---
title: "Overage usage and extra messages"
description: "Understand how overage works on paid Interlinked AI plans — why it exists, how extra messages are priced in USD and MXN, and when overage charges appear on your invoice."
section: "Billing and usage"
url: https://interlinked-ai.com/en/resources/docs/overage-usage-and-extra-messages
lang: en
lastUpdated: 2026-04-21
---

# Overage usage and extra messages

## What is overage usage

Overage usage is the mechanism that allows your Interlinked AI agent to continue operating after your plan's included monthly message allowance has been exhausted. Instead of abruptly stopping when the limit is reached, the AI continues sending responses and the additional messages are billed separately at a per-message overage rate.

This behavior applies automatically to all paid plans (Starter, Pro, and Ultra). You do not need to enable it — when you subscribe to a paid plan, overage is part of the subscription.

<div class="docs-callout docs-callout-note">
  <p><strong>Note</strong></p>
  <p>The Free plan does not include overage usage. When a Free plan account exhausts its 500 included messages, the AI agent pauses until the next billing period or until the user upgrades to a paid plan.</p>
</div>

## Why overage exists

The purpose of overage is to protect business continuity. If your business depends on Interlinked AI for customer-facing interactions — sales inquiries, support conversations, lead qualification, appointment scheduling — an abrupt service stop in the middle of active conversations could be disruptive and costly.

Consider these scenarios:

- **A customer is in the middle of placing an order** — Your AI agent has walked the customer through product selection, added items to the cart, and collected shipping details. If the agent stops responding at that moment because the message limit was hit, the sale is lost.

- **A lead is being qualified for an appointment** — The AI has gathered key information and is about to confirm a booking time. A sudden stop means the qualified lead may never return.

- **Your business is running a promotion** — A marketing campaign drives higher-than-usual traffic to your messaging channels. Without overage, all conversations beyond your plan limit would go unanswered during your busiest period.

Overage ensures that none of these situations lead to lost revenue or a degraded customer experience. The extra messages are billed at a transparent per-message rate so you can evaluate the cost-benefit of your plan choice.

## Overage pricing

Overage rates differ depending on your billing currency and plan tier.

### USD accounts

For accounts billed in USD (users located outside Mexico), overage pricing is straightforward:

| Plan | Overage rate |
|------|-------------|
| **Starter** | $0.01 USD per extra message |
| **Pro** | $0.01 USD per extra message |
| **Ultra** | $0.01 USD per extra message |

All paid plans share the same per-message overage rate in USD.

### MXN accounts

For accounts billed in MXN (users located in Mexico), overage pricing varies by plan tier — higher plans receive a lower overage rate:

| Plan | Overage rate |
|------|-------------|
| **Starter** | $0.20 MXN per extra message |
| **Pro** | $0.10 MXN per extra message |
| **Ultra** | $0.05 MXN per extra message |

<div class="docs-callout docs-callout-tip">
  <p><strong>Tip</strong></p>
  <p>If you are on a Starter plan in Mexico and regularly generating overage, upgrading to Pro or Ultra not only increases your included message allowance but also reduces the cost of each extra message. This can significantly lower your total monthly spend.</p>
</div>

### Practical overage cost examples

To help you understand the financial impact, here are some example scenarios:

**USD account on Starter (5,000 included messages):**
- You consume 6,200 messages in a month
- 1,200 extra messages × $0.01 = **$12.00 USD** in overage charges
- That $12.00 is billed in addition to your Starter subscription price

**MXN account on Pro (10,000 included messages):**
- You consume 11,500 messages in a month
- 1,500 extra messages × $0.10 MXN = **$150.00 MXN** in overage charges
- That $150.00 MXN is billed in addition to your Pro subscription price

**MXN account on Ultra (25,000 included messages):**
- You consume 28,000 messages in a month
- 3,000 extra messages × $0.05 MXN = **$150.00 MXN** in overage charges
- Even with 3,000 extra messages, the Ultra overage rate keeps the additional cost relatively low

## When overage charges are billed

This is one of the most important rules to understand about overage:

**Overage charges are billed monthly, regardless of your subscription billing term.**

This means:

- If you are on a **monthly** subscription, overage is billed at the end of each monthly period alongside your subscription.
- If you are on a **6-month** subscription, your subscription fee was paid upfront for the full 6-month term, but overage charges for any extra messages are still billed at the end of each individual month.
- If you are on a **12-month** subscription, the same rule applies — subscription is prepaid annually, but overage is settled monthly.

<div class="docs-callout docs-callout-warning">
  <p><strong>Important</strong></p>
  <p>Do not assume that overage charges accumulate until your next subscription renewal. Even on a 12-month plan, extra message costs appear on your invoice every month. Review your <a href="/en/resources/docs/payment-methods-and-invoices">invoice history</a> regularly to monitor overage.</p>
</div>

## How overage appears on your account

When overage occurs during a billing period:

1. **The Usage tab continues to increment** — Your consumed messages count will exceed your included allowance (for example, 5,800 of 5,000 included on Starter).
2. **A separate invoice line item** — Overage charges appear as a distinct entry on your invoice, separate from your subscription fee.
3. **Monthly billing cycle** — The overage amount for that month is charged to your default payment method at the end of the monthly period.

You can review all overage charges in the **Invoice history** section of the Billing tab. See [Payment methods and invoices](/en/resources/docs/payment-methods-and-invoices) for more information.

## Managing overage effectively

Here are strategies to keep your overage costs predictable:

### Monitor usage proactively

Check the [Usage tab](/en/resources/docs/usage-and-message-limits) regularly during the billing period. If you see that you are approaching your included limit well before the period ends, you have time to evaluate your options.

### Consider upgrading your plan

If you consistently generate overage every month, upgrading to the next plan tier may be more cost-effective. Compare the cost of your current plan plus typical overage charges against the price of the next plan:

- If you are on Starter and regularly use 7,000+ messages, Pro's 10,000 included messages may save you money.
- If you are on Pro and regularly use 15,000+ messages, Ultra's 25,000 included messages with a lower MXN overage rate becomes attractive.

See [Plans and pricing](/en/resources/docs/plans-and-pricing) for a full plan comparison.

### Evaluate your billing term

Longer billing terms (6-month or 12-month) reduce your per-month subscription cost. If you pair a higher plan with a longer term, you get both more included messages and a lower effective subscription rate — giving you the best balance between included allowance and cost.

### For high-volume businesses

If your message consumption consistently exceeds 25,000 messages per month, or if you need predictable pricing for very high volumes, consider the [Enterprise plan](/en/resources/docs/enterprise-plan). Enterprise agreements can include custom message volumes and pricing tailored to your specific operational needs.

## What to do next

- **Check your current usage** — See where you stand in the current billing period. See [Usage and message limits](/en/resources/docs/usage-and-message-limits).
- **Compare plan options** — Evaluate whether upgrading would reduce your total monthly cost. See [Plans and pricing](/en/resources/docs/plans-and-pricing).
- **Review your invoices** — Check past overage charges and download invoice PDFs. See [Payment methods and invoices](/en/resources/docs/payment-methods-and-invoices).
- **Manage your subscription** — Upgrade your plan or adjust your billing term. See [Billing and subscription management](/en/resources/docs/billing-and-subscription-management).