Rocket Station

Rocket Station provides staffing solutions for small to medium-sized companies.

They describe their services as a “leading business process outsourcing provider for innovative companies.”

The company’s headquarters is located in Texas, U.S. Most of their virtual assistants are based in either the U.S. or the Philippines.

About Rocket Station

rocketstation reviewThe company started operations in 2018 and is headed up by CEO Robert Nickell, CFO Larry Nickell, and Director of operations Marc Nickell.

Rocket Station is a staffing solutions company, not a virtual assistant company with a team of VAs on standby ready to pick up work by the hour.

This means, if you want to build a huge team with a specific set of skills, they can do this for you. They’ll find the right candidates for your business and build a remote team you can work with from wherever you are in the world.

It’s their strict recruitment process that Rocket Station says separates them from other VA companies. They put all their applicants through a series of processes to find the “best of the best”, and only end up hiring less than 2% of all applicants.

After hiring an assistant, they put them through a training and onboarding program to ensure they’re up to the high standards they set.

Rocket Station Intro Video

How Rocket Station Works

If you’re interested in working with Rocket Station, it starts with a discovery call with a member of their team.

You can schedule a time slot via a calendar on their site, drop them an email, or pick up the phone and speak with a member of their team.

They then have a 3-step process they use to help their clients build a remote team:

  1. Alignment – During the discovery call, they’ll learn about your business on a deep level to work out the best staffing solution to meet your requirements.
  2. Build & Staff – They’ll then start to recruit and build a team specific to your business needs.
  3. Ongoing Support – After launching your team their staff keep in contact with you to ensure everything is running smoothly and will help make changes as needed.

Services

Their business directive is to “build a custom strategy for your business.” This covers just about any tasks that can be completed remotely, no matter how big or small.

To give you a better idea of the types of services they commonly supply to their clients, Rocket Station group their services into the following categories:

  • Customer care
  • Marketing and branding
  • Automation and optimization
  • Lead generation and sales
  • Executive assistants
  • Real estate virtual assistants
  • Accounting

Plans and Pricing

Rocket Station does not have any fixed monthly plans or hourly rates. Each contract is worked out on a case-by-case basis.

You can schedule a call with a member of their team to discuss your requirements and get a custom quote.

Rocket Station Alternatives

A couple of alternative companies to check out that offer a similar services are Remote Workmate and Virtual Coworker.

Both of these companies are based in Australia, and both specialize in building remote teams in the Philippines offering competitive hourly rates.

For real estate assistants, My OutDesk is perhaps best known.

If you don’t need a full team of people, you might consider a solo VA from OnlineJobs.ph or FreeeUp.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Rocket Station? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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myVA360

myVA360 is an international Virtual Assistance agency, based in the US. They offer a wide range of virtual services such as Executive Assistance, Social Media, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design and others.

About myVA360

The company was founded by CEO Jelena Mijajlovic in 2019. The headquarters are in Florida, Miami, however the team and their clients are spread throughout the world. 

myVA360 clients include individuals and teams in both professional and personal environments.

Clients get assigned one or more Virtual Assistant(s) who have the skills and personality to match their needs. 

There are no overheads, no hidden costs, no sign-up fees or complications. Clients pay by the hour, only for the time required. 

How myVA360 Works

If you’re interested in working with myVA360 you can contact them via email, phone, or by sending them a message on their site.

A member of their team will schedule a time to call you. Once they’ve learned more about you, your business and what skills you require, they will assign you the best-suited assistant. Following this, you will receive a 4-hour free trial. 

