diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
index a7551757..06680652 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ const BILLING_ERROR_PATTERNS = [
   {
     pattern: /not enough credits/i,
     title: 'You\'ve run out of credits',
-    subtitle: 'Upgrade your plan for more credits, or wait for your billing cycle to reset.',
+    subtitle: 'Upgrade your plan for more credits. Free usage resets daily at 00:00 UTC.',
     cta: 'Upgrade plan',
   },
   {
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings/account-settings.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings/account-settings.tsx
index 1860305d..feee291b 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings/account-settings.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings/account-settings.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export function AccountSettings({ dialogOpen }: AccountSettingsProps) {
   const [connecting, setConnecting] = useState(false)
   const [appUrl, setAppUrl] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const { billing, isLoading: billingLoading } = useBilling(isRowboatConnected)
+  const hasPaidSubscription = billing?.subscriptionPlan === 'starter' || billing?.subscriptionPlan === 'pro'
 
   const checkConnection = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
@@ -178,9 +179,12 @@ export function AccountSettings({ dialogOpen }: AccountSettingsProps) {
                 {!billing.subscriptionPlan && (
                   <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">Subscribe to access AI features</p>
                 )}
+                {billing.subscriptionPlan === 'free' && (
+                  <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">Free usage resets daily at 00:00 UTC.</p>
+                )}
               </div>
               <Button variant="outline" size="sm" onClick={() => appUrl && window.open(`${appUrl}?intent=upgrade`)}>
-                {!billing.subscriptionPlan ? 'Subscribe' : 'Change plan'}
+                {!billing.subscriptionPlan ? 'Subscribe' : billing.subscriptionPlan === 'free' ? 'Upgrade' : 'Change plan'}
               </Button>
             </div>
           </div>
@@ -203,15 +207,15 @@ export function AccountSettings({ dialogOpen }: AccountSettingsProps) {
         <Button
           variant="outline"
           size="sm"
-          disabled={!billing?.subscriptionPlan}
+          disabled={!hasPaidSubscription}
           onClick={() => appUrl && window.open(appUrl)}
           className="gap-1.5"
         >
           <ExternalLink className="size-3" />
           Manage in Stripe
         </Button>
-        {!billing?.subscriptionPlan && (
-          <p className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground">Subscribe to a plan first</p>
+        {!hasPaidSubscription && (
+          <p className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground">Upgrade to a paid plan first</p>
         )}
       </div>
 
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx
index 51aa3940..59ab130c 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@ export function SidebarContentPanel({
               onClick={() => appUrl && window.open(`${appUrl}?intent=upgrade`)}
               className="shrink-0 rounded-md bg-sidebar-foreground/10 px-2.5 py-1 text-[11px] font-medium text-sidebar-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-sidebar-foreground/20"
             >
-              {!billing.subscriptionPlan ? 'Subscribe' : billing.subscriptionPlan === 'starter' ? 'Upgrade' : 'Manage'}
+              {!billing.subscriptionPlan || billing.subscriptionPlan === 'free' || billing.subscriptionPlan === 'starter' ? 'Upgrade' : 'Manage'}
             </button>
           </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/hooks/useBilling.ts b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/hooks/useBilling.ts
index 728c6c97..19c001cf 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/hooks/useBilling.ts
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/hooks/useBilling.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,5 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react'
-
-interface BillingInfo {
-  userEmail: string | null
-  userId: string | null
-  subscriptionPlan: string | null
-  subscriptionStatus: string | null
-  trialExpiresAt: string | null
-  sanctionedCredits: number
-  availableCredits: number
-}
+import type { BillingInfo } from '@x/shared/dist/billing.js'
 
 export function useBilling(isRowboatConnected: boolean) {
   const [billing, setBilling] = useState<BillingInfo | null>(null)
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/core/src/billing/billing.ts b/apps/x/packages/core/src/billing/billing.ts
index 2365364d..22bc3d5a 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/core/src/billing/billing.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/core/src/billing/billing.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,6 @@
 import { getAccessToken } from '../auth/tokens.js';
 import { API_URL } from '../config/env.js';
-
-export interface BillingInfo {
-  userEmail: string | null;
-  userId: string | null;
-  subscriptionPlan: string | null;
-  subscriptionStatus: string | null;
-  trialExpiresAt: string | null;
-  sanctionedCredits: number;
-  availableCredits: number;
-}
+import type { BillingInfo, BillingPlan } from '@x/shared/dist/billing.js';
 
 export async function getBillingInfo(): Promise<BillingInfo> {
   const accessToken = await getAccessToken();
@@ -25,7 +16,7 @@ export async function getBillingInfo(): Promise<BillingInfo> {
       email: string;
     };
     billing: {
-      plan: string | null;
+      plan: BillingPlan | null;
       status: string | null;
       trialExpiresAt: string | null;
       usage: {
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/billing.ts b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/billing.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dca3343a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/billing.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { z } from 'zod';
+
+export const BillingPlanSchema = z.enum(['free', 'starter', 'pro']);
+export type BillingPlan = z.infer<typeof BillingPlanSchema>;
+
+export const BillingInfoSchema = z.object({
+  userEmail: z.string().nullable(),
+  userId: z.string().nullable(),
+  subscriptionPlan: BillingPlanSchema.nullable(),
+  subscriptionStatus: z.string().nullable(),
+  trialExpiresAt: z.string().nullable(),
+  sanctionedCredits: z.number(),
+  availableCredits: z.number(),
+});
+export type BillingInfo = z.infer<typeof BillingInfoSchema>;
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/index.ts b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/index.ts
index 8d600c5d..02f980a2 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/index.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/index.ts
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ export * as promptBlock from './prompt-block.js';
 export * as frontmatter from './frontmatter.js';
 export * as bases from './bases.js';
 export * as browserControl from './browser-control.js';
+export * as billing from './billing.js';
 export { PrefixLogger };
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts
index 9ac31ce6..60ef9617 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { UserMessageContent } from './message.js';
 import { RowboatApiConfig } from './rowboat-account.js';
 import { ZListToolkitsResponse } from './composio.js';
 import { BrowserStateSchema } from './browser-control.js';
+import { BillingInfoSchema } from './billing.js';
 
 // ============================================================================
 // Runtime Validation Schemas (Single Source of Truth)
@@ -878,15 +879,7 @@ const ipcSchemas = {
   // Billing channels
   'billing:getInfo': {
     req: z.null(),
-    res: z.object({
-      userEmail: z.string().nullable(),
-      userId: z.string().nullable(),
-      subscriptionPlan: z.string().nullable(),
-      subscriptionStatus: z.string().nullable(),
-      trialExpiresAt: z.string().nullable(),
-      sanctionedCredits: z.number(),
-      availableCredits: z.number(),
-    }),
+    res: BillingInfoSchema,
   },
 } as const;