Daily Download Limits
Daily download limits let you control how many files a customer can download per day from a specific order. Once a customer reaches their daily limit, they cannot download again until midnight, when the counter resets automatically.
This feature is optional. By default, there are no limits — customers can download as many times as they like.
Common use cases:
- Preventing automated bulk downloading of your files
- Differentiating plan tiers (e.g. Basic allows 5 downloads/day, Pro is unlimited)
- Reducing server bandwidth costs
How It Works
The limit is set on a pricing plan, not on the product itself. This means different plans for the same product can have different limits, or no limit at all.
When a customer downloads a file, ChargePanda records it. Each time they attempt a download, the system checks how many files they have already downloaded today for that order. If they have reached the limit, the download is blocked and they see a message telling them their daily limit has been reached and that it will reset at midnight.
TIP
The limit is locked in at the time of purchase. If you later change the limit on a plan, existing customers keep the limit they had when they bought — only new purchases are affected by the updated value.
Setting a Download Limit
One-Time Products
- Open the product in the editor and go to the Pricing Plans tab
- Click Edit on the plan you want to configure
- Find the Daily Download Limit field
- Enter a number (e.g.
5) or leave it blank for unlimited - Save the plan
Subscription Products
The same steps apply. Each subscription plan has its own Daily Download Limit field. You can set different limits per plan tier — for example, a Basic plan might allow 3 downloads/day while a Pro plan is unlimited.
What Customers See
Customers are always informed of their remaining allowance. On the My Downloads page:
- If a limit is set, a small indicator shows how many downloads they have left today (e.g. "3 downloads remaining today")
- If they have used up their allowance, the indicator turns red and reads "Daily download limit reached. Resets at midnight."
- If no limit is set, nothing is shown — the experience is the same as before
If a customer tries to download a file after reaching the limit (for example, via a direct link), they are shown a dedicated error page explaining that their daily limit has been reached and will reset at midnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the limit apply per product or per order? Per order. If a customer has two separate orders (for example, two different products purchased at different times), each order has its own independent counter.
Does downloading a ZIP of all files count as one download or multiple? One. A "Download All" zip counts as a single download event regardless of how many files are inside the ZIP.
What happens at midnight? The counter resets automatically. No action is required from the admin or the customer.
Can I set a limit of zero to block all downloads? No. A value of zero is treated the same as no limit (unlimited). To block downloads entirely, unpublish the product or remove the customer's order access instead.
If I change the limit on a plan, will existing customers be affected? No. The limit a customer has is fixed at the time they purchase. Changing the plan only affects new purchases going forward.