All Jurisdictions ($69 USD) — If you file in multiple jurisdictions

Step 3: Complete Checkout#

You’ll be redirected to Stripe’s secure checkout:

Enter your email address
Enter payment details (all major credit/debit cards accepted)
Click “Pay”

Step 4: Receive Your License Key#

Your license key is sent to your email immediately after payment. The email contains:

Your license key
Activation instructions

Check your spam folder if you don’t see the email within 5 minutes.

License Key Format#

License keys follow this format: {TIER}-{RANDOM}-{CHECKSUM}

Examples:

CA-STD-A3X7K9M2Q5-8F2D (Canada)
US-STD-B4Y8L0N3R6-9G3E (United States)
AU-STD-D6A2O5Q8T1-1I5G (Australia)
UK-STD-E7B3P6R9U2-2J6H (United Kingdom)
ALL-STD-C5Z9M1P4S7-0H4F (All Jurisdictions)

The prefix indicates your edition:

CA-STD = Canada
US-STD = United States
AU-STD = Australia
UK-STD = United Kingdom
ALL-STD = All Jurisdictions

Activating Your License#

Step 1: Open Settings#

Launch PrivateACB
Click the Settings tab in the navigation

Step 2: Find License Panel#

Look for “License & Activation” in the settings. Click to expand.

Step 3: Enter Your Key#

Enter your full license key in the input field
Include all dashes (e.g., CA-STD-A3X7K9M2Q5-8F2D)

Step 4: Click Activate#

Click the “Activate” button.

If successful:

The panel shows your licensed jurisdiction with a badge
Export buttons throughout the app become active
Trial indicators disappear

If unsuccessful:

An error message appears below the input
Double-check your key for typos (copy-paste from email is safest)
Ensure you’re entering the complete key including the checksum

Internet required: The first activation contacts our license server to register your machine (enforces a 3-device limit per key). After activation, no internet is needed.

After Activation#

Once licensed:

Export unlocked — PDF and CSV export buttons work for your jurisdiction’s reports
Copy protection removed — You can copy data from report viewers
License badge — Settings shows your active edition
Trial indicators gone — No more “Trial: X days remaining”

Jurisdiction Gating#

Your license determines which jurisdiction’s features are available:

Canada license: Can calculate and export Canadian reports only. US, Australian, and UK features are blocked.
US license: Can calculate and export US reports only. Canadian, Australian, and UK features are blocked.
Australia license: Can calculate and export Australian reports only. Canadian, US, and UK features are blocked.
UK license: Can calculate and export UK reports only. Canadian, US, and Australian features are blocked.
All Jurisdictions license: Full access to all features in all jurisdictions.

Managing Your License#

Viewing License Details#

Go to Settings > License & Activation to see:

Your license key
Licensed jurisdiction
Activation status

Deactivating Your License#

You can deactivate to use your key on a different computer:

Go to Settings > License & Activation
Click “Deactivate License”
Confirm when prompted

After deactivation:

The app reverts to trial mode (or expired state)
You can activate the same key on another machine
Your data remains intact — only the license is removed

License Storage#

Your license is stored securely in the Windows Registry using DPAPI encryption — not in the database. This means:

Your license persists across different databases
Opening a new or different database doesn’t affect your license
The license is protected at the OS level

Licensing Questions#

Is this a subscription?#

No. One-time purchase, use forever. No recurring fees.

How many computers can I use?#

Each license key can be activated on up to 3 devices. You can deactivate a device to free up a slot.

Do I need internet to use my license?#

Only for the initial activation (a brief server check). After that, the license works completely offline. Your financial data never leaves your computer.

What if I upgrade my computer?#

Your license is bound to your machine’s hardware ID. If you move to a new computer, deactivate on the old machine first, then activate on the new one. If you can’t access the old machine, you have 2 remaining device slots.

Can I get a refund?#

The 30-day trial lets you fully evaluate the software before purchasing. Contact support if you have issues after purchase.

Will my license work with future updates?#

Yes. Your license is valid for all updates within the current major version.

Can I transfer my license to someone else?#

No. Licenses are non-transferable.

I lost my license key — what do I do?#

Check your email for the original purchase confirmation from Stripe. If you can’t find it, contact support with your purchase email address.

Licensing Troubleshooting#

“Invalid license key”#

Check for typos (copy-paste from email is safest)
Ensure you include all dashes
Verify the key wasn’t truncated by your email client

“License activation failed”#

Check your internet connection (needed for initial activation only)
If the key has been activated on 3 devices already, deactivate one first
Try again in a few minutes if the server is temporarily unavailable

Export still blocked after activation#

Verify your license covers the jurisdiction you’re trying to export (a CA license can’t export US reports)
Close and reopen the app if the UI hasn’t refreshed
Check Settings to confirm the license shows as active

Features blocked for the “wrong” jurisdiction#

This is expected behavior for single-jurisdiction licenses. If you need features for multiple jurisdictions, purchase the All Jurisdictions edition ($69 USD).

Summary: Quick Start#

Try free — 30-day trial with full features (export locked)
Purchase at https://www.privateacb.com/pricing/ ($39 USD CA/US/AU/UK, or $69 USD All Jurisdictions)
Receive license key via email
Activate in Settings > License & Activation
Done — exports unlocked, no internet needed going forward

Last Updated: July 2026 PrivateACB Version: 2.12.0