Billing FAQ

Everything about your Dispatch Bros subscription lives on the Billing page — described in the app as "Platform, phone service, and billing management". You have two products there: the platform plan (the software) and the phone plan (your business phone service), and each can be upgraded or changed on its own. This page answers the billing questions owners ask most; only owners and admins can make billing changes.

Plans and upgrades

Where do I manage my subscription?

Open Billing in the left sidebar. The page has tabs for an overview, your platform plan, your phone plan, and billing history — every plan change, cancellation, and payment record lives there. Overview of plans: Plans and pricing.

What is the difference between the platform plan and the phone plan?

The platform plan covers the software — jobs, invoicing, team seats, and features. The phone plan covers your business phone service — numbers, calling minutes, and texting allowances. They're billed together on one subscription but upgraded separately. Details: Phone plan costs.

What does "Not included in your plan" mean?

The feature you opened isn't part of your current subscription. The locked screen reads "Not included in your plan" and shows exactly which product to upgrade — "Upgrade platform plan" or "Upgrade phone plan" — as a button that takes you to the right tab of the Billing page. Feature popups offer the same choice with View Plans. More: Locked features.

Do plan upgrades take effect immediately?

Yes. When you confirm an upgrade, your plan changes immediately and Stripe charges a prorated amount for the remainder of the current billing period; starting at your next renewal you're billed the new plan price. The confirmation dialog states the exact renewal date before you commit. Guide: Upgrade your plan.

What happens when I downgrade?

Downgrades also apply immediately — Stripe prorates the difference and applies it as a credit to your next invoice, and from the next renewal you're billed the new, lower price.

How do I change my phone plan?

On the Billing page, open the phone plan tab and pick the plan you want. A confirmation dialog explains that the change applies immediately with proration before anything is charged — nothing changes on a single accidental click.

Numbers, seats, and overage

Do extra phone numbers cost more?

Your phone plan includes an allowance of phone numbers. When you search for numbers to buy, each result is marked either "Covered by your included allowance" or "Beyond your included allowance" — numbers beyond the allowance bill at your plan's extra-number monthly price, shown before you purchase. Guide: Buy a phone number.

What is an extra seat request?

If you hit your plan's user limit while inviting a team member, the upgrade popup may offer "Request extra seat" with the monthly price — a way to add one paid seat without moving to a bigger plan. After you submit, the popup confirms "Request submitted" and you're notified when the seat is approved.

What is on-demand overage?

On-demand overage lets you keep working past your plan's included usage (for example texts or call minutes) instead of hitting a hard stop — the extra usage bills as overage. You turn it on or off from the phone plan tab of the Billing page.

Cancelling and payment

Why can't I cancel my subscription?

If your account still owns phone numbers, cancellation is blocked and you'll see a message ending "Release them before cancelling billing." — this protects you from paying for numbers you could no longer use. Delete your numbers from Phone System → Numbers (the app takes you there), then cancel from Billing.

What happens when I cancel?

The confirmation dialog spells it out: "Your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period. After that, you will lose access to paid features." You keep full access until the period ends, and you can change your mind before then.

Can I undo a cancellation?

Yes — a cancelled-at-period-end subscription can be reactivated from the Billing page any time before the period actually ends. Once reactivated, billing continues as normal at your next renewal.

Where do I see past invoices and update my card?

Open Billing and switch to the billing history tab — it lists your invoices and shows the card on file. Card updates go through the secure Stripe billing management portal, opened from the same page.

I paid at checkout but my plan still is not active — what now?

Give it a moment. Right after checkout, the Billing page shows "Processing your payment... This usually takes a few seconds." while Stripe confirms the payment — the page checks automatically and flips to active on its own, usually within half a minute. If it never activates, refresh the page, and contact Support from the sidebar if the problem persists.