How self-ransom works
LessLLM is free, and most blocks let you stop for free. Self-ransom is for people who want an enforcement option with real teeth — the break-glass version. You never have to use it.
What it is
Think of a blackout you can get out of only in a genuine break-glass moment, by pre-agreeing on an amount you'd pay to lift it. That's self-ransom. You set the amount when you create the block; it holds until its window ends, or until you choose to pay and break the glass early. The cost lands at the exact moment you're deciding whether to violate your own rule — the only moment it matters.
The amounts
You choose one when you create the block:
Payments are processed by Stripe; LessLLM never sees your card details.
Where the money goes
It keeps LessLLM running — payment processing, plus the servers and upkeep behind the app — and whatever is left over supports the person who made it. We're not going to pretend there's something noble about that; the deterrent is the loss, not the destination. It is non-refundable: that's the “AF” in Serious AF Self-Ransom. A penalty only changes your behavior if you genuinely can't claw it back in a weak moment.
Why it has to really be gone
Negative reinforcement only works if the money is actually gone. Pay yourself and there's no teeth. Pay a friend and they'll hand it back the first time you ask — and now someone you care about is tangled up in policing your worst impulse. The only thing that matters is that you can't claw it back.
The exact terms are on the Refund Policy.