This article explains how CloudTalk’s Fair Usage Policy (FUP) works, including per-user limits, how usage is calculated, and how exceeding the limit affects billing and calling availability.
User level: Admin
CloudTalk’s Fair Usage Policy (FUP) is a per-user monthly limit on outbound minutes included in your calling package. It applies to unlimited calling packages and is calculated per agent. This helps ensure fair use of the service and maintain consistent call quality for all customers.
The Fair Usage Policy applies only to calls included in your calling package. Calls outside your package are always charged from credit.
To learn more about what is charged from credit, see the guide on what uses credit in CloudTalk.
What is included in the Fair Usage Policy
Each user on your account has a monthly allowance of 3,000 outbound minutes, unless a different limit has been agreed in your contract.
The limit is applied per user, not shared across the account
Usage is tracked individually for each user
The counter resets at the start of each billing cycle
Minutes are calculated based on billed duration and are rounded up to the nearest full minute.
Example:
2 minutes 10 seconds is billed as 3 minutes
5 minutes exactly is billed as 5 minutes
Note: The 3,000-minute limit is the default. Your account may have a different limit depending on your agreement. If you are unsure, contact your account manager.
What happens when the limit is exceeded
When a user exceeds their Fair Usage limit:
Additional minutes are charged from credit
All outbound minutes beyond the limit are billed at standard per-minute rates and deducted from your account’s credit balance.
Calls may stop if credit runs out
Credit is shared across the entire account.
If the credit balance reaches zero:
Outbound calls are blocked for all users
Inbound calls to toll-free numbers are also stopped
This means that one user exceeding their limit can impact calling availability across the entire account if there is no remaining credit.
How to check usage
You can monitor usage directly in your CloudTalk dashboard.
For a detailed breakdown of charges and call activity, use the Credit Movement export available in the Billing section.
If you expect your calling volume to be higher than usual, we recommend reaching out to our team in advance to ensure uninterrupted service.
Starter plans: hard limits
On Starter plans, Fair Usage Policy does not apply.
Instead, included minutes are capped.
Region | Included minutes (per user/month) |
EU regional | 500 minutes |
US & Canada | Up to 3,000 minutes |
Brazil, Colombia | 250 minutes |
Mexico, Peru, Australia | 500 minutes |
Once the limit is reached, all additional calls are charged from credit.
On Essential and Expert plans, calling packages are described as "unlimited", meaning there is no hard cap, but the Fair Usage Policy applies.
Country-specific packages (US/CA + local minutes)
For country-specific packages (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Australia), usage is split into:
Local domestic minutes
US & Canada minutes
These are tracked separately:
Local minutes follow plan-specific limits
US/CA minutes are governed by Fair Usage Policy
Using all local minutes does not affect your US/CA allowance, and vice versa.
What to do if you regularly exceed the limit
If your users frequently exceed their monthly allowance:
Contact your account manager to discuss higher limits or tailored packages
Enable auto top-up to maintain a sufficient credit balance
Review per-user usage to identify high-volume users or campaigns
FAQs
Is FUP applied per user or per account?
Per user. Each user has an individual monthly allowance.
Does FUP affect inbound calls?
No. FUP applies only to outbound calls.
Does FUP apply to calls outside my package?
No. Calls outside your package are always charged from credit, regardless of usage.
Do unused minutes roll over?
No. The allowance resets each billing cycle.
Need help or have a question? Just reach out through our Support portal — we’re here for you.