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Billing and Usage

Understanding your botBrains usage and billing helps you optimize costs, plan capacity, and ensure you AI agent scales with your business. The billing system provides transparent, usage-based pricing with detailed tracking so you always know what you’re paying for and why.

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Why Billing Transparency Matters

Clear billing visibility helps you: Control Costs - Monitor usage in real-time to avoid unexpected charges and identify optimization opportunities before they impact your budget. Plan Capacity - Use projected usage metrics to understand when you’ll need to upgrade and budget accordingly for growth. Optimize Efficiency - Identify high-usage areas and optimize your AI’s behavior to reduce unnecessary message generation while maintaining quality. Budget Accurately - Historical data and projections give you the insights needed for accurate financial planning and forecasting. Justify Investment - Detailed usage breakdowns help demonstrate ROI by showing exactly how your AI is being utilized across conversations and projects.

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How botBrains Billing Works

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Subscription Model

Your botBrains subscription operates on a committed capacity model with pay-as-you-go overages: Committed Volume - Each billing cycle includes a committed volume of resources (messages, projects) at a fixed monthly rate. This is your baseline capacity, charged regardless of actual usage. Pay-as-you-Go (PAYG) - When you exceed your committed volume, additional usage is billed at the overage rate. This ensures you’re never blocked from serving customers, while keeping baseline costs predictable. Monthly Billing Cycles - Your subscription renews monthly, with usage tracked per billing period. Each cycle starts fresh - unused committed volume doesn’t roll over. EUR Pricing - All charges are denominated in Euros (€) with transparent, predictable rates.

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What You’re Billed For

Generated Messages
  • Each AI response sent to a user
  • Primary usage metric for most customers
  • Includes responses across all channels (website, Zendesk, Slack, Salesforce)
  • Does not include user messages (only AI responses)
Projects
  • Each active project in your organization
  • Allows separate AI configurations per product, brand, or use case
  • Billed as a count of active projects
Your committed volume for generated messages is your safety buffer. Set it based on expected monthly usage, not absolute minimum. The 20-30% buffer is recommended for growing businesses.

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Viewing Your Usage

Access usage information at Settings → Billing → Usage for organization-wide visibility.

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Current Billing Cycle

The usage dashboard shows your current billing period at a glance: Billing Period - Start and end dates for the current cycle, with time remaining displayed prominently Current Bill - Total charges accrued so far this cycle (committed costs + any overages to date) Projected Bill - Estimated total for the full billing cycle based on current usage trends Projected Pay-as-you-Go - Estimated overage charges if current usage patterns continue

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Understanding Projections

Projections help you anticipate costs before the billing period ends: How Projections Work
  • Analyzes your usage trend over the billing period so far
  • Calculates average daily usage rate
  • Extrapolates to end of billing period
  • Adds any committed costs
When Projections Are Accurate
  • Mid-cycle or later (more data points)
  • Stable, consistent usage patterns
  • Regular business operations
When to Interpret Carefully
  • Early in billing cycle (less than 7 days)
  • After major changes (new deployment, marketing campaign)
  • Seasonal businesses with variable demand
  • Testing phases with irregular usage
Projections are estimates, not guarantees. They assume current usage patterns continue unchanged for the rest of the billing period.

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Line Items Explained

Each usage category appears as a separate line item with detailed breakdown:

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Line Item Components

Category - What you’re being charged for (Generated Messages, Projects) Usage - Current actual usage for this billing period Committed - Your included volume from the subscription Projected - Estimated total usage by end of period Progress Bar - Visual representation showing:
  • Current usage (solid color)
  • Committed capacity (vertical marker)
  • Projected usage (striped forecast area)
  • Color coding: green (healthy), yellow (approaching limit), orange/red (overage)
Current Cost - Charges accumulated so far this period Projected Cost - Estimated total cost if trends continue PAYG Cost - Pay-as-you-go charges for usage above committed volume

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Cost Breakdown Example

For a line item with 3,000 committed messages: Committed Cost 
Volume: 3,000 messages
Rate: €0.183 per message
Calculation: ⌈3,000 / 1⌉ × €0.183 = €549.00
Status: Billed regardless of usage
Pay-as-you-Go Cost (if usage exceeds 3,000) 
Overage: 500 messages beyond committed
Rate: €0.25 per message
Calculation: ⌈500 / 1⌉ × €0.25 = €125.00
Status: Only billed for actual excess usage
Total Cost 
Committed: €549.00
PAYG: €125.00
Total: €674.00
Committed costs are charged every billing cycle whether you use the volume or not. PAYG costs only apply when you exceed committed capacity.

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Viewing Detailed Calculations

Click Explanation on any line item to see the full cost breakdown:
  • Committed volume and rates
  • Units used vs. allowance
  • Overage calculation (if applicable)
  • Step-by-step cost computation
  • Clear distinction between committed and PAYG charges
This transparency helps you understand exactly how your bill is calculated and identify optimization opportunities.