As a client of myVA360 you will have a dedicated Account Manager, access to Virtual Assistants with an array of skills, and access to tools such as Slack.

myVA360 Services

Here are some ideas as to how myVA360 can support your business needs:

  • Executives – Bookkeeping, calendar management, ad hoc tasks, travel arrangements, and more.
  • Entrepreneurs – Research, social media management, email management, any kind of remote tasks.
  • Small Businesses – Administrative tasks, social media management, managing teams, website maintenance, graphic design and more.
  • Real Estate Businesses – Prospecting, creating presentations and marketing materials, warm & cold calling, running errands, and more.
  • Amazon Sellers – Managing customer service, keyword research, writing up listings, shipping items, writing product listings, and more.
  • Personal Assistance – Online shopping, event planning, travel arrangements, research and more.

myVA360 Plans and Pricing

Signing up with myVA360 is as low risk as it gets with a virtual assistant company. They offer a free trial, money-back guarantee, and back-up support should your “VA” ever be sick or on holiday.

myVA360 currently has four pricing plans:

  • Starter – $419 per month for 15 hours ($28 per hour)
  • Pro – $780 per month for 30 hours ($26 per hour)
  • Master – $1080 per month for 45 hours ($24 per hour)
  • Elite – $1380 per month for 60 hours ($23 per hour)

myVA360 Alternatives

If you’re looking for alternative U.S.-based virtual assistant companies, myVA360’s hourly rates are comparable with Time ETC and Zirtual.

Prialto Time Etc MyTasker Boldly
Customer Rating
Established 2009 2007 2012 2012
Hourly Rate $27 $24-27 $7.50-14 $59
Minimum Package $1500 for 55+ hours $270 for 10 hours $140 for 10 hours $2360 for 40 hours
Dedicated Assistant
Minimum VA Experience Extensive in-house training 5 years In-house training 7 years
Team Access
Rollover Hours *does not charge overage
Free Trial
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

*Specialist services are available for an additional charge.

Other VA companies with a good deal of positive feedback worth checking out include BELAY, and Boldly. Their rates are a little higher, but you might find they have assistants that match up better with your business needs.

Your Turn

Have you worked with myVA360? If so, please take a moment to leave a quick review below to help others with their decision.

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Kimp

Kimp is a Canada-based design company offering unlimited graphic design tasks for a flat monthly fee.

Their headquarters is based in Markham, Ontario. However, all of their graphic designers work from their offices in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, enabling them to offer competitive rates.

The company launched in February 2019, although the team behind Kimp has been offering graphic design services since 2003.

About Kimp

Kimp ReviewKimp was founded by brothers Senthu and Ven Velnayagam. Senthu is based in Bangalore, India, and Ven is based in Ontario, Canada.

Kimp’s business model is simple–they offer a range of graphic design services for a flat monthly fee.

You can request an “unlimited” number of designs and revisions within a month, and they’ll work through them as fast as they can.

Kimp says that on average, their clients receive 2-3 designs per business day. This is specific to the type of designs, of course, as more complex tasks will take longer.

Kimp’s target customers are:

  • Startups
  • SMEs
  • Internet marketers
  • Creative agencies
  • Charities
  • Entrepreneurs

Basically, anyone in need of affordable ongoing graphic design help for a flat monthly fee.

kimp homepage

How Kimp Works

When you sign up with Kimp you’ll be assigned a project manager and a team of 3 designers.

Multiple designers is a unique selling point to Kimp, and ensures a wider range of design skills are covered.

Start with a Free Trial

Kimp offers a 7-day free trial so you can test their service before committing to a monthly plan. Within these 7 days, you can make 3 design requests, so it makes sense to take the free trial.

Submitting Design Requests

When you sign up, you can start submitting requests via either Trello or email.

Every time you submit a request, it’s reviewed by your project manager. If they need any additional information, they’ll get back to you. Otherwise, it will be passed to the best-suited graphic designer to start working on it.

Your tasks will be worked through in the order you submit them and returned to you as they’re completed.

Services

Kimp’s designers will take on most graphic design tasks.

Some of the commonly requested design tasks include:

  • Blog images
  • Product packaging
  • Facebook ads/posts
  • Website sliders/banners
  • T-shirt designs
  • Illustrations
  • Flyers
  • Marketing materials

In fact, it’s probably easier to list what Kimp doesn’t do:

  • Motion graphics
  • 3D renderings
  • UI & UX designs
  • Website or app designs

Plans and Pricing

Kimp charges a flat monthly fee of $389. For this, you can submit an unlimited number of requests and revisions.

There are no minimum terms, contracts, or other fees. They offer a 7-day free trial, and you can cancel before that ends or at any time if you’re not satisfied for any reason.

