Help & FAQ.

What is Mainstay?

Mainstay is a preparedness membership for households. It tracks your supplies, watches every expiration date, reads the risks where you live, and walks you through a readiness plan one clear step at a time — so being ready is a habit, not a project.

Who is Mainstay for?

Capable, self-reliant households who would rather be prepared than worried. No fear, no doomsday theater — just an organized system for the supplies, dates, documents, and plans a household already wants handled.

What does the free tier include?

The Field Kit tier is free for good: a supply inventory for up to 25 items, the expiration list view, every free Mainstay field guide, and the weekly Field Notes newsletter.

What do I get with Pro?

Pro Membership ($8.95/month, or $89/year with two months free) adds unlimited inventory, local threat and seasonal intelligence for your area, the guided readiness plan and score, the document vault, and household sharing.

What is the Lifetime membership?

One payment of $199 for every Pro feature, for good — no recurring bill, all future updates included, and a founding-member badge on your account.

How do I cancel or change my membership?

From the app: Account → Manage billing opens your secure billing portal, where you can cancel, switch between monthly and annual, or update your card. Canceling keeps your access through the end of the period you already paid for.

Can my whole household use one membership?

Yes. Pro and Lifetime include household sharing — the account owner can invite up to four other members, and everyone works from the same inventory, plan, and vault.

How do I put Mainstay on my phone?

Mainstay runs in your browser and installs to your home screen like any app — no app store needed. On iPhone: open app.mainstaykit.com in Safari, tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen.” On Android: open it in Chrome, tap the menu, then “Add to Home screen.” It works offline once installed.

Is my data private?

Yes. Your inventory and household data are yours, vault documents are encrypted at rest, payments are handled by Stripe so card numbers never touch our servers, and we never sell data. The full picture is in the privacy policy.

How do I reach a human?

Email support@mainstaykit.com — a real person reads it and replies.

Mainstay provides general household-preparedness information and organization tools — not professional emergency, medical, legal, or safety advice. In an emergency, follow the guidance of local authorities and emergency services. For safety standards, verify anything critical against official sources such as FEMA, the National Weather Service, and the American Red Cross.