> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://commet.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Free Plans

> Free plans activate without checkout and reset usage every month, and usage stops at the included limit instead of charging overage.

A free plan has no price and no checkout. When you assign a customer to a free plan, they're activated immediately. Their usage resets every month, just like a paid plan.

## How Free Plans Differ from Paid Plans

| | Paid plan | Free plan |
| - | - | - |
| Price | Has a price | \$0 |
| Billing | Monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or yearly | No charges — usage resets monthly |
| How they start | Checkout + payment | **Activated immediately** |
| Invoices | Yes | Only for purchases (credits, balance, add-ons) |
| Overage | Configurable per feature | **Never allowed** — usage is blocked at the included limit |
| Usage resets | Every month | Every month |

## Monthly Usage Resets

Even though there's no billing cycle, your customer's usage resets **every month** — the same cadence as a paid monthly plan. If you give a free plan 1,000 API calls or \$50 in balance, that allowance refreshes on their billing day each month.

When a customer hits their included limit, they're blocked until the next reset. Overage is never charged on a free plan.

### Example

```
Your free plan includes $100 in balance.
Your customer uses $100 by day 15.

→ They're blocked for the rest of the month.
→ On their billing day, balance resets to $100.
```

## What Your Customer Sees in the Portal

The Customer Portal adapts when someone is on a free plan:

| Section | Paid plan | Free plan |
| - | - | - |
| Subscription | Shows plan, price, and next billing date | Shows plan and status only — no billing date |
| Invoices | Visible | Visible only if they've made purchases |
| Payment method | Visible | Visible only if they've added one |
| MRR | Shows amount | Shows \$0.00/mo |
| Usage (balance/credits) | Visible, with "Add Funds" or "Buy Credits" button | Visible, with purchase buttons |

## Purchasing on a Free Plan

Free plan customers can purchase add-ons, credit packs, and balance top-ups — the same one-off purchases available on paid plans. Since they didn't go through checkout, they don't have a card on file. The first purchase prompts them to enter a payment method, which is saved for future purchases.

> [!NOTE]
>
> The plan itself is free. Purchases are optional extras that customers choose to buy.

## Changing a Free Plan's Included Balance or Credits

If you change the included balance or credits on a free plan, the change applies at **each customer's next monthly reset**. Balances already granted for the current month don't change.

### Example

```
You increase the free plan's included balance from $100 to $150.

A customer whose billing day is the 20th keeps their current balance until the 20th.
On the 20th, their monthly reset grants $150.
```

## When Your Customer Upgrades to a Paid Plan

The upgrade is always **immediate**. Since the free plan costs \$0, there's no credit to give — your customer simply pays the full price of the new plan from that day.

### Example

```
Your customer is on a Free plan with $100 included balance.
They upgrade to Pro at $99/mo.

Credit from free plan: $0 (it's free)
They pay: $99 (full month)
Invoices, payment method, and billing info appear in their portal.
```


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