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Usage History

Review past billing cycles to understand trends and plan capacity.

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What History Shows

For each previous billing period, you can see: Period Dates - Exact start and end of billing cycle Total Cost - Final bill for that period Committed vs. PAYG Breakdown - How much was baseline vs. overage charges Usage by Category - Messages sent, projects active, and other line items Detailed Line Items - Expand each category to see:
  • Actual usage for that period
  • Committed allowance
  • Any overage usage and charges
  • Complete cost breakdown

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Using History for Planning

Identify Trends
  • Are you consistently exceeding committed volume?
  • Is usage growing month-over-month?
  • Are there seasonal patterns?
Optimize Capacity
  • If you never use full committed volume, consider downgrading
  • If you consistently have PAYG charges, upgrading may save money
  • Look for unusual spikes that indicate issues or opportunities
Budget Planning
  • Use 3-6 months of history for accurate forecasting
  • Account for business seasonality
  • Plan for growth with buffer room
Cost Analysis
  • Calculate effective per-message cost
  • Compare committed vs. PAYG efficiency
  • Identify cost optimization opportunities

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Managing Your Subscription

Navigate to Settings → Billing → Subscription to view and manage your plan.

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Subscription Details

View your current subscription configuration: Status
  • Active: Subscription is live and billing normally
  • Trial: In free trial period, no charges yet
  • Cancelled: Subscription set to end at period completion
  • Expired: Subscription has ended
Start Date - When your subscription began Next Renewal - When the next billing cycle starts Contract Period - Length of commitment (typically 12 months) Trial End (if applicable) - When trial period expires and billing begins

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Trial Period

If you’re in a trial:
During your trial period, usage is tracked but you won’t be charged. This lets you evaluate botBrains risk-free while understanding your expected costs.
What Happens During Trial
  • Full platform access with no restrictions
  • Usage tracked and displayed normally
  • Billing calculations shown for transparency
  • No actual charges applied
What Happens When Trial Ends
  • Subscription automatically converts to active status
  • Billing begins based on your committed volume
  • No interruption to service
  • Historical trial usage remains visible

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Line Item Management

View pricing for each category: Volume - Committed capacity per billing cycle Rate - Price per unit of committed volume Unit - Grouping size for committed billing (typically 1) Overage Rate - PAYG price per unit above committed volume Overage Unit - Grouping size for PAYG billing (typically 1) Prepaid Until (if applicable) - For prepaid volumes, shows when prepayment expires

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Optimizing Your Costs

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Right-Sizing Committed Volume

Signs You Should Upgrade
  • Consistent PAYG charges every month
  • Projected usage regularly exceeds committed by 20%+
  • Usage trending upward month-over-month
  • Business growth driving increased conversation volume
Signs You Should Downgrade
  • Regularly using less than 70% of committed volume
  • PAYG charges are rare or never happen
  • Business has stabilized at lower volume than planned
  • Cost optimization is a priority
Optimal Sizing Strategy
  • Set committed volume at 80th percentile of expected usage
  • Leave 20% buffer for growth and variability
  • Review quarterly and adjust as needed
  • Factor in seasonal peaks when planning

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Reducing Message Volume

If you need to reduce costs, optimize AI efficiency: Improve Knowledge Base
  • Add comprehensive documentation
  • Cover common questions thoroughly
  • Reduce back-and-forth by providing complete answers
  • Use snippets for frequently needed content
Optimize Guidance
  • Encourage concise responses when appropriate
  • Avoid unnecessary follow-up messages
  • Use escalations effectively to prevent long AI exchanges
  • Configure multi-step workflows efficiently
Reduce Unnecessary Conversations
  • Filter spam and bot traffic
  • Implement authentication for internal tools
  • Use FAQ pages for trivial questions
  • Configure business hours if appropriate
Consolidate Projects
  • Combine similar use cases into single project
  • Use audiences instead of separate projects
  • Reduce project count if you have unused projects
Before optimizing for cost alone, ensure you’re maintaining customer experience quality. The goal is efficiency, not just minimum message count.

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Understanding Your Bill

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What Appears on Your Invoice

Monthly invoices include: Subscription Summary
  • Account and subscription IDs
  • Billing period covered
  • Subscription status
Line Item Charges
  • Committed costs for each category
  • PAYG charges for overages
  • Clear calculation showing volume × rate
Total Due
  • Sum of all committed and PAYG charges
  • Tax (if applicable)
  • Payment method on file

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Payment Methods

Configure payment details in your subscription settings: Accepted Methods
  • Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
  • Bank transfer (for annual contracts)
  • Purchase orders (enterprise plans only)
Automatic Billing
  • Charges process automatically at start of billing cycle
  • Receipt sent via email after successful payment
  • Failed payments trigger retry and notification
Updating Payment Method
  • No service interruption when updating
  • New method used for next billing cycle
  • Previous charges remain on original method

