Overage plays: what they are and what they cost
When your plan plays run out, your VSL stays live and each extra play goes on the next invoice. Here's where to track it and when switching plans pays off.
Going past your plan plays doesn't take your VSL offline. The extra usage becomes a per-play charge on the following invoice. This guide shows what it costs, where to see it, and when a bigger plan is cheaper.
What an overage play is
It's any play above the amount included in your plan within the billing cycle. When you go past it, nothing is blocked: your VSLs keep playing and the dashboard lets you know you're in overage.
What counts as a play is explained in How pay-per-play billing works.
What it costs
Each overage play costs $0.005. The total is added up and charged on your next invoice, together with the monthly plan fee.
Example: on Starter (6,000 included plays), a month with 8,000 plays creates 2,000 overage plays, or $10 on the next invoice, on top of the $39 plan.
There's no overage during the free trial: when the 100 trial plays run out, your chosen plan starts.
Where to see it
Open Account settings › Plan & billing › Overage plays. The tab shows:
- Used beyond your plan: how many plays went past what your plan includes this cycle. When there is overage, a billing badge shows up.
- Estimated on next invoice: the overage amount so far.
- Your monthly plan fee and the next invoice date.
The estimate grows as the cycle goes on. The final amount shows up on the invoice, in the History tab, which only admins can see.
Usage alerts
On the same tab, under Usage alerts, you can get an email when your plan plays are about to run out, before you hit overage. It's the same Low plays balance preference in Account settings › Notifications: change it in one place and it changes in the other.
The Plays used up alert, sent when you enter overage, is essential and can't be turned off. WhatsApp alerts aren't available yet: today VSL Max only sends alerts by email.
When switching plans pays off
If you go into overage every month, a bigger plan lowers the bill:
- From Starter to Pro: worth it from about 18,000 plays a month. At that volume, Starter plus overage reaches the $99 of Pro, which includes 25,000 plays.
- From Pro to Max: worth it from about 45,000 plays a month. At that volume, Pro plus overage reaches the $199 of Max, which includes 60,000 plays.
An account admin can switch in Plan & billing › Plans.