Minutes are the smallest units that we bill against, and they are rounded up. So if a connection was open for 10.01 minutes then this will be billed as 11 minutes of usage.
How billing works
Monthly billing cycle
Ably follows a standard monthly billing cycle:Usage tracking
Throughout the month, your usage is tracked across all dimensions (messages, channels, connections, or MAUs depending on your pricing model).
Invoice contents
Your monthly invoice includes:- Base package price: Your monthly package fee (Standard: 399, Enterprise: Custom)
- Usage charges: Based on your pricing model:
- Per minute pricing: Charges for messages, channel minutes, and connection minutes
- MAU pricing: Charges based on the number of unique active users
Upgrades and downgrades
Package upgrades
For package upgrades, the base package price will be charged pro-rata from the point in the month that you upgraded. Example: If you upgrade from Standard to Pro on the 15th of a 30-day month:- You’ll be charged 50% of the Standard base price ($14.50)
- You’ll be charged 50% of the Pro base price ($199.50)
- Usage is charged according to the package limits active at the time the usage occurred
Package downgrades
Package downgrades take effect on the 1st of the following month. Example: If you downgrade from Pro to Standard on the 15th of the month:- You’ll continue on the Pro package until the end of the month
- You’ll be charged the full Pro base price for that month
- The downgrade will take effect on the 1st of the next month
If you have an Enterprise package with Ably, contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss any details or queries you may have regarding your package.
Billing details and invoices
Payment information
The following details will appear on your credit card or bank statement when payments are processed by Ably:- Name: Ably Real-Time Ltd London
- Processor: Stripe
- Currency: $USD
Updating billing details
To update your billing details:Navigate to billing
Log in to your account and select Billing from the Account menu.
Additional billing email
It’s also possible to have your invoices sent to an accounts department by filling in the Optional billing email address field. This is useful for:- Sending invoices to your finance team
- Ensuring invoices reach the right department
- Maintaining separation between technical and financial communications
Billing alerts
Billing alerts notify you by email when your monthly spending exceeds a set amount if you’re on a Standard or Pro package. This feature helps you monitor costs and avoid unexpected charges.Setting up billing alerts
Log in
Log in to your Ably account.
Navigate to alerts
In the Create new alert section, select the email address from the dropdown list where you want to receive the alert.
Choose recipient
The available choices depend on your user role:
- If you are an owner: Yourself and billing users associated with the account
- If you are a user with a billing role: Yourself only
Set threshold
Enter a value greater than your base package fee in the Amount field. This amount sets the threshold at which you will receive a notification.
Alert behavior
- Alerts are triggered when your monthly spending exceeds the set threshold
- You can create multiple alerts with different thresholds
- Alerts are sent to the specified email address
- Only available for Standard and Pro packages
Set billing alerts below your expected monthly spending to receive advance warning if usage is higher than anticipated.
Understanding your invoice
Per minute pricing invoices
If you’re on the per minute pricing model, your invoice will show:- Messages: Total messages sent and received
- Channel minutes: Total active channel time
- Connection minutes: Total connection time
- Bandwidth: Additional bandwidth charges (if applicable)
- Base package fee: Your monthly package price
MAU pricing invoices
If you’re on the MAU pricing model, your invoice will show:- Monthly Active Users (MAUs): Count of unique active users
- Overage charges: If any users exceeded the per-user limits for messages or connection minutes
- Base package fee: Your monthly package price
Payment methods
Ably accepts the following payment methods:- Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
- Debit cards: Where supported by Stripe
- Bank transfers: Available for Enterprise customers (contact your Customer Success Manager)
Failed payments
If a payment fails:Invoicing for Enterprise customers
Enterprise customers have additional invoicing options:- Custom billing terms: Negotiate payment terms with your Customer Success Manager
- Purchase orders: Support for purchase order (PO) based invoicing
- Bank transfers: Direct bank transfer payment options
- Custom billing schedules: Quarterly or annual billing available
- Volume discounts: Custom pricing based on committed usage
VAT and tax
Ably handles VAT and tax according to your location:- EU customers: VAT may be applicable based on your location and VAT registration status
- UK customers: VAT is applied to invoices
- Non-EU/UK customers: Generally not subject to VAT
Provide your VAT number in your billing details to ensure correct tax treatment.
Usage monitoring
To monitor your usage throughout the month:Dashboard access
Log in to your account.
Next steps
Pricing
Understand pricing models and packages
Limits
Review limits for your package
Account management
Manage users and roles
Support
Contact support for billing questions