Why a feature shows Upgrade required
Last updated: Aug 24, 2026
When you open a feature your subscription doesn't cover, Dispatch Bros replaces it with a lock card titled "Not included in your plan", a plain-English reason, and a button that takes you straight to the right upgrade — Upgrade platform plan or Upgrade phone plan. It's not an error: your account is fine; the module simply isn't in your current tier. Upgrading unlocks it immediately.
What the lock screen tells you
The card has three parts:
- The title — "Not included in your plan" (with a lock icon).
- The reason — a specific sentence about what's missing; the generic fallback is "This feature is not part of your current plan."
- The fix — one or two buttons: Upgrade platform plan goes to Billing's Platform tab; Upgrade phone plan goes to the Phone tab. When a feature needs upgrades on both products, both buttons appear — start with the first (primary) one.
The pop-up variant
Some actions — like inviting a teammate past your seat limit or enabling a gated integration — pop a modal instead of replacing the page. It names the feature, states the reason, and offers:
- View Plans — jumps to the right Billing tab.
- Not Now — closes the modal; nothing changes.
- Request extra seat — shown only for seat-limit blocks on plans where extra seats are enabled, with the per-seat monthly price in the button. After submitting you'll see "Request submitted" and you'll be notified when the seat is approved.
How to unlock a feature
- Read the reason on the card — it says which product is short.
- Click the upgrade button; compare tiers on the plans page — the comparison table shows exactly which tier includes the module.
- Complete the upgrade. The change applies immediately; return to the feature and it loads.
Troubleshooting
- "Entitlement check failed." — the app couldn't verify your plan (network or server hiccup), which is different from a denial. Click Retry. A pure connection failure shows "Network error — could not check entitlement." instead.
- You upgraded but the lock is still there — reload the page; the entitlement is re-checked on load. If it persists a few minutes after payment, contact support.
- The seat request button is missing — extra seats aren't enabled for your plan, or seat requests aren't available right now. Upgrade the platform plan instead.
- Only some teammates see the lock — feature locks are plan-level, but pages also respect roles and permissions. If admins can see a page and a dispatcher can't, it's a permission, not a plan lock.
FAQ
Why does a page show a lock and Not included in your plan?
Your current plan doesn't include that module. The card explains the reason and shows an upgrade button that deep-links to the right Billing tab.
How do I know whether to upgrade the platform plan or the phone plan?
The lock card's button tells you: Upgrade platform plan points at the software tier, Upgrade phone plan points at voice/messaging capacity. Some features need both.
I hit a seat limit inviting a teammate - do I have to upgrade?
Not always. If extra seats are enabled for your plan, the prompt includes a Request extra seat option with the per-seat monthly price.
The lock appeared even though my plan includes the feature - what now?
If the check itself failed you'll see Entitlement check failed with a Retry button - that's a load error, not a denial. Retry, refresh, or contact support.