Plans & pricing
What plans does Vendschat offer?
Three families: Starter (20/mo with 200 contacts included — scales to 1,500), and Advanced (from $30/mo with 200 contacts — adds API, multiple workspaces, and managed n8n). Above 1,500 contacts/month, contact Sales for custom pricing.How much does Starter cost?
384/year with annual billing — about 20% savings). Includes unlimited contacts and 10 team seats free. Extra seats are $10/seat/month.How much does Growth cost?
Depends on contact tier:- 200 contacts: $20/mo
- 350: $30/mo
- 500: $40/mo
- 1,000: $60/mo
- 1,500: $80/mo
- 1,500+: Contact Sales
How much does Advanced cost?
Depends on contact tier:- 200 contacts: $30/mo
- 350: $40/mo
- 500: $50/mo
- 1,000: $70/mo
- 1,500: $90/mo
- 1,500+: Contact Sales
What’s the difference between Growth and Advanced?
Same contact tier options, but Advanced adds Developer API, multiple workspaces, a managed n8n instance (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 75 GB storage), dedicated account manager, and SLA. Growth is right for broadcasts, webhooks, and integrations without API/multi-workspace needs.Is there a free plan?
New organizations start on an internalfree tier with a 100-contact limit until subscribing. The main public offer is a 14-day Growth free trial — no credit card required. You must choose and pay for a plan before trial ends to continue without interruption.
Where is billing in settings?
Settings → Organization → Billing & Usages (/settings/organization/billing&usages). Page title: Billing & Usage.
Can I downgrade from the dashboard?
Not with a dedicated downgrade button. Use Stripe Billing Portal, contact support, or (for owners) the backend downgrade-request flow. Plan downgrades may require sales review if contact usage exceeds the target tier.Why does Current Plan say “per month” on an annual subscription?
The Billing & Usage card always shows “per month” under the base price. Check Next billing date and your Stripe invoice for annual vs monthly billing.Do plan card prices match checkout?
Plan cards show display prices plus extra seats. Stripe Checkout uses live Stripe price IDs — if totals differ, trust checkout.Do you offer annual billing?
Yes. Toggle Annual (Save up to 20%) on Settings → Billing & Usage → Plans or on vendschat.com/pricing. You pay once per year at a discounted rate.Do you offer non-profit discounts?
Yes — 20% off for qualified non-profit organizations. Contact support with verification to apply.Do you offer enterprise or custom pricing?
Yes. For more than 1,500 monthly contacts, compliance requirements, or custom terms, use Contact Sales on the Plans page or email your account team.Are prices inclusive of tax?
No. Applicable VAT, GST, or sales tax may be added at checkout based on your location.Do WhatsApp or Meta fees count toward my Vendschat bill?
Meta WhatsApp conversation fees are separate from your Vendschat subscription. You may pay Meta directly or through a partner depending on setup. Vendschat bills subscription, seats, and contact overage — not Meta’s per-conversation charges.Contacts & usage
What counts as a “contact” for billing?
A unique person your organization messages during the current billing period. Messaging the same person multiple times in one cycle counts once.Where do I see my contact usage?
Settings → Organization → Billing & Usage → Usage Overview → Contacts. Shows used/limit, percentage, and remaining.Does Starter have a contact limit?
No — Starter includes unlimited contacts. You still see usage stats, but there is no cap or overage.What happens if I exceed my contact limit on Growth or Advanced?
You are charged $0.125 per additional contact beyond your included bucket for that billing period. Billing adjusts automatically — you do not have to manually upgrade for overage to apply. You may save money by upgrading your contact tier if you consistently go over.Do inbound messages from customers count toward contacts?
Billing tracks unique contacts your organization messages in the cycle (outbound billing events). Inbound-only conversations where you never reply may not count — but any outbound reply or campaign message to that person does.Do broadcasts count toward contacts?
Yes. Each unique recipient you message in a broadcast counts toward your monthly contact usage.If the same person messages on WhatsApp and Instagram, is that two contacts?
Vendschat uses a unified contact record per person where possible. Billing counts unique contacts messaged, not channels — typically one person = one contact per cycle.When does contact usage reset?
At the start of each billing period (see “Plan started” / “Next billing date” on Billing & Usage).Can I buy more contacts without changing plan family?
