Subscription & Billing

Learn how subscriptions work with queue publishing, billing management, and accessing premium features.

How Subscriptions Work

Checkin Bay uses a subscription model to enable full queue publishing and premium features. Subscriptions are managed per organization and determine how many queues you can publish for production use.

Subscriptions enable publishing queues from Preview to Published mode, unlimited check-ins for subscribed queues, full SMS notification features, production-level queue management, and priority support.

Free Queues and Trials

You can create up to 5 queues per organization without a subscription. These queues are limited to "Preview" mode, which allows limited check-ins for testing purposes. To fully publish queues for production use, a subscription is required.

We may offer free trials from time to time to let you test all features before subscribing.

Queue Publishing Requirements

Queue Modes Explained

Unpublished is the default status for newly created queues. These are not available for customer check-ins and are used during initial queue setup.

Preview queues are available for limited testing and check-ins. This mode does not require a subscription and is intended for development and testing purposes with a limited number of check-ins allowed.

Published queues are fully operational for production use. This mode requires an active subscription and provides unlimited check-ins and full feature access. This is the mode you'll use for live customer service.

Publishing a Queue

To publish a queue for production use, first complete your queue setup by configuring services and resources, setting business hours and queue settings, and testing functionality in Preview mode.

Next, set up a subscription by navigating to Account → Subscription tab, subscribing for the number of queues you need, and choosing your preferred billing frequency.

Finally, publish the queue by going to queue settings, changing the mode from "Preview" to "Published", and your queue is now live for customer check-ins.

Managing Subscriptions

When you need additional queues, create the new queue (it will start in Unpublished mode), set it up and test in Preview mode, increase your subscription quantity to cover the new queue, then publish the queue for production use.

You can make subscription changes at any time. Upgrading by adding more queues takes effect immediately, while downgrading by reducing queue count takes effect at the next billing cycle. You can also switch between available billing frequencies.

Your subscription can have different statuses: Active means all features are available and queues can be published. Trialing indicates a trial period with full access. Past Due means there's a payment issue that needs resolution to maintain service. Canceled means service will end at the current period end. Paused indicates temporary suspension (contact support).

Billing Management

We use secure payment processing through Paddle with automatic billing on your chosen cycle. Multiple payment methods are accepted, and you'll receive automatic email receipts for all payments. Download invoices from your billing dashboard, and VAT/tax is handled for international customers.

If a payment fails, you'll receive email notifications with multiple retry attempts over several days. Queues may be moved to Preview mode if payment remains failed, so update your payment method to restore full service.

Accessing Your Billing Information

Navigate to Account → Subscription tab to view current subscription details. You can also access Account → Payments tab to download invoices and receipts, update payment methods, and change subscription quantity or billing frequency.

Key information available includes current subscription status and quantity, next billing date and amount, payment history and invoices, and queue assignments to subscriptions.

Understanding Billing

Subscriptions are charged per queue with multiple billing frequency options available. When adding queues mid-cycle, you'll see prorated charges.

You're charged immediately upon subscribing for new subscriptions, prorated amounts for adding queues during the current billing period, and automatic billing occurs on your cycle date for renewals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my billing frequency? Yes, you can switch between available billing frequencies at any time. Changes take effect at your next billing cycle.

What happens if I cancel my subscription? Your queues will continue working until the end of your current billing period, then they'll be moved to Preview mode with limited functionality.

Can I get a refund? All subscription purchases are final and non-refundable. We do not offer refunds or credits for any unused portion of your subscription, even if you decide to discontinue using the service before the end of your subscription period.

What happens if I exceed my queue limit? If you try to publish more queues than your subscription covers, you'll see an error. Simply increase your subscription quantity to publish additional queues.

Where can I see current pricing? Current pricing and plan options are available in the admin dashboard when setting up subscriptions, or on our website.

Getting Help

For billing questions or issues, email support@checkinbay.com. Include your organization name and specific billing question. For payment issues, include the last 4 digits of your payment method.