Top-ups, plan changes and renewal

When your plan’s monthly credits are not enough, you can buy extra credits, let Popcorn top up automatically when the balance drops, or move to a bigger plan. This page covers those actions and what happens at renewal, on the Billing and usage page (Plan and billing in the workspace menu).

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Before you start

• A paid plan. Buy credits, Payment method, Automatic top-up, Early renewal, Billing email and Billing history appear only after you subscribe; the free plan shows the plan list alone.
• An Owner or Admin role. Managers can view Billing but cannot buy or change anything.
• For one-click purchases, automatic top-up and early renewal: a card saved under Payment method.

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Buy credits

Bought credits are extra credits, valid for one year, and are used only once free and plan credits are gone. They appear in Credit usage as Credits purchased, and the invoice appears under Billing history as “N credits”. Links in the app such as the out-of-credits banner open this panel directly. If Popcorn can’t confirm a charge, a banner says We couldn’t confirm this payment: the payment may have gone through, so check Billing history and Credit usage before you try again.

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Payment method

Payment method shows the saved card, for example “Visa ending in 4242” with “Expires 04/2028”. Update payment method opens Stripe’s billing portal, where you enter the card. With no card it reads No payment method: “Add a card to buy credits, pay invoices and turn on automatic top-up.” with Add payment method. An expired card shows Card expired: “Update this payment method before purchasing credits or paying invoices.”

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Automatic top-up

Automatic top-up buys credits for you whenever the balance falls below a threshold you set, so the agent never stops for lack of credits. Once it is on, the description reads, for example, “Buys USD 150.00 of credits whenever your balance drops below 1,000 credits.” This month shows what automatic top-ups have spent, with “of USD 500.00” when a limit is set. The same Save changes bar also saves the Billing email. How it runs:

• Popcorn checks the balance after credits are deducted. When the remaining credits are at or below the threshold, it charges the saved card for the top-up amount through a Stripe invoice and adds the credits once the payment is confirmed. They are extra credits, valid for one year, listed as Auto top-up in Credit usage and in Billing history.
• The workspace Owner receives Popcorn AI: Auto top-up completed successfully by email.
• The This month counter resets when your subscription renews or a new plan period starts.

When a top-up does not happen:

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Change your plan

Once Stripe confirms the change, your remaining plan credits are replaced by the new plan’s full monthly credits, whether you moved up or down. Extra credits are not affected. The Plan figure at the top updates to the new name and price.

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Renewal

• Card subscriptions renew monthly. Each renewal adds the plan’s credits for the new period; plan credits left over from the previous period expire. Extra credits keep their own expiry. Renews on shows the next date.
• If a renewal payment fails, nothing changes immediately: your plan and credits stay as they are, and the invoice shows as Unpaid in Billing history. Pay it with Pay now, or update the card first. If Stripe eventually cancels the subscription, see When a subscription ends.
• Zid subscriptions: when a period ends without renewal, Zid allows a five-day grace period. Your plan and its remaining plan credits stay usable for those five days, then the plan is removed. If you renew during the grace period, the new period’s credits replace whatever was left. A refund through Zid removes the plan immediately.
• Salla subscriptions: a cancellation, expiry or expired trial reported by Salla removes the plan immediately.

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Renew early

Early renewal lets you pay the next period of a card subscription before it is due, without moving your renewal date. The Early renewal panel (“Pay for your next period now. Your usual renewal date stays the same.”) appears on the Billing page only when Popcorn has turned the option on. If you don’t see it, it isn’t available to you yet. If you see Early renewal isn’t available yet, the banner says why: If a confirmation fails, a banner explains: Your renewal is still processing (don’t confirm again; refresh in a moment), Billing details changed (the preview reloads so you can check the new amount and card) or Early renewal didn’t go through (your plan and renewal date haven’t changed).

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When a subscription ends

When a card subscription is cancelled, or a Zid or Salla subscription expires:

• Your workspace returns to the free plan. The remaining plan credits are removed; free credits and extra credits stay and keep working until they are used or expire.
• The agent keeps replying while any credits remain, then stops as described in Plans and credits.
• If a billing period ends without a renewal being confirmed, a banner reads Your plan has expired: “Renew it to keep using everything in Popcorn AI.” Its button, Renew plan, opens Billing. Roles that can’t open Billing see “Ask your account owner or an admin to renew the plan.”

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Billing history and billing email

Billing history (“Your invoices and credit purchases.”) lists your invoices with Invoice, Date, Description, Amount, Status and an action. On a phone it shows the date, amount and status.

• Description shows the plan name, Auto top-up, “N credits” or Credits purchased, or Stripe’s own text for an invoice created by hand.
• Pay now on an unpaid invoice charges your saved card after you confirm Pay this invoice? (the amount and card are shown) and then shows Invoice paid. Without a saved card it opens Stripe’s payment page for the invoice. An unpaid credit purchase with no Stripe page shows Add payment method instead. An uncollectible invoice with a Stripe page also shows Pay now.
• View opens the invoice PDF or page.
• With no invoices the panel reads No invoices yet.

Billing email (“Invoices and payment receipts go to this address.”) takes an address under Email address. Save it with Save changes. Until you set one, the field shows your own email and says “Leave it empty to use” that address. An incomplete address is refused with “Enter a full email address, like [email protected]”.

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Payment problems

A red banner at the top of the Billing page describes the problem and, where there is something to do, offers one action: Update payment method, Pay through Stripe or Contact support ([email protected]). You can close the banner.

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