Set up client billing
Client billing starts with one switch for your whole agency and a set of defaults. Every client follows these defaults unless you change an option for that client in its Client settings. This guide covers the Settings tab under Client billing.
Before you begin
Section titled “Before you begin”- The agency owner. Only the owner can switch client billing on and change the Settings tab. Admins can open the tab and see the settings.
- Read Client billing overview for how plans, minutes and enforcement fit together.
Switch client billing on
Section titled “Switch client billing on”-
Open the settings
In your agency menu, select Client billing, then the Settings tab.
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Turn on the switch
Turn on Client billing at the top of the page. It saves straight away and reads On. Each client follows its own setting in Client settings (Off by default).
Switching it on changes nothing for any client yet. Each client stays Off until you choose Track only or Track and enforce for it.
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Choose your defaults
Work through Defaults for clients and Calls and payments, described below.
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Save
Select Save settings. Discard puts back the last saved values.
Turning the switch off again stops metering, emails and blocking for every client, and releases any blocks that are in place. Clients no longer see billing. Plans, packs and history are kept.
Defaults for clients
Section titled “Defaults for clients”“Each client can override these in its Client settings.”
| Setting | What it does | Default | When to change it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default currency | The currency pre-selected for new plans and packs, and used for a client that has no currency of its own. 44 currencies are available. | USD | Set it to the currency you invoice in, for example GBP. |
| New clients start | Off (you switch each client on) or Track only. | Off | Keep Off so you choose each client’s plan and setting yourself. |
| Usage warning | Emails you and the client’s billing contacts when a client has used this share of its plan minutes. Off, or At 70%, 75%, 80%, 85% or 90% of plan minutes. | At 80% | Earlier if your clients need more notice to buy a pack. |
| Overflow warning (to you) | Emails your team when a client has used this share of its overflow minutes. Off, or At 50%, 80% or 90% of overflow. The client does not get this one. | At 80% | Earlier if you want time to call the client before calls stop. |
Then the switches:
| Switch | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Overflow minutes | “Use a plan’s overflow minutes before calls stop.” Off: overflow is never used, even on plans that include it. | On |
| Clients can request minute packs | Shows Request minutes on the client’s Billing page. Once your Stripe account takes payments, clients see Buy now instead. See Create minute packs. | On |
| Show billing to clients | “New billed clients’ contacts see a Billing page.” Applies to clients when billing is first set up for them. You can change it for each client later. | Off |
| Billing emails to clients | “Usage, overflow and payment emails to the client’s billing contacts.” | On |
| Billing emails to your team | Usage, overflow, payment and request emails to your team. “Off: in-app banners only.” | On |
| Stop outbound calls (Track and enforce) | “Campaigns pause when a client’s minutes run out.” New outbound calls are refused. | On |
| Stop inbound calls (Track and enforce) | “The portal changes provider settings while a client is blocked, then restores them.” | On |
| Stop text channels too | “WhatsApp and SMS replies stop when calls stop, and when a plan’s chat conversations are used up.” | On |
| End calls in progress (Track and enforce) | “Off: calls finish and the extra time is carried over. On: Retell calls and Vapi outbound calls end once the minutes are used.” | Off |
The three Track and enforce switches only act on clients set to Track and enforce. Clients on Track only are never blocked. See When minutes run out for exactly what each one changes on ElevenLabs, Retell AI and Vapi.
When End calls in progress is on, one more field appears: What Vapi callers hear a minute before the call ends, up to 200 characters. “Gives the caller time to wrap up. Empty uses the text shown.” The text shown is: “Just so you know, we will need to wrap up this call in about a minute.”