Kimp Pricing

Discounts are available if you’re willing to sign up for a 3, 6, or 12-month period. You’ll need to contact them to discuss this as it’s on a case-by-case basis.

Kimp Alternatives

If you like the monthly subscription model, there are a few companies offering a similar range of services.

Design Pickle is the market leader in this space, and is priced similarly, though without the “team of designers” feature. Delesign may also be worth a look.

Fiverr Penji 99designs Design Pickle Looka
Customer Rating
Established 2010 2016 2008 2015 2016
Minimum Cost $5 $399 per month $299 $399 per month $20
Type of Service A la carte design Unlimited Graphic Design Crowdsourced design Unlimited design AI logo design
Best for Fast, cheap designs On-going design needs Higher profile work Ongoing design needs Affordable DIY
Notes 15-day money back guarantee. 100% money-back guarantee 14-day money back trial; 30% off first month w/ code VA30 Don't pay until you love your logo
Learn more Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

And if you don’t have a need for tons of designs every month, you may be better off buying graphic design services on a one-off or project basis.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Kimp? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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VirtualStaff.ph Review: Structured Offshore Staffing for Full-Time Dedicated Staff

VirtualStaff has a truly unique model for building offshore teams that is designed around increasing operational capacity without adding complexity.

These are not freelancers or short-term hires, but consistent team members aligned with core business functions, with the client maintaining full control of the workday.

The model is built around simplicity, with one predictable monthly cost per staff member and no hidden fees. This allows businesses to scale their team gradually without added administrative complexity.

Unlike job boards or freelance platforms, VirtualStaff.ph focuses on long-term team integration, supporting roles such as customer support, admin, billing, and accounting.

Overall, it is designed to help established businesses increase operational capacity while staying in control and avoiding the complexity of traditional hiring.

About VirtualStaff

A Practical Way to Add Staff Without Increasing Complexity

As businesses grow, a common problem emerges: there is more work to be done, but adding employees locally becomes expensive and difficult to manage.

Freelancers can be inconsistent. Traditional outsourcing can feel disconnected from the business, and cheap VAs overseas can often look good on paper, but quality can be questionable.

VirtualStaff.ph takes a different approach.

It provides professional staff who plug directly into a company’s existing operations, allowing businesses to increase capacity without changing how they work.

At a high level, the model is straightforward:

VirtualStaff.ph supplies the staff
They integrate into your operations
You manage the workday
You pay one predictable monthly cost

This clarity is a defining feature of how the company operates.

This is what separates VirtualStaff.ph from traditional platforms like OnlineJobs.ph, where businesses must manage everything themselves, and from VA agencies, where costs are inflated and transparency is limited. With VirtualStaff.ph, businesses build their team directly—without the stress, hidden costs, or legal risk.

How VirtualStaff.ph Works

VirtualStaff.ph is an offshore staffing company that supplies dedicated support staff based in the Philippines.

These are not entry-level or casual hires.

The focus is on professional staff who can plug into your operations and take on the same responsibilities you would normally assign to a local employee.

In practice, this means businesses are not “outsourcing tasks.” They are adding team members who:

  • Work inside their systems
  • Follow internal processes
  • Contribute to daily operations

The intention is to extend the team, not fragment it.

Use code VAA to get 5% off your first month!

A Model Built Around Integration

One of the clearest aspects of VirtualStaff.ph is how staff are used once they are onboarded.

They do not sit outside the business.

They plug directly into it.

  • They follow the company’s workflows
  • They report to internal managers
  • They operate as part of the team

This allows businesses to maintain control over how work is done while increasing output.

It also avoids a common issue with outsourcing, where work is handed off but not fully integrated.

A True Alternative to OnlineJobs.ph and VA Agencies

Most businesses building offshore teams in the Philippines typically take one of two approaches:

  • DIY offshore hiring, where the business is responsible for building and managing the entire offshore staffing structure themselves.
  • Traditional outsourcing models, where support often operates outside the business rather than being fully integrated into day-to-day operations.

VirtualStaff.ph offers a third, more structured approach.

Businesses add dedicated full-time staff who plug directly into their operations and work as part of their team. The business manages the workday, priorities, and performance, while VirtualStaff.ph handles the staffing structure behind the scenes.

