Hi Harley Hemeon, 

Thanks for reaching out. You may only be able to open your data in Read - only mode unless your service plan is re- activated. Sage has offered software as a subscription service since about the 2014 version of Sage 50 CA. This article provides some additional details.

• If you have confirmed a valid service plan is active and the program is not connected to the internet, it will prompt to activate periodically
  • Connect your computer to the internet temporarily, open any Sage 50 data file or sample company and check to see if the error message disappears
  • Sage 50 may still display the expiry notice if it is activated using an expired or inactive service plan

Should you need to add or modify your data, please contact the team at Call (866) 996-7243.

Warm Regards, 
Erzsi

This is very disappointing.  Client bought the package at Staples on one of their sales. I asked her if there was any information on the box to the effect that you weren't buying the program, but only renting it?  No such notification was on the box.  She doesn't use payroll and only upgraded because her old version was producing error messages.  Up until yesterday I had not known that your customers are renting Sage. I've been using Simply/Sage since the early 1990's, and promoting it to my clients.  Most of them use payroll, so they never get locked out of their data since they renew annually to keep their payroll current.  I have a client using Simply 2004, and it serves his purpose.  I guess going forward, when a client asks about Sage, I'll warn them that, with payroll, it's around $750 to start, and at least that much every year thereafter.

The boxes must indicate Subscription on it somewhere as I just had a client call to ask why Staples is so much cheaper and when the client checked the box they verified that it was a one year subscription with a very basic service plan.