> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intellixent.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understanding billing

> How DialogBot billing works — call minutes calculation, phone number rentals, and monitoring your usage.

DialogBot uses a **usage-based** billing model. You pay primarily for two things:

1. The **minutes** your AI spends in calls.
2. Any **dedicated phone number** rentals.

## Included minutes vs. pay-as-you-go

* **Included minutes:** Some plans come with a set of monthly minutes. These are consumed first.
* **Pay-as-you-go:** If you exceed your included minutes — or if you're on a pure usage-based plan — you pay for each additional minute used.

## How minutes are calculated

Every call has a **minimum charge of 30 seconds (0.5 min)**. A call shorter than 30 seconds is still billed as 30 seconds.

Beyond 30 seconds, DialogBot bills by the second (converted to minutes). For example:

| Call duration | Billed minutes |
| ------------- | -------------- |
| 15 seconds    | 0.5 min        |
| 30 seconds    | 0.5 min        |
| 90 seconds    | 1.5 min        |
| 5 minutes     | 5.0 min        |

## Monthly reset and add-ons

* **Monthly reset:** If your plan includes minutes, those reset on your billing date each month.
* **Buying add-ons:** You can purchase extra minute bundles if you expect a spike in call volume.

## Additional costs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Phone number rental">
    A monthly fee for each dedicated inbound or outbound number you rent from the platform. Pricing varies by region, starting from \$3.99/month.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="SIP integration">
    No monthly fee — only \$0.00045/min for AI bridging when connecting your existing VOIP/PBX system.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Caller ID only">
    No monthly fee; region-based per-minute rates apply (e.g., \$0.01/min in the US).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Carrier surcharges">
    Some countries have unique taxes or surcharges. Check the Costs & Pricing section for international rate details.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Monitoring your usage

* **Dashboard:** The platform displays your current usage, remaining minutes, and estimated cost to date.
* **Notifications:** Set up alerts (for example, "email me when I reach 80% of my monthly minutes") using the no-code automation platform.

<Note>
  Web call testing — using the "Speak with your assistant" browser button — also deducts from your account balance at the same per-minute rate. Plan your testing sessions to manage costs.
</Note>

## Next steps

* See the [Costs & Pricing](/getting-started/understanding-billing) section for a full breakdown of number rentals, international rates, and inbound vs. outbound cost differences.
* Or go to the [AI assistants overview](/ai-assistants/what-is-ai-assistant) to build your first agent.