Pay as you go
Real estate is not predictable. Shoots spike. Seasons shift. Clients call last minute. Pay as you go is your safety net when you go beyond your plan.
Every Fotello plan comes with a set number of listings per month. When you hit that limit, you have two options: upgrade your tier or enable overage billing to keep working beyond your plan. Overage billing (called Pay as You Go in your dashboard) lets you continue creating listings, edits, twilights, staging and more. You only pay for what you actually use above your plan. You stay in control with real-time usage tracking and an optional monthly spend cap.
Why creators use pay as you go
Flexible cashflow. Pay only when you exceed your plan.
Spend control. Set a monthly spend limit and get warned before you go over.
Usage visibility. Track your progress in real time and review every charge.
Freedom to grow. Say yes to extra work without losing control of spend.
How it works
1) Enable pay as you go
Go to Settings → Plan & Billing.
In the subscription box, open the Pay as You Go tab.
Review the details.
Turn on the Pay as You Go toggle.
2) Keep creating when you hit your plan limit
When your included usage runs out, Fotello can keep you moving on eligible overages like listings, extra photos, twilight, staging, video, video extension, upscale, and property website:
Prompt you for consent (if pay as you go isn't enabled), then
Continue creating using pay as you go once you confirm
3) Understand the rate
Pay as you go pricing depends on which plan you're on.
See current rates and what's included per plan:
When you're charged
Charged after you use
Invoices are triggered automatically by our system. Timing depends on your plan and your credit history with Fotello.
To view invoices:
Go to Settings → Plan & Billing → Invoices.
Update your payment method
Update your payment method from your Fotello account:
Go to Settings → Plan & Billing → Invoices.
Click Manage in Stripe.
Update your card, payment method, or billing details in Stripe's billing portal.
You can also view past invoices in the portal.
If you upgrade mid-cycle
If you upgrade mid-cycle:
Any accrued pay as you go usage is settled at that point.
If you cancel
If you cancel, we first settle any outstanding balance for the current cycle. That includes any pay as you go usage.
See your usage anytime
Go to Settings → Plan & Billing → Pay as You Go to see a running total for the current cycle. You'll also see a detailed breakdown for every dollar and cent charged. This includes extra listings, photo edits, twilights, staging, video, video extension, upscale, property website, and more.
You can filter usage by date range using the date picker, including presets for the current billing period or all time.
Export usage as CSV
To download your pay as you go usage for bookkeeping or expense tracking:
Go to Settings → Plan & Billing → Pay as You Go.
Select the date range you want to export.
Click the Export button above the usage table.
The CSV includes the usage ID, type, team member, date, and amount for each line item.
Set a monthly spend limit
In the same Pay as You Go tab, you can set a Monthly Spend Limit for the current billing period.
This gives you more control over pay as you go usage. You set the maximum amount of pay as you go usage allowed during the current billing period.
We added this for one reason. It helps you stay in control. Billing stays clear, predictable, and easier to manage during busy months.
What this means
Your monthly spend limit is not an extra fee, deposit, or charge.
It is simply a cap on pay as you go usage for the billing period.
You are only billed for the pay as you go usage you actually use.
What counts toward the limit
Any eligible pay as you go usage on your account counts toward the limit, including:
Pay as you go listings
Extra photos
Twilight
Staging
Video
Video Extension
Upscale
Property Website
AI revisions
Other pay as you go features on your plan
How it works
You can view your monthly spend limit and current usage in Settings → Plan & Billing → Pay as You Go.
Once set, you'll be able to:
See how much of the limit you've used
Track your progress against the limit in real time
Get a warning when you're getting close
If you reach the limit, new pay as you go usage is paused until:
You increase the limit, or
Your next billing period begins
If you try to keep using pay as you go features after that, Fotello will prompt you to increase your limit before continuing.
This acts as a guardrail. It helps prevent unexpected usage from continuing past the amount you're comfortable with.
Example
If your monthly spend limit is $35, that does not mean you'll be charged $35.
It means your account can use up to $35 in pay as you go usage during that billing period.
If you only use $12, you are only billed $12.
Why we added this
We built this to make pay as you go more transparent and more customer-friendly.
The goal is flexibility without losing control. The monthly spend limit helps you monitor usage, avoid surprises, and decide exactly how much extra usage your account can allow.
Disable pay as you go
If you no longer want to use pay as you go, you can turn it off anytime:
Go to Settings → Plan & Billing → Pay as You Go.
Toggle the switch off.
Confirm in the dialog.
Once disabled, any usage beyond your plan limits will be blocked — including extra listings, photos, staging, twilights, video, video extension, upscale, property website, and AI revisions. You can re-enable it anytime using the same toggle.
Smart ways to save
Upgrade before a busy stretch. Higher commitment usually lowers your unit cost.
Consider annual if you're seasonal. Annual gives you a full year of listings upfront.
Use pay as you go as your buffer. Keep it on, then review monthly.
Need help choosing the most cost-effective setup?
You've got a few options:
Book a call and we'll recommend the best fit: https://cal.com/fotello/fotello-connect
Message us anytime via chat.
Compare plans here: https://www.fotello.co/pricing
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