FAQ

Questions before you flatten a PDF.

Short answers for people trying to get a filled PDF accepted by a government, school, bank, hiring, insurance, or intake portal.

What does “flatten PDF” mean?

Flattening turns interactive form fields, visible annotations, and filled answers into fixed page content. The result is usually easier for upload portals to read because it behaves more like a normal PDF.

Will this fix every rejected PDF?

No. Some portals reject files for reasons outside the PDF itself. Flatten My PDF helps with common form-field, annotation, metadata, and compatibility issues. We inspect the file before payment so you do not pay for locked, empty, unreadable, or oversized PDFs.

Do I pay before the file is checked?

No. Upload the PDF first. Checkout unlocks only after the file passes inspection.

What happens to document metadata?

Metadata removal is checked by default because it is usually better for privacy and upload compatibility. You can uncheck it before checkout if you need metadata preserved.

Are signed PDFs safe to flatten?

Visible signature appearances may be preserved, but any PDF rewrite can invalidate cryptographic signature verification. If legal signature validation matters, keep the original signed file and only flatten a copy for upload.

What happens to my file?

Files are stored privately only long enough to inspect, flatten, and deliver the fixed PDF. Temporary source and output files are deleted after 1 hour. No account is created.

What if the download fails after payment?

Return to the Stripe success page within 1 hour. That URL can re-verify the paid session and prepare the fixed PDF again while the temporary files still exist.

Can I get a refund?

If the success page cannot deliver a fixed PDF and no fixed PDF is available for download, use Check refund eligibility on the success page. Delivered files are final because the service is one fixed file result, not an approval guarantee from outside upload portals.

Who handles payment?

Stripe handles checkout. Receipts and payment branding run under File Chore, the umbrella for these small file utilities.