The result is a simple way to increase operational capacity with staff integrated into your business, one predictable monthly cost, and none of the complexity that often comes with building offshore teams from scratch.

Use code VAA to get 5% off your first month!

Total Control. Full Compliance. Zero Markups.

How Businesses Use VirtualStaff.ph

Step 1: Identify Where More Capacity Is Needed

Companies usually begin by looking at areas where workloads are growing, such as:

These are essential functions that benefit from consistency and reliability.

Step 2: Add Dedicated Staff

Businesses then bring in staff to support their day-to-day operations.

Each staff member:

  • Works with one business
  • Takes ownership of ongoing work
  • Becomes part of the company’s day-to-day team

Rather than assigning tasks externally, these staff plug directly into the business and handle real responsibilities.

Most companies start with a small number of hires and expand over time as they see the impact.

Step 3: Integrate Into Daily Work

Once onboarded, staff begin working within the company’s systems.

There is no separate outsourcing layer.

The business continues to operate as normal, with additional team members supporting the workload.

Professional Staff, Not Entry-Level Support

A key distinction with VirtualStaff.ph is the level of staff provided.

The company is not built around low-cost, entry-level virtual assistants.

Instead, it focuses on capable, professional staff who can take on real operational responsibilities inside a business.

For many companies, this means:

  • Supporting or stepping into roles that would otherwise be hired locally
  • Maintaining existing standards and internal processes
  • Providing consistent, day-to-day output across core operations

In practice, businesses are not comparing VirtualStaff.ph to freelance marketplaces or low-cost VA services.

They are comparing it to hiring locally, and deciding how to add staff in a more controlled and cost-efficient way.

Pricing: One Predictable Monthly Cost

VirtualStaff.ph uses a fixed monthly pricing model per staff member.

Each monthly fee typically includes:

  • A dedicated staff member
  • Setup and coordination
  • Ongoing support
  • Replacement if needed
  • A single invoice

There are no multiple vendors or hidden costs involved.

Businesses simply add staff as needed and pay one consistent monthly amount per person.

Why Businesses Choose This Approach

The primary benefit is not just cost reduction.

It is the ability to increase capacity without creating additional complexity.

Businesses can:

  • Handle more work
  • Improve response times
  • Support growth

Without:

  • Expanding local payroll significantly
  • Adding layers of management
  • Disrupting existing operations

This is especially relevant for companies that are already running at or near capacity.

Who Typically Uses VirtualStaff.ph

VirtualStaff.ph is generally used by established businesses that already have:

  • Defined processes
  • Active teams
  • Ongoing operational demands

Common industries include:

These companies are usually looking for a reliable way to expand their team without adding unnecessary complexity.

Conclusion

VirtualStaff.ph offers a structured and practical approach to offshore staffing.

Instead of freelancers or disconnected outsourcing, it focuses on supplying professional staff who integrate directly into a business.

With:

  • Staff that plug into existing operations
  • Full control over the workday
  • One predictable monthly cost

It provides a clear way for businesses to increase capacity while maintaining control and consistency.

In a market often associated with fragmented solutions, this approach stands out for its simplicity and alignment with how real businesses operate.

Your Turn

Have you worked with VirtualStaff.ph? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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Bench.co

Bench is America’s largest remote bookkeeping service for small businesses. They serve clients across the United States.

The company was formed in New York and has been in operation since 2002. They relocated to Vancouver, BC in 2013, and this is where all employees are based.

About Bench.co

Bench reviewB

Bench is a software company that gives  your business an all-in-one bookkeeping, banking, tax, and advisory solution (without the costly CPA price tag). 

They provide business owners with:

  • a dedicated bookkeeping team
  • powerful and easy-to-use financial reporting software
  • monthly financial statements to help keep them on top of their finances
  • Stress free tax preparation and filing

Bench is a tech-savvy bookkeeping service, and use their own intuitive software as well as an app to keep in touch with clients.

You can easily connect with them directly and ensure your financial records are up to date, as well as keeping in constant communication with your assigned bookkeeping team.

