What's new at LYSTO
Every meaningful update to Lysto — new features, improvements, and fixes. Newest first.
- v0.4.0 alpha
Your own website, text updates, and a faster, lighter Lysto
A big batch of new ways to win and serve clients, plus a site-wide speed pass. Launch your own Lysto website with a one-tap activation that previews your real, live site before you subscribe; get text-message updates for your bookings and payments; and browse a redesigned, mobile-first client gallery. Under the hood we made the whole site noticeably faster — the landing page now paints instantly with a smooth brand gradient while its rich visuals stream in behind it, and photos and videos across the site are dramatically lighter. We also added a smarter AI Studio and headshot wizard, local Toronto/GTA SEO, a refreshed brand kit, friendlier billing with a grace period for missed renewals, and a long list of fixes.
- NewLaunch your own Lysto website in a tap: a redesigned activation flow lets you choose your address and preview your real, live site before you subscribe.
- NewText-message updates: get SMS notifications for sign-up, new orders, and payments, so you're never waiting on an email to know what's happening.
- NewA redesigned, mobile-first client gallery and property page with cleaner controls, a compact header, and a proper footer — polished on any phone.
- NewA smarter AI Studio and a step-by-step headshot wizard that frames every shot correctly before you generate.
- NewLocal SEO built for the Toronto & GTA market, so the right clients find you.
- NewA refreshed brand page with a downloadable brand kit — logos, icons, and colours in one place.
- ImprovedThe landing page loads noticeably faster: it paints instantly with a smooth brand gradient while the rich background animation streams in behind it — no more blank flash on slower connections.
- ImprovedPhotos and videos across the site are dramatically lighter (modern formats with instant posters), so pages feel snappier and use far less data.
- ImprovedMissed a subscription renewal? You now get a 15-day grace period with a friendly heads-up email, and updating your card instantly puts your website back in good standing.
- ImprovedYou're emailed the moment your photos are ready to view and download.
- FixedPayment links sent by email never expire — pick up checkout whenever you're ready.
- FixedMore accurate billing: reconciliation, order timestamps, and refund/renewal status now reflect correctly on your account.
- v0.3.0 alpha
Coupons, branded invoices & receipts, and a smoother checkout
This release makes booking and paying easier and clearer: apply a coupon at checkout with a live discounted preview (and skip the card entirely when a coupon covers your whole order), pick your shoot date before you pay, and download tax-ready invoices and receipts for every payment. We also added branded refund receipts, a complete billing history, itemized payment emails, friendlier and more reliable email, card-only payments, and a long list of fixes to billing math, order status, and media galleries.
- NewApply a coupon code at checkout and watch your subtotal, HST, deposit, and balance update live before you pay.
- NewWhen a coupon covers your entire order, checkout skips the card form completely and books your shoot as paid in full — no payment needed.
- NewQuick checkout now lets you pick your shoot date and time on a live availability calendar before you pay, so your booking is locked in the moment your payment goes through.
- NewDownload a branded PDF invoice or receipt for any part of an order — deposit, balance, or full payment — straight from your billing history, each with a stable invoice number and the HST number for clean tax records.
- NewEvery refund now comes with a branded confirmation email and a PDF refund receipt showing the amount returned, the reason, and when to expect the funds — and the refund shows on your order page.
- ImprovedInvoices and receipts now include the order and scheduled shoot dates, a property summary, and descriptive line items (size tier and unit price) for clearer billing detail.
- ImprovedPayment and receipt emails are now fully itemized — every service, the subtotal, HST, and a prominent total — instead of a single lump-sum amount.
- ImprovedThe booking calendar now shows real availability everywhere you book, with fully-booked days clearly marked and unselectable and a one-tap shortcut to the soonest open slot.
- ImprovedEmails now arrive from friendly, recognizable senders — Lysto Orders, Lysto Billing, and Lysto Support — and send reliably from our verified email domain, so they land in your inbox instead of being held back.
- FixedYour media gallery now groups photos, floor plans, and videos by their actual sub-folders, shows an accurate photo count, and keeps that folder structure when you download a ZIP.
- FixedProperty photos, floor plans, and videos now load fast and reliably — including RAW camera files that previously showed as blank tiles — even before an order is published.
- FixedOrders paid in full now reliably show as paid even when the bank's confirmation is delayed, and an order awaiting payment now shows a clear 'Awaiting Payment' status with guidance instead of 'Unknown Status'.
- FixedYour billing history now lists every order with its deposit, balance, and full-payment rows, so paid orders no longer show an empty '0 invoices'.
- FixedCorrected billing math so receipts always show the right subtotal, HST, and total, and so a chosen shoot date can no longer slip to the day before when saved.
- RemovedPayPal has been removed from every payment screen — checkout, onboarding, and saved payment methods now use credit or debit cards only.
- v0.2.0 alpha
Security hardening, faster media & reliability
A platform-wide hardening pass: we closed security gaps, made payments and deliveries more reliable, sped up image loading, and moved heavy media jobs onto durable background workers.
- NewFaster galleries: photos now load from a pre-generated, optimized version, so pages feel snappier on mobile.
- NewHeavy media work (AI video, big image resizes, video stitching) now runs on durable background jobs that retry on their own and survive interruptions.
- ImprovedPayments are more reliable: duplicate payment notifications can no longer double-charge or double-send, and orders are now created atomically.
- FixedCorrected the website address used for search engines and links (now always lysto.ca).
- FixedRemoved snow removal from pricing (it now lives in the AI Studio) and tidied up duplicate pricing definitions.
- SecurityHardened internal endpoints and added rate limiting across sign-in, codes, and AI features to protect your account and data.
- v0.1.0 alpha
Smarter sign-in, unified pricing & flexible payments
The first tracked Lysto release. We rebuilt sign-in to be faster and passwordless-friendly, made pricing identical everywhere you see it, and made it easy to pay and book on your own terms.
- NewBrand-new sign-in: enter your email first, then continue with a password, a one-time code, or a magic link — whatever fits. New customers set their password with a 6-digit code.
- NewBook your shoot date right from your order page — including a clear prompt right after you pay.
- NewPay-by-link: get a secure payment link by email that works without signing in, plus an "Awaiting payment" status so you always know what's outstanding.
- NewPolished, on-brand emails for account setup, payments, reminders, and your finished media — every link works even if you never log in.
- NewThis changelog, so you can always see what's new.
- ImprovedPricing is now identical across the pricing page and the order builder — no more surprises at checkout.
- ImprovedFloor plan is now a single, clearly-priced service everywhere (no longer a confusing 3D-tour add-on).
More on the way.
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