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Audience Pricing Guide: How Tiers and Overage Work

Understand how Audience tiered pricing gives you flexibility to grow your database according to your use case

Murilo Aguiar avatar
Written by Murilo Aguiar
Updated over 2 weeks ago

zkipster Audience has a different pricing structure to zkipster Events. Audience is structured around a simple tiered model based on the number of contacts in your database.

Each tier includes a specific number of contacts at a fixed monthly or annual cost, so you only pay for the number of contacts you use.

Pricing Tiers

The table below displays the different prices of zkipster Audience tiers. For the purpose of this article, the prices are displayed in US Dollars, but zkipster supports different currencies - head to our Pricing Page to learn more.

Tier

Contact Limit

Monthly Price

Annual Price
(Save 15%)

Overage Rate
(per contact)

Tier 1

Up to 750

$175

$1,750

$0.29

Tier 2

Up to 1,500

$350

$3,500

$0.29

Tier 3

Up to 2,500

$500

$5,000

$0.25

Tier 4

Up to 5,000

$750

$7,500

$0.19

Tier 5

Up to 10,000

$950

$9,500

$0.12

Tier 6

Up to 20,000

$1,500

$15,000

$0.04

*Custom pricing available for 20,000+ contacts - please reach out to our Sales team via sales@zkipster.com for more information.

As always, annual plans are the most cost-effective option. Opting for an annual rather than a monthly plan represents a saving of more than 15%: annual Audience plans effectively receive 12 months for the price of 10 (excluding any overage fees).

Understanding Overage

zkipster understands that the size of your Audience may fluctuate based on data imports and updates. For this reason, Audience was created with flexibility in mind and an overage system built in. Overage lets you exceed your tier limit without the need to upgrading to the next tier immediately. This gives you flexibility as your contact database grows.

The total number of contacts in your Audience will be recorded on the 1st of every month and used to calculate any overage due in the next billing cycle, be it monthly or annual.

For example, if you subscribe to Audience Monthly on Tier 1, you can still go above the maximum contact allowance of 750 without having to upgrade - at the renewal date of your monthly subscription, you just need to pay the sum of your overage contacts on top of the fixed monthly rate:

Table explaining tiered pricing of zkipster Audience software

Overage for zkipster Events Subscribers

Users with an active Events subscription, receive complimentary overage credits that reduce your Audience subscription costs.

The amount of credits varies depending on the Events plan you are subscribed to:

  • Essentials Plan: 500 free overage contacts.

  • Professional Plan: 1,000 free overage contacts.

  • Enterprise Plan: 1,500 free overage contacts.

How Overage Credits Work

Your overage credits apply to contacts above your tier limit, not within it. This means that the fixed tier cost (monthly or annual) will be charged even when the amount of contacts in your Audience is below the tier limit. But if you are a zkipster Events subscriber, your free overage credits will be applied if you need to add more contacts than the limit of your tier.

Example: Events Professional Plan + Audience Monthly Tier 1 (750 contacts)

Period

Contacts

Tier 1 Monthly

Overage

Total Cost

Month 1

600

$175

-

$175

Month 2

1,200

$175

450
(Overage rate covered by 1000 credits)

$175

Month 3

1,900

$175

1150
(Partial overage rate covered by 1000 credits)

$175 + $43.50

(150 remaining overage x $0.29 overage rate)*

*In Month 3: You used 1,150 overage contacts. Your 1,000 credits cover the first 1,000, so you only pay for 150.

When to Upgrade Tiers vs. When to Use Overage

Audience tiered pricing model is intended to give users flexibility, allowing you to exceed the limit of your selected plan, but also giving you the option to upgrade to a higher tier at any time.

Use Overage When:

  • Temporary growth of database (e.g. seasonal events, one-time imports).

  • Testing higher usage before committing to a higher tier.

  • Growth of your contact database is gradual and inconsistent.

Upgrade Your Tier When:

  • Consistently exceeding your current tier limit.

  • Overage costs approach the next tier's price.

  • You want predictable monthly billing.

Billing Cycles

Monthly Billing

  • Overage is calculated and billed in the following month.

  • Usage counted on the 1st of each month.

  • Credits reset monthly.

  • Subscription can be purchased via Credit Card.

Annual Billing

  • 15% discount on the base tier price.

  • Subscription can be purchased via Credit Card and via Wire Transfer.

  • Usage snapshot taken monthly on the 1st of each month.

  • Only months that exceed your tier limit contribute to overage charges.

  • All monthly overages summed and billed at annual renewal.

How Annual Overage Works: Annual plans use a "delta" system that's more favourable than monthly billing:

  • Each month, if your contacts exceed the tier limit, only the difference (delta) is recorded.

  • Months within your tier limit contribute $0 to overage.

  • At renewal, all monthly deltas are summed and charged.

Annual Example - Tier 1 (750 contacts for $1,750/year):

Table explaining tiered pricing of zkipster Audience software

Total annual overage: 500 contacts × $0.29 = $145
Annual renewal bill: $1,750 + $145 = $1,895

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What counts as a "contact"?
A: All contacts in your Audience database, including active contacts and those in your "Recently Deleted" folder.

Q: Can I change tiers during my billing period?
A: Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade anytime via the 'Plans & Billing' section of your . For monthly plans, the change takes effect immediately with prorated billing.

Q: What happens if I exceed my overage credits?
A: You'll be charged the overage rate for contacts beyond your credits. Your account continues to work normally.

Q: How do I track my usage?
A: Your current contact count and tier usage are visible in your Audience 'Contacts' dashboard and the 'Plans & Billing' section of your Account Settings.

Q: Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
A: Yes, you can cancel your Audience subscription anytime through the 'Plans & Billing' section of your account settings or by contacting support via support@zkipster.com.


Need help choosing the right tier? Contact our sales team for a personalized recommendation based on your contact database size and growth projections.

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