Bench Intro Video

Bench Bookkeeping Services

Preparing tax returns and balancing the books is a time consuming part of running a business. Bench takes the burden of managing the financials from small business owners at an affordable price.

Using their systems and a team of bookkeepers dedicated to each client, they take the financial reporting off your hands so you can use your time working on other areas of your business.

Bench uses their software and an account manager to prepare the financials for a business on a monthly basis. They prepare cash-basis, tax-ready income statements and balance sheets and provide ongoing support.

A simple 3-step plan for new customers:

  1. Set up a call to discuss your business and answer any questions you have.
  2. Bench prepares your financials for the first month for free so you can try their service and see how it works with your business before committing.
  3. Review the income statement with a member of their onboarding team and decide if you want to purchase an ongoing plan.

How Bench Works

I had the chance to sit down with Sebastian Kasza, who works in Business Development for Bench, to learn more about how Bench works.

In our chat, we cover how Bench securely gets your account info, the types of customers who are the best fit, and the differences between a virtual bookkeeping service and an accountant.

VAA Exclusive: Join through my referral link and get 30% off Bench bookkeeping for your first 3 months!

Bench Plans and Pricing

Bench has 3 packages to choose from.

Each package comes with monthly cash-basis income statements and a balance sheet, Tax preparation and filings, as well as ongoing communication with the team. Plans include monthly bookkeeping for up to 15 financial accounts (e.g. bank accounts, credit cards, loans, merchant processors).

These plans range from $249  per month to $497 per month, billed annually. Rates are slightly higher for month-to-month billing.

  1. Core-$249 per month
  2. Flex – $349 per month
  3. Pro – $479 per month

VAA Exclusive: Join through my referral link and get 30% off Bench bookkeeping for your first 3 months!

Which plan you need is based on your projected monthly expenses. They understand that every business has some individual needs and welcome anyone to contact them directly to discuss their financials and what package would be most suitable.

They also offer a free trial. This is for one month’s worth of bookkeeping, allowing you to give their service a try and get a feel for their software and processes.

Bench.co Alternatives

Hiring a bookkeeper is one of the first additions many small businesses make.

If you are looking for an all-in admin service, I would highly recommend RemSource.

Bench is a leader in the remote bookkeeping space, despite increased competition from services like ZipBooks and Pilot.

Compared with hiring a freelance bookkeeper through a platform like FreeeUp, my contact at Bench stressed the advantages of a truly user-friendly setup without the guesswork of billable hours and unpredictable communication standards.

Your Turn

I think the one month free trial is a great opportunity to give Bench a try if you’re unsure of what to expect. If you have worked with Bench please leave some feedback below to help others with their decision.

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DesignCrowd

DesignCrowd is a marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design contests. The Sydney, Australia-based company has been around since 2008 and has facilitated more than 350,000 design creations during that time.

In fact, they boast over 750,000 designers on their platform ready to tackle your project. Some of their top designers have earned more than $1,000,000, and you can even invite them to submit their concepts for your contest.

About DesignCrowd

designcrowd reviewDesignCrowd plays to the idea that for creative work like graphic design, it’s better to get a broad range of ideas and concepts, instead of working exclusively with one designer.

Their platform facilitates these types of “crowdsourced” contests, with you as the client gathering a ton of options and picking your favorite.

The company offers their marketplace for a wide variety of design services, including logos, web sites, advertising graphics, flyers, print ads, t-shirts, business cards, and more.

A typical DesignCrowd contest gets a little more than 100 entries. I imagine you’ll find something suitable for your brand out of 100 choices!

Special Offer: Use promo code AFF150OFF for up to $150 off your design project!

DesignCrowd Review

I tested DesignCrowd in 2016 for a book cover project and share my experience in this video:

In 2019, I went back to DesignCrowd for a t-shirt design and really liked the results. I got over 150 design submissions on this one.

Here’s the winning design:

designcrowd review sample work

How it Works

Your first step in getting started with DesignCrowd is to create a design brief. It’s a fancy way of asking you to describe your project and any vision you have for it, so designers have some sort of starting point.

At this stage, you can also decide which price tier you’d like to offer to the winning designer. Naturally the higher your offer, the more designs you’re likely to attract.

