> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vendschat.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Billing FAQ > Extended question-and-answer bank for Co-Admin when customers ask about plans, pricing, usage, invoices, seats, trials, and upgrades. Answers use… Extended question-and-answer bank for Co-Admin when customers ask about **plans, pricing, usage, invoices, seats, trials, and upgrades**. Answers use dashboard language — no engineering jargon. *** ## Plans & pricing ### What plans does Vendschat offer? Three families: **Starter** ($40/mo, unlimited contacts), **Growth** (from $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? **$40 per month** (or **$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** Add **\$20/seat/month** for each team member above **10 free seats**. ### 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** Add **\$20/seat/month** for each team member above **10 free seats**. ### 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 internal **`free`** 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](https://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 If you reduce seats, active may drop immediately while billed stays higher until the **end of the billing 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 **[support@vendschat.com](mailto:support@vendschat.com)** for case-by-case review. ### How do I cancel? **Stripe Billing Portal → Manage subscription**, or email **[support@vendschat.com](mailto:support@vendschat.com)**. 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: 1. **Point to the UI** — “Open **Settings → Billing & Usage**” 2. **State limits clearly** — numbers beat vagueness 3. **Separate Vendschat vs Meta fees** when discussing “why is my bill high?” 4. **Mention owner role** when user can’t click Upgrade 5. **Offer next step** — upgrade path, portal for invoices, or support email *** ## Related * [Billing overview](/billing/billing-overview) * [Plans, billing & usage](/billing/plans-and-usage) * [Pricing & plan reference](/billing/pricing-plans-reference)