Quota
How quota-based billing works for your customers
Plans can include a quota of a durable resource at no extra cost — tasks, WhatsApp numbers, parallel automations. When your customer goes over the included amount, they're charged per extra unit. Unlike a usage meter that only counts up, a quota balance rises and falls as customers create and delete.
How it works
Units above the included amount at the start of a period are billed for the full period in advance.
Plan Pro: 15 included tasks, $0.75/extra task
Your customer starts the period holding 25 tasks
Included: 15 tasks (no charge)
Extra: 10 tasks × $0.75 = $7.50 — billed in advance for the full periodQuota rises and falls
The balance moves during the period, but billing follows the high-water mark — the highest quota held during the period. Each increase above the mark is billed from the day of the increase to the end of the period; deleting units never reduces the charge.
Your customer starts the month at 15 tasks.
They create 10 more on day 15 (25 total), then delete them on day 20.
Extra: 10 tasks billed from day 15 to the end of the period
10 × $0.75 × (15/30) = $3.75The charge is the same whether they keep the 10 tasks until the end of the period or delete them on day 20. Re-creating units below the high-water mark costs nothing — they're already billed.
These charges land on the next renewal invoice.
What happens when you change the included amount
Adding more included units
More included units benefits your customers, so it applies right away.
You increase Plan Pro from 15 to 30 included tasks.
Your customer has 25 tasks (was paying for 10 extra at $7.50/mo).
After the change:
→ All 25 tasks are now within the 30 included
→ Extra charges drop to $0
→ Your customer sees the change immediatelyReducing included units
Fewer included units harms your customers, so it applies at renewal.
You decrease Plan Pro from 30 to 15 included tasks.
Your customer has 25 tasks (all included, $0 extra).
This period: Still 25 within the included amount, $0 extra
At renewal: 15 included + 10 extra = $7.50/moWhat happens when you change the price
Same as all price changes: your customers keep the current price until renewal. The new price applies starting next period.
| What your customer pays | |
|---|---|
| This period | Old price per unit |
| Next period | New price per unit |
Quota and upgrades
On an upgrade, your customer is charged the new plan's full price and credited for the unused days of the old plan's base price. Extra-unit charges already paid are not credited.
Example
Your customer is on Pro ($29/mo, 15 included tasks, $0.75/extra task).
They have 25 tasks — paying $36.50/mo total (15 included + 10 extra).
They upgrade to Scale ($79/mo, 50 included tasks, $0.50/extra task).
On day 15 of their cycle.
Charge:
New plan: $79 (full price — the billing cycle restarts today)
Extra tasks: $0 — their 25 tasks are within the 50 included
Credit:
Plan base: $29 × (15/30) = $14.50
Extra tasks: $0 — extra-unit charges already paid are not credited
They pay today: $64.50Your customer's 25 tasks are now covered by the Scale plan's 50 included tasks. They stop paying for extra tasks entirely.
Related
- Proration — How mid-cycle charges are calculated
- Pricing Changes — How price changes apply to existing customers
- Billing Intervals — When quota is charged on quarterly and yearly plans
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