> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.metricanic.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Subscription and usage

> Understand your event allowance, choose when a plan change takes effect, and keep payment and access in sync.

**Subscription** shows the plan, current period, event usage, available plan limits, and payment actions for your workspace. Use it when traffic volume changes or when a feature needs a different plan.

Read the live plan cards and confirmation dialog for prices and allowances. They come from the active billing configuration, so a copied price list would not reliably describe your account.

## Estimate usage from the whole journey

Billing counts tracked visits, offer clicks, and custom events. It is broader than the **Conversions** metric in reports, which depends on which events your goals mark as conversions.

For example, a journey with one recorded visit, one offer click, and two recorded custom events contributes four events to usage, even if only the final custom event is a conversion. Outgoing postback attempts and failed-event records are not added as separate billable events by the current usage calculation.

The usage display is processed asynchronously. Compare it against the billing period shown on **Subscription**, rather than expecting an arbitrary campaign date filter or a live request count to match immediately.

For metered paid subscriptions, usage above the included allowance is billed in the next Stripe invoice cycle. The Free plan uses an allowance with delayed limit enforcement rather than metered overage. Check the live plan's terms when deciding whether a traffic increase fits your current plan.

## Choose the timing of a plan change

| Action                    | When it takes effect                                               | When to use it                                |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
| Start a paid subscription | After checkout and activation                                      | Moving from Free to a paid plan               |
| Upgrade                   | Intended for immediate activation, subject to payment confirmation | You need higher limits or features now        |
| Downgrade                 | At the next renewal                                                | Future traffic or feature needs will be lower |
| Cancel subscription       | At the end of the current subscription period                      | Stop future paid renewal                      |

An upgrade can create a prorated Stripe charge for the remaining period. If the tracker says payment confirmation is pending, the new access has not yet been confirmed. Check the payment status and wait for the plan shown in **Subscription** to update.

For a practical example, if you need public API access for tomorrow's export, complete an eligible plan upgrade and verify the displayed plan before creating the key. Scheduling a downgrade for next renewal serves a different purpose and will not change today's limits.

## Start or switch a plan

Open **Subscription**, choose the plan, and read the confirmation. A new subscription continues to Stripe checkout. An existing subscription uses the plan-switch flow.

If the account is eligible for a trial, the checkout confirmation shows its duration and the price after the trial. Eligibility is account-specific. Confirm the terms shown for your workspace before continuing.

After returning from Stripe, check the current plan and period. A return to the tracker is a step in the payment flow, not a substitute for checking that activation completed.

## Undo a scheduled change

A pending downgrade appears with its effective date. Use **Cancel downgrade** to keep the current plan.

A scheduled cancellation leaves access until the displayed period end. **Resume subscription** undoes that cancellation and restores normal renewal. **Cancel to Free**, when offered, schedules the end of paid service rather than ending the current paid period immediately.

Use **Update payment method** to open Stripe's payment-method flow. Return to **Subscription** afterward to check status. If API keys or AI connections stop working after a billing change, check the required plan in [API keys](/account/api-keys) or [AI agents](/integrations/ai-agents).