Calls and payments
Section titled “Calls and payments”| Setting | Options | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum minutes to start a call | Any, 30 s, 1 min, 2 min, 5 min | 1 min | With Track and enforce, a new call is refused when the client has less than this left. It avoids calls that would be cut short straight away. |
| If usage can’t be checked during a call | Let the call through, Refuse the call | Let the call through | When the portal checks an incoming call and cannot read the client’s minutes at that moment. Let the call through means a caller is never turned away by a passing problem. |
| Message callers hear when blocked (Vapi) | Up to 200 characters | “This line is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.” | What Vapi callers hear when an inbound call is refused. Each client can have its own message. |
| Payment terms | Due on receipt, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days | 7 days | How long a client has to pay each payment request. |
| Monthly minutes are added | At renewal (payment can follow), When you mark the payment paid | At renewal | With the second option, a paid plan’s minutes for the new period wait until you mark that period’s payment paid, or use Grant minutes now, collect later. |
| When a payment is overdue | Remind and tell me, Also pause calls automatically | Remind and tell me | Reminders follow your reminder schedule: by default 3 days before the due date, on the due date, and 3 and 7 days after. The second option also pauses the client’s calls once a payment is overdue by the number of days you choose, with a warning to the client and your team 2 days before. |
| Pause after | 3, 7, 14 or 30 days overdue | 7 days overdue | Shown with Also pause calls automatically. A client is paused once per overdue payment, so resuming it by hand sticks. |
| Unlimited overflow: email me every | 30, 60, 120, 300, 600 or 1000 overflow minutes | 60 overflow minutes | “For clients you trust with unlimited overflow.” How often your team is emailed as such a client’s overflow grows. |
| Billing emails to your team go to (optional) | An email address | Empty | Sends your team’s billing emails to one address, such as your accounts inbox. Leave it empty and they go to your agency’s owners and admins, unless a billing email is already on file for your agency. |
Getting paid on manual payments
Section titled “Getting paid on manual payments”Also in Client billing, Settings, set up how clients on Manual payments pay you. Each is explained in Get paid without Stripe.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Payment instructions | Your bank details and other ways to pay: account name, bank name, sort code, account number, IBAN, BIC/SWIFT, routing number and other instructions. Every payment email, the client’s Billing page and each payment page show them. |
| Your email sender | Shows whether your sending domain is set up, with a link to your email settings, so billing emails come from you. |
| Issue invoices from the portal | Optional, off by default. With your legal and tax details, the portal issues numbered invoices, receipts and credit notes for manual payments. |
| Reminder schedule | When reminders go out, as days before and after the due date. Default: 3 days before, on the due date, and 3 and 7 days after. |
| Monthly statements | A statement email to each client at renewal, with last period’s activity and the payments now due. On by default. |
| Daily digest | One morning email to your team in place of separate payment emails. Off unless you switch it on. |
Recommended settings for your first client
Section titled “Recommended settings for your first client”These settings let you see real usage without any risk of a caller being turned away:
| Setting | Recommended |
|---|---|
| New clients start | Off (you switch each client on) |
| Usage warning | At 80% of plan minutes |
| Overflow warning (to you) | At 80% of overflow |
| Overflow minutes | On |
| Clients can request minute packs | On, once you have created a pack |
| Show billing to clients | On, if your client should see their minutes |
| Billing emails to clients and to your team | On |
| End calls in progress (Track and enforce) | Off |
| Minimum minutes to start a call | 1 min |
| If usage can’t be checked during a call | Let the call through |
| Payment terms | 7 days |
| Monthly minutes are added | At renewal (payment can follow) |
| When a payment is overdue | Remind and tell me |
| Payment instructions | Filled in, so every bill shows how to pay you |
Then put the client on Track only for its first period. When the plan fits, switch it to Track and enforce. See Bill a client.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The settings are greyed out with Only the agency owner can change these settings. | Ask your agency owner to make the change. |
| A client’s Client billing section says Client billing is switched off for your agency. | Turn on Client billing on the Settings tab, or select Switch it on in the message. |
| Your team gets no billing emails | Check Billing emails to your team is on, and the address in Billing emails to your team go to (optional). With the daily digest on, payment emails arrive together each morning. |
| A client’s billing contacts get no emails | Check Billing emails to clients is on, for the agency and in the client’s Client settings, and that the client has at least one Billing contact. |