Pay-as-you-go overages
What happens when you pass a plan allowance, and how to make sure it never happens by surprise.
Two ways a limit can behave
Which applies depends on your plan and whether pay-as-you-go is enabled on your account.
| Configuration | At the limit | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| PAYG enabled | Usage may continue and be billed as overage, subject to your account configuration | Businesses that must never stop taking calls |
| PAYG not enabled | The metered capability stops until the period resets or you upgrade | Businesses that want a hard ceiling on spend |
Setting a spending ceiling
When pay-as-you-go is enabled, you set both a monthly cap and a hard stop in the dashboard. Usage can continue past your included plan allowance up to those limits - never unlimited, and never beyond the hard stop you set.
This is the mechanism that makes "must never stop taking calls" and "must never get a surprise bill" both achievable at once: raise the cap for headroom, or set it equal to your included allowance for a hard ceiling with no overage risk at all.
What can go into overage
See usage and limits for how each measure is counted.
- Call minutes
- AI usage
- Messages
- API requests
- Phone numbers are a fixed monthly cost per number rather than an overage
Keeping overage predictable
- Watch the usage panel before busy periods, not during them.
- Consider an add-on rather than sustained overage - it is usually the cheaper shape. See add-ons.
- Review after any change in call volume, a new number, or a new integration that drives API traffic.
How overage appears
Overage is billed through the same payment method as your subscription and appears on your invoices. See invoices and tax.