Keep calls and messages working with automatic overage
Business and other minute-based plans (including older Growth, Business and Enterprise plans) include a set number of call minutes each month. When they run out, you can keep your receptionist answering in two ways: buy a minute pack, or turn on extra minutes. You can do both yourself in Billing.
Starter and PRO don't use minutes. They include calls under our Fair Usage Policy (about 200 and 350 answered calls a month), so minute packs and extra minutes don't apply to them.
Buy a minute pack
Click Billing in the left menu, then Buy minutes. On current plans, packs are 100 minutes for $20, 250 minutes for $50, 500 minutes for $100, and 1,000 minutes for $200. Older plans see their own pack prices in Billing. Purchased minutes stay in your account until you use them.
Turn on extra minutes
Click Billing in the left menu.
In Extra minutes, turn the switch on.
Enter the most you want to spend on extra minutes each month (at least $10) and save.
Only the account owner can change extra minutes, and you need a payment card saved in Billing. You can turn extra minutes off at any time. When they are off, calls stop when your plan and purchased minutes run out.
How extra minutes work
Your plan minutes and purchased minutes are used first. After that, each extra minute costs $0.19, or the rate agreed for your account if you have one.
Charges go to your saved card automatically each time they reach $50, and the rest at the end of the month. This is a billing threshold, not an extra fee or a minimum purchase. Amounts below $1 carry forward.
We email you when you reach 80% of your monthly limit, so you can raise it in time.
At the limit, calls stop until you raise it or the next month starts, and we let you know by email and text. A call already in progress can take the total slightly past the limit.
If a charge fails or there is no usable card, extra minutes pause until billing is resolved.
You can see this month's extra minutes and charges in Billing, under Extra minutes.
Expect a lot of extra minutes every month? Click Need a lower rate? Message us in the Extra minutes section and tell us your expected volume. For larger volumes, you can also build an Enterprise plan in Billing → Build your Enterprise plan.
How message overage works
Your texting allowance is designed for normal follow-ups after calls. Each day has a customer-messaging limit that adjusts with your call volume, and each month includes a number of text segments that grows with the calls your receptionist answers. If message overage is enabled, outbound SMS segments beyond the month's included amount are billed at your account's overage rate, and texts past the daily limit keep sending instead of stopping. Incoming texts are not charged. Long messages, and texts in languages such as Chinese or with emoji, use more than one segment.
Message overage is turned on by our team. Contact SkipCalls support with the monthly cap you want. We will confirm the rate and enable it on your account. The same $50 billing threshold and cap rules apply.