Billing and plans

SiteTrellis plans limit how much of the platform you use: conversations per month, and the number of sites, agents, workspaces, team seats and some features. AI usage itself is not part of your SiteTrellis bill, because you pay your AI provider directly with your own key (see AI keys overview). Prices are on the pricing page, which is always the authoritative source for what each plan costs and includes.

What plans limit#

At the time of writing the plans are set up as follows. Limits are stored in the system and can change, so check the pricing page for the current numbers.

How conversations are counted#

• A conversation is one visitor session in which the visitor sent at least one message. Someone who opens the widget and leaves without typing is not counted.
• Several messages in the same chat are one conversation. A visitor who comes back later and starts a new chat creates a new one.
• Playground tests in the dashboard are not counted.
• Counting resets at the start of each calendar month (UTC), regardless of your billing date. The billing page shows this month's usage.

What happens at the limit#

The Free plan has a hard cap: when the 100 conversations are used, new conversations pause until the next month starts or you upgrade. Conversations already in progress are never interrupted. Paid plans use a soft cap so a busy day does not cut visitors off exactly at the limit:

1. As you approach the limit the dashboard shows a notice and an upgrade prompt.
2. When you pass the limit there is a grace buffer of 10% of your monthly allowance (for example, 100 extra conversations on a 1,000-conversation plan). Chats continue normally and conversations already in progress are never interrupted.
3. After the grace buffer is used, new conversations are not started; visitors see the widget's unavailable or offline experience instead of the AI until the next month starts or you upgrade. Existing conversations can finish.

Upgrading takes effect immediately and the new allowance applies to the current month, so chat resumes straight away.

Upgrading and downgrading#

Only the Owner can manage billing. Open Billing in the dashboard:

1. Choose a plan and billing interval (monthly or, where offered, annual).
2. You are taken to Stripe's secure checkout page to enter payment details. SiteTrellis never sees or stores your card number.
3. After payment, you return to the dashboard and the plan is active within moments.

If you already have a subscription, choosing another plan on the Billing page switches it at once and Stripe prorates the difference. To change your card, download invoices or update billing details, open the billing portal from the same page. The portal is hosted by Stripe. Invoices are emailed and are also available there. Tax and proration rules are applied by Stripe at checkout and on plan changes; the amounts shown there are what you will be charged.

If you downgrade#

Nothing is deleted automatically. If you are over the new plan's limits (for example, three agents on a one-agent plan), existing items stay, but you cannot create more of that kind, and publishing an agent that exceeds the new limits (such as a longer fallback chain, more custom tools, or live takeover) is blocked until you reduce it. Disable or remove what you no longer need. Features gated by plan, such as webhooks or custom CSS, stop being applied when the plan no longer includes them.

Cancelling#

Choose Downgrade to Free on the Billing page (or cancel in the billing portal). Your paid plan stays active until the end of the period you have paid for, then the account returns to the Free plan. Until that date you can choose Keep my subscription to undo it. Your data is kept; the Free plan limits apply from then on. If you want your data deleted, see Security and privacy.

If a payment fails#

Stripe retries failed card payments automatically and we email the account owners so you can update your card. Your plan stays active for a 7-day grace period and the Billing page shows a warning. If the payment is still not collected when the grace period ends, the account moves to the Free plan; your data is kept. If the payment succeeds later, the paid plan is restored automatically. The quickest fix is to update the card in the billing portal; a retry follows soon after.

Invoices, tax and billing details#

• Invoices and receipts are available in the billing portal and are sent to the billing email.
• Add your company name, address and tax or VAT number in the portal before your next invoice if you need them on the document.
• Your AI provider invoices separately; SiteTrellis shows only estimated AI cost in analytics.

Questions about billing#

If something looks wrong, contact us with your account email and what you see. If the Billing page says billing is not configured, plan changes are made by SiteTrellis staff instead.