On Growth or Advanced, move the contact slider to a higher tier (e.g. 200 → 500) on the Plans page. Alternatively, pay overage at $0.125/contact without changing tier.Seats & team size
How many team members are included?
10 seats free on every plan.How much do extra seats cost?
- Starter: $10/seat/month
- Growth & Advanced: $20/seat/month
What’s the difference between “Active” and “Billed” seats?
- Active: seats you’re using now
- Billed: what Stripe charges this period
Do I need an extra seat for a read-only manager?
Any user with login access counts as a seat. Review roles with your owner — there is no separate “viewer-only” seat SKU in self-serve billing.How do I add seats?
Owner: go to Plans, increase the seat selector, and complete checkout — or adjust subscription via Stripe portal where available.Billing, payment & invoices
Who can manage billing?
Only the organization owner can upgrade, open Stripe portal, or change paid seat counts. Admins and members see usage but get “Contact owner to manage billing.”How do I update my credit card?
Settings → Billing & Usage → Open Stripe Portal → Payment method.Where are my invoices?
Stripe Billing Portal → Invoice history. Download PDFs from there.What payment methods are accepted?
Card payments processed by Stripe (major cards supported per Stripe in your region).When am I charged?
At the start of each billing period (monthly or annual). Overage and prorated upgrades may appear on the same or next invoice per Stripe rules.Can I get a refund?
Subscription fees are generally non-refundable, including partial periods and mid-cycle downgrades. Exceptions only where law requires. Email [email protected] for case-by-case review.How do I cancel?
Stripe Billing Portal → Manage subscription, or email [email protected]. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid period.My payment failed — what now?
Status may show Past due or Unpaid. Update your card in the Stripe portal immediately to avoid service interruption.Upgrades, downgrades & changes
Can I switch plans later?
Yes. Upgrade anytime from Billing & Usage → Plans. Downgrades may require support/sales review, especially if your current contact usage exceeds the lower tier’s limit.Can I upgrade from Starter to Growth mid-cycle?
Yes — owner completes new checkout. Stripe typically prorates charges.Can I downgrade from Advanced to Growth?
Submit a downgrade request. If you use API or multiple workspaces, those features stop when the downgrade takes effect. Check contact usage vs new limit to avoid disruption.What is “Contact Sales” on the 1500+ tier?
Self-serve checkout is not available above 1,500 contacts. Sales provides custom pricing and contract.Is the “Advanced add-on” still available?
No — it’s deprecated. Choose a full Advanced plan (e.g. Advanced 500) instead.Features & plan eligibility
Which plan includes broadcasts?
Growth and Advanced. Not Starter.Which plan includes webhooks and Zapier/Make/n8n?
Growth and Advanced for integrations. Hosted n8n instance is Advanced only.Which plan includes custom AI Agents?
Growth and Advanced.Which plan includes the Developer API?
Advanced only.Which plan includes multiple workspaces?
Advanced only. Starter and Growth are typically single-workspace oriented for billing (check current product limits in dashboard).Which channels are on every plan?
WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram Direct on all paid tiers.Which plan has priority support?
Growth and Advanced. Dedicated account manager and SLA are Advanced only.Trials & getting started
How long is the free trial?
14 days on Growth.Do I need a credit card for the trial?
No for the standard marketing trial signup.Does the trial auto-convert to paid?
No. You must actively select and pay for a plan.What happens when the trial ends?
Subscribe to Starter, Growth, or Advanced to continue. Without a paid plan, features may be restricted or access limited.Security & compliance (billing context)
Is my payment data stored by Vendschat?
Card details are handled by Stripe — Vendschat does not store full card numbers on its servers.Is my data secure?
Vendschat uses enterprise-grade encryption and backups. See Terms and Privacy Policy for full details. Enterprise customers on Advanced / Sales can discuss SLA and compliance needs.Co-Admin phrasing tips
When answering from this FAQ:- Point to the UI — “Open Settings → Billing & Usage”
- State limits clearly — numbers beat vagueness
- Separate Vendschat vs Meta fees when discussing “why is my bill high?”
- Mention owner role when user can’t click Upgrade
- Offer next step — upgrade path, portal for invoices, or support email