> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cloudtalk.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How billing dates and prorated charges work > When CloudTalk bills you, what your first invoice covers, and how charges for seats, numbers and add-ons you add part-way through a period are calculated > [!NOTE] > > In this article, you will learn when you are billed, what period each charge covers, and what you pay when you add seats, numbers or add-ons part-way through a billing period. **User level:** Admin *** ## Your billing date Your billing date is the day of the month your paid subscription started. It stays the same for as long as you are a customer. * Started on 12 March, monthly billing: you are billed on the 12th of every month. * Started on 12 March, annual billing: you are billed every 12 March. If your account was already active before 2 November 2026, your billing date is the 1st and it does not change. ## Your first invoice Your first invoice is issued within a few hours after your paid subscription starts, whatever your payment method, and covers one full billing period. If you start on 12 March on monthly billing, it covers 12 March to 11 April. There is no partial first month and no second charge a few days later. ## Short months If your billing date is the 29th, 30th or 31st, in months without that day you are billed on the last day of the month. Your billing date does not move. A subscription that started on 31 January is billed on 28 February (29 February in a leap year), then 31 March, then 30 April. You always pay the full price for each period, however many days it has. ## Adding seats, numbers or add-ons part-way through a period Anything you add starts right away. For the current period you pay only for the days from the day you add it to the day before your next billing date. From your next billing date, it is on your regular invoice at the full price. The prorated price is calculated like this: * Every month counts as 30 days, whatever its real length. * **Full months** are charged at the monthly price. * **Remaining days** are charged at monthly price / 30 × number of days. The day you add the service and the day before your next billing date both count. ### Example: one seat added on 20 March You started on 12 March with 3 seats on the Starter plan. | | Monthly billing (\$34 per seat per month) | Annual billing (\$300 per seat per year) | | - | - | - | | First invoice, 12 March | \$102 for 12 March to 11 April | \$900 for 12 March to 11 March next year | | Seat added 20 March covers | 20 March to 11 April: 23 days | 20 March to 11 March next year: 11 full months and 23 days | | Prorated price | \$34 / 30 × 23 = **\$26.07** | \$25 × 11 + \$25 / 30 × 23 = **\$294.17** | | When you pay it | On your next invoice, 12 April | Invoiced on 20 March | | Next regular charge | 12 April: \$136 for 4 seats, 12 April to 11 May | 12 March next year: \$1,200 for 4 seats | Prices exclude tax. Your plan's prices are on the [CloudTalk pricing page](https://www.cloudtalk.io/pricing/). ## When you pay When you pay for something you add depends only on your billing cycle. It is the same for card, PayPal and bank transfer. * **Monthly billing:** the prorated amount is added to your next regular invoice. Nothing is charged now. * **Quarterly, semi-annual or annual billing:** an invoice for the prorated amount is created straight away. A card or PayPal account on file is charged within a few hours. If you pay by bank transfer, the invoice is sent to you for payment. You can use what you added right away in both cases. It does not wait for the payment. ## What you see before you confirm When you add seats on the [Billing page](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/5591834-billing-page-overview.md), you see: * **Prorated price for this period**, with **From** and **to** dates showing exactly which days it covers * **Invoiced**: **Now**, or **With your next invoice on** your next billing date * **Regular price from** your next billing date Other purchase screens show the same information, for example "Prorated for 20 March 2027 to 11 April 2027" and "Then \$34 per month from 12 April 2027". ## Reading your invoice Each line on your invoice ends with the dates it covers, for example (20.03.2027 - 11.04.2027). An invoice after a mid-period change can show the same seat or number twice: once for the prorated days and once for the next full period. The dates show they cover different days. Credit top-ups and one-time activation fees have no dates. See [Understanding your CloudTalk invoice](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/15163668-understanding-your-cloudtalk-invoice.md) for every section of the invoice. ## Changing your plan * **Upgrades** can start today. You pay the difference between the new plan and your current plan for the days left until your next billing date. It is collected the same way as anything else you add, based on the billing cycle of your new plan (see [When you pay](#h_when_you_pay)). * **Downgrades** start on your next billing date at the earliest. Nothing is charged or refunded for the current period. See [How to change or cancel your subscription](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/5591721-how-to-change-or-cancel-your-subscription.md). ## Removing seats Seats you remove are taken off right away, and your next invoice reflects the lower count. Removed seats are not refunded for the rest of the current period. ## Usage charges Calls, messages and AI usage are billed in arrears, for the billing period that just ended. If your billing date is the 12th, the invoice issued on 12 December covers usage from 12 November to 11 December. Monthly minute allowances, including the [Fair Usage Policy](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/14633971-fair-usage-policy.md) counter, reset on your billing date. ## Discounts A discount that runs for a set number of months runs for that many billing periods and ends the day before a billing date. If it starts part-way through a period, it covers the rest of that period plus the full number of periods. For example, with a billing date of the 20th, a 3-month discount that starts on 20 September runs until 19 December, and one that starts on 25 September runs until 19 January. ## FAQs #### Can I change my billing date? No. Your billing date is set when your paid subscription starts and stays the same. #### Why is there a charge between my billing dates? On quarterly, semi-annual or annual billing, anything you add part-way through a period is invoiced straight away. The invoice shows the dates it covers. #### My billing date is the 1st. Does any of this apply to me? Yes. Your billing date stays the 1st, but anything you add part-way through a month is prorated and collected as described above. *** *Need help or have a question?* Just reach out through our [Support portal](https://support.cloudtalk.io/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=26305535257884) — we're here for you. ## Related topics - [Billing page overview](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/5591834-billing-page-overview.md) - [How to upgrade to a paid plan](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/5517138-how-to-upgrade-to-a-paid-plan.md) - [Why was my payment declined?](https://help.cloudtalk.io/en/articles/15868898-why-was-my-payment-declined.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.