Billing, Credits & Usage¶

Product Agents use a credit based model. This article explains how credits are consumed, what happens when you reach your limit, and how to manage your subscription.

The goal is to make usage predictable and avoid surprises.

How Product Agents usage works¶

Product Agents consume credits when a message is successfully handed over to your configured channel, such as Klaviyo.

In simple terms:

One message sent to the channel equals one credit
Credits are shared across all Product Agents
Credits are consumed at the point of handover, not at final delivery

Product Agents are responsible for deciding when and what to send. Your email service provider is responsible for deciding whether the message is ultimately delivered to the customer.

Billing cycles and credit allocation¶

Your credits are tied to your subscription cycle, which can be monthly, quarterly, or annual depending on your plan.

You receive your full credit allocation at the start of each cycle
Any unused credits at the end of a cycle carry over and are added on top of your next cycle's allocation

What counts as usage¶

Usage is counted when:

A Product Agent message is sent to the configured channel (for example, Klaviyo)
The message passes Product Agent eligibility and scheduling checks
The message is handed over to the channel for delivery

Credits are consumed when a message is successfully handed over to the sending channel.

What does not count as usage¶

The following do not consume credits:

Messages that are skipped before being sent to the channel
Messages that are never scheduled
Messages blocked by Product Agents before channel delivery

Messages handed over to the sending channel consume credits even if the channel later blocks delivery.

Test mode vs live usage¶

When an agent is in test mode:

Messages are sent only to your test email address
Live customers are not affected
Credits are consumed in the same way as live sending

When an agent is live:

Messages can be sent to real customers
Credits are consumed when messages are sent to the channel

Test mode is recommended whenever you change templates, subject lines, or settings.

Shared credits across agents¶

Credits are shared across all Product Agents.

This means:

You do not need to assign credits per agent
You can enable multiple agents without managing separate limits
Usage automatically adjusts based on which agents send messages

If multiple agents compete for the same customer, only one message is sent, which also helps control usage.

Klaviyo smart sending and usage¶

If you use Klaviyo, smart sending rules apply after the message is sent to Klaviyo.

This means:

A message may be blocked by Klaviyo smart sending
The message will not reach the customer's inbox
The credit is still consumed because the message was handed over to Klaviyo

This behavior is expected and ensures consistent usage calculation across channels.

What happens when you reach your limit¶

If you reach your available credit limit:

Sending pauses when credits reach zero and Auto-Overage is disabled
No additional credits are consumed
Scheduled messages may remain scheduled but will only send once credits are available again

Sending resumes automatically when:

A new billing cycle begins and credits are refreshed
You purchase additional credits
Auto-Overage purchases additional credits on your behalf

Managing your subscription¶

You can view and manage your credit setup from the Manage Subscription page.

Credit overview¶

The credit overview shows your current credit status, including:

Committed credits — the number of credits included in your billing cycle
Available credits — the credits remaining for the current period
Billing cycle remaining — how much time is left in the current cycle
Overage credits used — any additional credits purchased via Auto-Overage

Auto-Overage¶

Auto-Overage allows sending to continue automatically when your committed credits run out.

When enabled, you can configure:

Credits per purchase — how many credits are added each time Auto-Overage activates
Maximum credits per billing cycle — a cap on the total overage credits that can be purchased in a single cycle

The Manage Subscription page shows the cost per overage purchase and your maximum potential spend based on your configuration, so you can review the impact before enabling it.

When the overage limit is reached, sending pauses until credits are replenished or the billing cycle resets.

Payment method¶

The Manage Subscription page allows you to update the credit card used for:

Subscription charges
Auto-Overage purchases

Update your commitment¶

To increase your committed credits, contact sales or support. Self-service plan changes directly from this page are coming in a future update.

Credit ledger¶

The credit ledger provides a full history of credit activity on your account.

Each entry includes:

Date — when the event occurred
Description — the type of event (purchase, adjustment, or billing event)
Credit amount — how many credits were added or consumed

Use the ledger to audit usage, verify purchases, and reconcile billing.

Credit usage notifications¶

You will receive email notifications to help you stay ahead of your credit limit.

Notifications are sent when you:

Reach 80% of your credit limit
Reach 90% of your credit limit
Reach your credit limit
Change your Auto-Overage settings

Notifications are sent to the subscription owner and any billing emails configured for your subscription.

These alerts give you time to purchase additional credits or adjust your Auto-Overage configuration before sending is interrupted.

Monitoring your usage¶

You can monitor Product Agents usage directly in Hello Retail from the Usage Overview.

From there you can:

See how many credits you have used in the current billing cycle
View your historic usage over time
Track current usage levels
Anticipate when limits may be reached

Checking usage regularly helps avoid unexpected pauses in sending.

Common questions¶

Do skipped messages consume credits?¶

No. Messages that are skipped before being sent to the channel do not consume credits.

Do delayed messages consume credits?¶

Only when a delayed message is eventually sent to the channel does it consume a credit.

Are credits tied to a specific agent?¶

No. Credits are shared across all Product Agents.

What happens to scheduled messages when credits run out?¶

Scheduled messages remain scheduled but will not be sent until credits are available again. They are not lost.

Can I prevent sending from pausing when credits run out?¶

Yes. Enable Auto-Overage on the Manage Subscription page to automatically purchase additional credits when your committed credits are exhausted.

Summary¶

Product Agents usage is calculated at the point where messages are handed over to your channel:

You pay for messages handed over to the channel
Testing is free
Built-in prioritisation helps control volume
Credits are shared across all agents
Auto-Overage keeps sending running when committed credits run out
Notifications alert you before you reach your limit

This allows you to scale automation while keeping costs predictable.