# Billing and Credits

Section: Settings & Integrations · Page: https://artsvp.com/docs/settings/billing-and-credits

(Plans: All plans) (Access: Admins only)

**Settings** → **Billing** is where your plan, credits, and invoices live: see
what your plan includes, top up credits, switch plans, and download past
invoices. Card details and billing information sit in the **Stripe billing
portal**, opened from the Billing page. For what each plan includes, see
[Plans](https://artsvp.com/docs/getting-started/plans).

## Free guests

Your first guest bookings each month cost nothing: 50 on Free, 250 on Pro, 500
on Expert. The Billing page shows how much of the allowance is used and the
exact date it resets.

## Credits

Credits cover what the free allowance does not:

- **Guests beyond your allowance**: 1 guest = 1 credit.
- **Portal activations**: 1 portal = 150 credits (see
  [Portals](https://artsvp.com/docs/guest-management/portals)).

Your balance is shown on the Billing page and in the sidebar. To top up, click
**Buy Credits**. In **Purchase Credit Pack**, choose a pack under **Select a
pack** and click **Checkout**. The larger packs carry a volume discount, and if
you have a promo code, you can add it at checkout. Checkout also lets you add a
tax or VAT ID so it can appear on the invoice.

After you pay, credits land on the organisation and the purchase appears twice
on Billing: under **Invoices** (download the **PDF**) and under **Payments**
(open the **Receipt**). Credits belong to one organisation and do not transfer
between organisations. Booking fees on paid tickets are a separate matter
entirely: they are taken from ticket revenue, not your balance (see
[Plans](https://artsvp.com/docs/getting-started/plans)).

### When the balance runs low

Fair week is not the moment to discover an empty balance, so ARTSVP can warn
you: it emails the organisation's billing contact when free guests run low or
out, when credits are low, or when the balance becomes negative. Use **Manage
Notifications** to choose which alerts you receive and set the low-credit
threshold.

**Pay-As-You-Go** is on from the start, so bookings carry on even when the free
guests and credits run out. The balance goes negative, and at the end of each
monthly cycle it is billed at your plan's credit rate: charged to your card if
one is on file, otherwise emailed to you as an invoice. A credit top-up before
then settles it instead.

> **Tip:** Before a big event, check the free-guest meter and top up in advance.
> Buying credits calmly beats doing it mid-opening.

## Plans and invoices

Upgrade or manage your plan from the Billing page. Pro and Expert start with a
7-day trial. Subscription invoices and credit-pack invoices are listed under
**Invoices** for download. Each credit-pack payment also appears under
**Payments** with its **Receipt**.

If you can't see **Settings** in the sidebar, you're not an Admin of this
organisation, or you're in a different one, check the organisation and space
switcher near the top of the sidebar. Ask an Admin to download the invoices.
**Account settings**, opened from your name near the bottom of the sidebar, is
your personal profile and has no billing.

### Changing or cancelling your plan

To update your subscription, payment method, or billing details, open the Stripe
billing portal from the Billing page. During a trial, click **Manage Plan**; on
a live subscription, click **Manage Billing** in the Billing Details card. Both
open the same portal, where you can update your card, view invoices, change
plans, or cancel.

Personal invitations and guest list management continue on Pro. Invitations
that are **Pending** or already sent stay on the guest list, and you can
still send them and manage their responses after a downgrade to Pro.
Automations are Expert only, so rules are skipped once you leave Expert.
See [Automations](https://artsvp.com/docs/automations/overview). Custom fields cannot be
edited on Pro. See [Custom fields](https://artsvp.com/docs/events/custom-fields).

### Pausing your plan

Pausing a subscription is not self-service. If you need a temporary break from
billing (between fair seasons, for example), email
[support@artsvp.com](mailto:support@artsvp.com).

### Scheduled cancellations

If you cancel through the billing portal, your plan stays active until the
current period ends. The Billing page shows **Your subscription will end on
[date]** with a **Renew Plan** button. Clicking **Renew Plan** opens the billing
portal, where you can undo the cancellation and keep your plan.

Once the period ends, the organisation moves to the Free plan.

### If a plan payment fails

When a Pro or Expert renewal is declined, or your bank needs a confirmation,
ARTSVP emails the address in **Billing email**. The message includes **Pay now**
or **Confirm payment**, which opens the invoice. These emails always send; they
are not listed under **Manage Notifications**.

While payment is retried, you keep the plan you are on. The Billing page shows
**Your subscription is past due** and **Pay Now**. If the retries run out, the
organisation drops back to Free and paid-plan features lock, with an upgrade
note naming the plan they need.

Pay the open invoice from the **Invoices** table (**Pay**), or from the email
link. Once it is paid, the organisation returns to the plan you were on.
Starting a new checkout is blocked until that invoice is settled: stay on
Billing and pay it there. To change the card, use **Manage Billing**.

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Keep reading: [Plans](https://artsvp.com/docs/getting-started/plans) ·
[Portals](https://artsvp.com/docs/guest-management/portals) ·
[Reporting and exports](https://artsvp.com/docs/reference/reporting-and-exports)

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