Appifire Billing and Credits Explained for Support Teams
Understand free usage limits, paid subscription behavior, wallet credits, and top-up rules in Appifire AI Chat.
You will explain Free plan limits (500 AI replies/month), Pro at $20/month, wallet credits, top-ups, and monthly resets in plain words.
Billing confusion creates support load fast. Use this guide so your team answers merchant questions the same way every time.
Prerequisites
- Access to the merchant’s Appifire Billing screen
- Plan state: Free or Pro (paid)
- For blocked replies: time observed (UTC) and whether chat stopped mid-day or after a long busy period
Direct answers support needs first
- Free: $0. Includes 500 AI replies/month.
- Pro: $20 per month, with monthly included AI credits (exact amount shown on pricing and in Billing).
- Top-ups: Credit packs on an active paid plan when the wallet runs low. Confirm live pack sizes in Billing.
- Reset: Free monthly reply use resets on UTC day 1.
Always read the merchant’s current usage or wallet balance in Billing before you reply.
Steps: how to read Free plan usage
The Free plan tracks monthly replies with two store values:
- Monthly reply limit for the shop (
free_credit_limit). Default marketing allowance is 500 replies. - Replies used this month (
free_credits_used).
In plain words:
- Limit = how many AI replies the shop may use this month on Free
- Used = how many Free replies already happened this month
When used reaches the limit, new Free replies are blocked. The merchant must upgrade or wait for the monthly reset.
Support script: “You are on Free. You get 500 AI replies each month. Billing shows how many you have used. When you hit the cap, upgrade to Pro or wait for the UTC day 1 reset.”
Monthly reset timing
Free usage resets on a scheduled job on UTC day 1 each month. If the job is called on other days, it safely skips writes.
Tell merchants:
- “Usage resets every month.”
- “The reset follows UTC timing, not your local store clock.”
Edge case: A merchant checks usage late on the last day of the month in a far time zone. They may think reset “failed.” Compare their local time to UTC day 1 before escalating.
Steps: how to explain Pro and the credit wallet
Paid usage uses a wallet-style credit model:
- Pro subscription is $20/month.
- The plan adds monthly included AI credits to the wallet (confirm the current amount in Billing / pricing).
- Each AI reply spends a variable dollar cost from the wallet (model and token use can change the cost).
- When the wallet is empty, replies need more credits.
There is no single fixed price per reply on the paid path.
Credit top-ups and eligibility
Credit packs are one-time charges. After Shopify confirms payment, the amount is added to the wallet.
Important support rule: Top-ups need an active paid subscription. If the shop is Free with no active paid plan, the merchant should subscribe to Pro first.
Edge case after cancel: Plan can be Free again while leftover wallet credit remains. Chat can keep using that leftover balance until it hits zero. The merchant still cannot buy new packs until they are on paid again.
Useful support responses for billing tickets
When you reply, include:
- Current plan state (Free vs Pro)
- Current usage or wallet balance from Billing
- Why a reply may be blocked (Free cap, empty wallet, or no paid plan for top-ups)
- Next action (wait for UTC day 1 reset, upgrade to Pro at $20/month, or buy credits on Pro)
This keeps billing tickets short.
Common ticket paths
| Merchant says | First check | Next action to offer |
|---|---|---|
| “Chat stopped answering” | Free used vs 500, or wallet balance | Reset wait, upgrade, or top-up |
| “I paid but still blocked” | Plan sync and Billing balance | Confirm Pro is active; refresh Billing; buy credits if balance is 0 |
| “Reset did not happen” | UTC date vs day 1; Free plan | Explain UTC timing; escalate only if day 1 passed and counter did not clear |
| “I want more credits on Free” | Plan is Free | Upgrade to Pro first, then buy packs |
How Appifire billing differs from common chat pricing confusion
| Model merchants expect | What often goes wrong | How Appifire is structured |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited flat fee | Surprise overages elsewhere | 500 AI replies/month on Free + Pro / credits for more capacity |
| Per-seat helpdesk pricing | Pay for agents, not AI replies | Usage tied to AI replies / credits, not agent seats |
| “One price per message forever” | Ignores variable paid reply cost | Paid path uses a credit wallet; cost per reply can vary |
| Mystery reset dates | Support thrash | Free monthly usage resets on UTC day 1 |
What success looks like
- Support names plan, number, and next action in one reply
- Merchants are pointed to Billing for live figures
- Free vs wallet path is not mixed up
- Top-up requests on Free are redirected to Pro first
Limits and non-goals
- This page explains billing behavior for support clarity. Free = 500 AI replies/month. Pro = $20/month.
- Live included-credit amounts and pack sizes belong on appifire.com pricing and the in-app Billing screen. Confirm there when a merchant asks for exact pack dollars.
- Top-ups and paid allocation follow Shopify app billing confirmation flows.
Related guides
Next action
Add four internal macros: Free cap reached, wallet empty, top-up needs Pro, post-cancel leftover wallet. For merchant plan choice, send them to the pricing guide and live Billing.
Last verified: 2026-08-08 · Product reviewer: Appifire
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