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Billing & Plan

Billing & Plan is the account owner's screen for a self-serve app. It shows the plan, the trial or renewal date, how many editors are in use, usage against the plan's limits and the AI credit, and it holds the buttons that change the subscription. It stays open even when the app is locked, so the owner can always put things right.

Where to find it

Admin Panel → Account:

  • Billing & Plan — plan, dates, editors, usage, AI credit and payment actions

Admin Panel → AI:

  • AI Credit — what has used the AI credit, and top-ups

What the screen shows

  • The plan card: Plan, Status, Trial ends, Period Ends and Cancels at period end, then a line such as "Trial ends 16 October 2026" with the first payment date, "Renews on" a date, or "Cancels on" a date. Below that, "Editors: 1 of 1", or a warning if the app has more editors than the plan includes.
  • Usage: "Records", "Files" and "API calls today", each as used against the limit. A sentence appears under any line at 80% or more.
  • AI credit: how much of this period's credit is used and when it resets, the top-up balance, and any weekly figure.
  • Banners at the top when something needs attention: the subscription is not active, the last payment failed, the app is bigger than its plan, or a trial ended early because the card had already had a trial.

The buttons, for the billing owner

  • Manage billing opens the Stripe Customer Portal, where the owner changes between Starter and Pro, updates the card, sees invoices and cancels. It reads Update payment details when a payment has failed.
  • Buy credit buttons, one per AI top-up pack, take a one-off card payment through Stripe. The credit is added when the payment clears, and the screen confirms it: "Thank you - your AI credit top-up has been added."
  • When the app is locked, the buttons change to whatever will reopen it: Start your 14-day trial, Complete checkout, Complete payment, Resubscribe to Starter or Pro, Update payment details, or Resume subscription. See Locked Apps and Payment Problems.
  • With nothing to do, it says "There is nothing to change here right now."

Other administrators see the same figures with "Ask the person who manages this account's subscription." in place of the buttons. ActiveManage staff see "Staff view: billing actions belong to the account's owner."

Changing plan

  1. Open Billing & Plan and click Manage billing.
  2. In the Stripe Customer Portal, choose the other plan and confirm.
  3. An upgrade is charged straight away, prorated, and its limits apply at once.
  4. A downgrade takes effect at the end of the paid period. Before then, trim the app to fit the smaller plan; see Plans and Usage Limits.
  5. Return to Billing & Plan and check the plan card.

Cancelling

Cancel in the Customer Portal from Manage billing. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid period; until then the plan card shows "Cancels on" that date and the app works normally. After it, the app locks and the owner can resubscribe at any time from Billing & Plan.

What goes wrong

  • "Only the person who manages this account's subscription can do that.": you are not the billing owner. Ask them, or ActiveManage if they have left.
  • "This account already has a subscription. Change it with Manage billing.": use the Portal to change plan rather than starting a new subscription.
  • "Checkout isn't finished yet. If you have just paid, it can take a minute to show here.": wait a minute and reload.
  • "Your top-up payment is being confirmed.": the credit appears when the payment clears.

Worked example

An owner on Starter needs three more administrators. On Billing & Plan the plan card shows "Editors: 1 of 1". They click Manage billing, switch to Pro in the Portal and return. The card now reads Pro with "Editors: 1 of 10", the prorated charge appears in their invoices, and their colleagues can be given admin access.

Recommendations

  • Check the plan card's dates before a trial ends.
  • Keep the card in the Portal up to date; a failed renewal locks the app.
  • Plan downgrades ahead by trimming editors and data first.
  • Tell colleagues who the billing owner is, so they know whom to ask.