# Billing Overview

## Overview

DM Champ uses a **subscription + credits** billing model. Your subscription gives you access to the platform and determines your feature limits. Credits are the currency that powers AI responses, outgoing campaigns, and channel connections.

To access billing, open **Settings** and select **Billing** from the left navigation menu.

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## Subscription Plans

Your subscription plan determines:

* The number of contacts and campaigns you can have.
* Which features are available to you (e.g., webhooks, API access, white-labeling).
* Your AI response limits per chat.
* How many free AI credits you receive each month.

You can view and manage your subscription from **Settings > Billing**.

For a detailed breakdown of what each plan includes, see [Subscription Tiers](https://help.dmchamp.com/billing-and-credits/subscription-tiers).

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## Credit System Explained

Credits are the core unit of usage in DM Champ. Think of credits like prepaid minutes on a phone plan - each action your account performs uses a set number of credits. Here is how they work:

### AI Credits

Credits are deducted when the AI **"thinks"** - meaning when it processes messages and generates a response. They are **not** charged for every individual message sent or received.

**Example:** A contact sends you 5 messages in a row. When the AI processes all of those messages and generates a single response, that costs **1 credit**. It does not matter how many messages the contact sent or how many messages the AI sends back in its response - it is 1 credit per AI response cycle.

### Outgoing Campaigns

When you launch an outgoing campaign, the first message to each contact costs **1 credit per contact**.

**Example:** You send a campaign to 100 contacts. That costs 100 credits for the initial outreach. Subsequent AI responses in those conversations follow the standard AI credit pricing (1 credit per response cycle).

### Channel Connections

Each connected channel costs **50 credits per month** ($5.00). This applies to:

* Phone numbers (Twilio)
* WhatsApp Web connections
* Instagram connections
* Facebook Messenger connections

This is an infrastructure fee that covers messaging delivery costs and is charged regardless of usage.

### AI Tool Usage

When the AI uses tools during a conversation (such as booking an appointment, checking availability, performing a web search, or executing a custom function), each tool call costs **1 credit**.

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## Credit Balance

Your current credit balance is displayed prominently in the Billing section as a card showing your available credits. You can also see your credit balance in the top navigation bar for quick reference at any time.

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## Adding Credits

To add credits to your account:

1. Go to **Settings > Billing** or click the credit counter in the top navigation.
2. Click **Add Credits**.
3. Choose the number of credits you want to purchase.
4. Complete the payment.

**Credit pricing:** Each credit costs **10 cents ($0.10 USD)**.

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## Auto-Recharge

Auto-recharge ensures you never run out of credits unexpectedly:

1. Go to **Settings > Billing**.
2. Enable **Auto-Recharge**.
3. Configure:
   * **When balance falls below** - Set the threshold that triggers a recharge (e.g., when credits drop below 50).
   * **Add this many credits** - Set how many credits to purchase automatically (e.g., add 200 credits).
4. Make sure you have a payment method on file.

When your credit balance drops below the threshold, DM Champ automatically purchases the specified number of credits using your saved payment method.

### Auto-recharge for agency sub-accounts

If you run an agency with credit reselling enabled, auto-recharge also works for your sub-accounts. There are two modes:

* **Stripe mode** — Sub-accounts are charged automatically through your connected Stripe account. No extra setup needed beyond connecting Stripe.
* **Webhook mode** — DM Champ notifies your server when a sub-account needs credits, and your server processes the payment using any provider you choose. This is ideal if you use a payment system other than Stripe.

For details on setting up webhook-based auto-recharge, see [Agency Accounts — Webhook Auto-Recharge](https://help.dmchamp.com/agency-and-reselling/agency-accounts#webhook-auto-recharge-custom-payment-provider).

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## Monthly Free Credits

Depending on your subscription tier, you receive free AI credits every month:

| Tier    | Free Monthly Credits |
| ------- | -------------------- |
| Starter | 50                   |
| Growth  | 200                  |
| Scale   | 500                  |
| Agency  | 1,000                |

These credits are automatically added to your account at the start of each billing cycle. Unused free credits do not roll over to the next month.

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## What Happens When Credits Run Out

When your credit balance reaches zero:

* **The AI stops responding** to messages. Contacts can still send messages, and they will be stored, but the bot will not generate replies.
* **Outgoing campaigns** cannot be launched.
* **Channel connections** remain active (they are billed monthly, not per-message).

To restore AI functionality, either add credits manually or enable auto-recharge to prevent future interruptions.

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## Payment Methods

DM Champ accepts **credit and debit cards** via Stripe (our secure payment processor). To add or update your payment method:

1. Go to **Settings > Billing**.
2. Click **Manage Payment Method** or **Add Credit Card**.
3. Enter your card details through the secure Stripe checkout. Your card information is handled entirely by Stripe and is never stored on DM Champ servers.

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## Invoices and Payment History

To view your billing history:

1. Go to **Settings > Billing**.
2. Click **Manage Subscription** or **Customer Portal**.
3. The Stripe customer portal opens in a new window and shows:
   * All past invoices and payment receipts.
   * Your subscription details and renewal dates.
   * Options to update your payment method.

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## Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)

If your subscription includes BYOK (available on Scale and Agency tiers), you can connect your own AI provider account - such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google Gemini - instead of using DM Champ's built-in AI credits. Think of it like bringing your own phone plan instead of paying per minute.

When BYOK is active:

* **All AI-related features are free of credit charges** - no credits are deducted for AI responses, tool usage, campaign optimization, FAQ generation, or any other AI operation. You pay the AI provider directly through your own account with them.
* **Channel connection fees still apply** - the monthly 50-credit fee per connection covers messaging infrastructure costs and is not affected by BYOK.

This is ideal for high-volume users who want predictable costs through their own AI provider billing.

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## First Month Free

New accounts receive free AI credits for the first 30 days. During this period, AI operations do not deduct credits from your balance, giving you time to set up campaigns and test the platform without worrying about credit costs.

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## Need Help?

If you have billing questions or need help with credits, reach out via our [help form](https://dmchamp.com/help).