Almost immediately, designers will start submitting their ideas and concepts. You can solicit feedback from friends, customers, or colleagues, and even request revisions from the designers before you decide on the winner.

Once you have your selection, you get all the necessary files, legal protections and rights to that design, and funds get released to the winning designer.

Plans and Pricing

Like other crowdsourcing sites, DesignCrowd has some pricing flexibility depending on your budget.

Logo design packages start at $109 and go all the way up to over $700. The drawback to the $109 price-point is that you’ll only get 1 designer, which kind of defeats the “crowdsourcing” purpose.

But at the $319 price point, you can expect multiple submissions from several designers, giving you a nice variety to choose from and still spend less than at competing sites.

designcrowd pricing

Special Offer: Use promo code AFF150OFF for up to $150 off your design project!

At the top-end, I can see some overwhelm setting in from trying to choose from 150+ designs, so would probably opt for something in the middle. DesignCrowd indicates their $499 package promising 100+ designs is their most popular offering, though if my budget is tight I’d go for the 50+ tier and save the $180.

There are add-ons to make your contest private or feature it to get more submissions.

If at the end of the contest you don’t like any of the designs, DesignCrowd will refund your project under their 100% money back guarantee.

(Of course, you’ll get more submissions if you make your project guaranteed and waive your right to a refund.)

DIY Logo Services

DesignCrowd has spun off an AI-logo design service called BrandCrowd, in which you can use thousands of templates to build your own logo.

Punch in your company name, an industry or keyword, and begin to sort through the options:

brandcrowd samples

From there, you can logo style, font style, and color preferences until you arrive on the perfect logo for your business.

Like other Do-It-Yourself logo services, you’ll pay for the use of the high resolution files. On BrandCrowd, the fee is $25-45 (not sure if the $25 shown is a limited time promo):

brandcrowd pricing

There’s also a monthly subscription option, which includes a bunch of extra stuff, of which the “unlimited edits” is probably the most valuable. I can see that being helpful if you need to make a change in the future.

But otherwise, it seems kind of unnecessary to pay monthly for what if most likely a 1-off project.

DesignCrowd Alternatives

There are several companies that offer similar graphic design outsourcing. The best-known of the crowdsourcing options is 99designs. One interesting point of differentiation is DesignCrowd’s “Participation Payment” program, which rewards designers for submitting their work to your contest even if they don’t win.

If you have a need for ongoing design work, Design Pickle might be worth checking out.

Fiverr Penji 99designs Design Pickle Looka
Customer Rating
Established 2010 2016 2008 2015 2016
Minimum Cost $5 $399 per month $299 $399 per month $20
Type of Service A la carte design Unlimited Graphic Design Crowdsourced design Unlimited design AI logo design
Best for Fast, cheap designs On-going design needs Higher profile work Ongoing design needs Affordable DIY
Notes 15-day money back guarantee. 100% money-back guarantee 14-day money back trial; 30% off first month w/ code VA30 Don't pay until you love your logo
Learn more Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

Your Turn

Have you worked with DesignCrowd? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their hiring decision.

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DesignOye

Designoye is a graphic design company offering unlimited graphic design services for a flat monthly fee.

The company started operations in 2011. Their headquarters are split across the US and UAE, and their designers work remotely from the UAE, Philippines, and India.

About Designoye

Designoye ReviewThe company is headed up by current CEO Dushyant Bhatia.

When asked who their target customers are, Designoye told me, “Anyone who is looking to have a designer but is not keen on hiring full-time personnel.”

They went on to say they work with startups, creative agencies, bloggers, professionals, and a lot of brick and mortar businesses.

When you sign up for a monthly plan with Designoye you can start submitting as many design tasks as you wish.

You’re limited to the 24-48-hour turnaround per task, plus revisions. This means you can get around 30 tasks completed in a month in the best-case scenario.

That’s pretty good value for $369/month, especially when you compare that to the cost of an in-house designer.

They have offices in the US and the UAE you can call as a point of contact. The design work is sent overseas to India and the Philippines, which explains how they can offer such competitive rates.

How DesignOye Works

When you sign up for one of their monthly subscription plans, y