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Billing Contacts

Ensure billing notifications reach the right people:
  • Add billing contact emails in organization settings
  • Invoices sent to all billing contacts
  • Payment failure alerts sent immediately
  • Usage threshold warnings (if configured)

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Enterprise Plans

For high-volume or specialized needs, enterprise plans offer: Custom Committed Volume
  • Negotiate volume commitments based on your needs
  • Volume discounts for large deployments
  • Predictable pricing for budget certainty
Annual Contracts
  • Lock in pricing for 12+ months
  • Reduced per-message rates
  • Quarterly payment options available
Dedicated Support
  • Priority assistance for billing questions
  • Account management for optimization
  • Quarterly business reviews
Additional Features
  • Custom contract terms
  • Invoice billing with NET-30 terms
  • Multi-year agreements
  • Volume commitment flexibility
To discuss enterprise pricing, contact your account manager or reach out to sales@botbrains.io.

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Common Scenarios

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Seasonal Business with Variable Volume

Challenge: Usage varies 3x between peak and off-season Solution:
  • Set committed volume for off-season baseline
  • Accept PAYG charges during peak months
  • Calculate blended annual cost vs. year-round high commitment
  • Consider annual contract with averaged monthly volume

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Rapid Growth

Challenge: Usage growing 20% month-over-month Solution:
  • Start with conservative committed volume
  • Use PAYG as buffer during growth phase
  • Review monthly and upgrade when PAYG exceeds 20% of bill
  • Plan quarterly capacity increases

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Cost Optimization Focus

Challenge: Need to reduce spend without degrading service Solution:
  1. Analyze usage history for optimization opportunities
  2. Improve knowledge base to reduce message counts
  3. Implement escalations to prevent long unproductive exchanges
  4. Right-size committed volume to actual usage
  5. Consolidate underutilized projects

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Trial to Production

Challenge: Understanding trial usage to plan production costs Solution:
  • Review full trial period usage history
  • Calculate average daily messages
  • Multiply by 30 for estimated monthly volume
  • Add 20-30% growth buffer
  • Choose committed volume that covers 80% of scenarios

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Troubleshooting

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Usage Seems Higher Than Expected

Check:
  • All integrated channels (website, Zendesk, Slack, etc.)
  • Multiple projects contributing to total
  • Testing or development activity
  • Spam or bot conversations inflating counts
Investigate:
  • Review conversation history for unusual patterns
  • Check for duplicate deployments
  • Verify message counting (AI responses only, not user messages)
  • Look for automated testing hitting production

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Projected Costs Look Wrong

Reasons:
  • Unusual spike in usage early in cycle
  • Recent marketing campaign drove temporary surge
  • Testing phase with artificial volume
  • Seasonal pattern not yet established
Actions:
  • Review actual vs. projected daily usage
  • Discount projections if anomaly is known
  • Check mid-cycle for more accurate projections
  • Use history for seasonal context

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Don’t Understand a Charge

Resources:
  • Click Explanation on line item for full breakdown
  • Review billing period dates (usage may span different period than expected)
  • Check usage history to see what drove the charge
  • Contact support with specific invoice and line item questions

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Payment Failed

Steps:
  1. Check payment method is current and has sufficient funds
  2. Update payment method if needed
  3. Retry payment manually if automatic retry failed
  4. Contact billing support if issue persists
  5. Service continues during grace period (typically 7 days)

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Best Practices

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Monitor Regularly

Weekly Check-ins

Review usage dashboard weekly to catch unexpected trends early. A mid-cycle surge is easier to address than an end-of-month surprise.

Set Expectations

Configure usage alerts (if available) to notify you when approaching committed volume limits, giving time to optimize or plan for overages.

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Plan Proactively

Quarterly Reviews

Every quarter, review 3 months of usage history to identify trends and adjust committed volume as needed.

Growth Buffer

If your business is growing, maintain 20-30% headroom in committed volume to avoid constant PAYG charges.

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Optimize Strategically

ROI Focus

Optimize for cost efficiency, but never at the expense of customer experience. A frustrated customer costs more than a few extra messages.

Knowledge Investment

Investing time in comprehensive knowledge base pays dividends in reduced message volume and improved resolution rates.

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Data Privacy and Billing

Your billing data is handled with the same security and privacy standards as your customer conversations: Data Retention - Usage data retained for 7 years for accounting compliance Access Control - Only organization owners and billing contacts can view billing information Data Export - Export billing history for accounting or analysis purposes GDPR Compliance - Billing data included in data export requests Audit Trail - All subscription changes logged with timestamps and user attribution

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Next Steps

Now that you understand billing and usage: Transparent billing gives you control over costs and the insights needed to scale confidently. Monitor usage, plan capacity proactively, and optimize strategically to maximize ROI.