Billing Model: Usage-Based with No Base Fee

AutoLetter uses a purely usage-based billing model. You pay exclusively for letters that were actually printed and sent. There is no monthly base fee, no minimum contracts, and no hidden costs. In this article, you will learn how billing works in detail.

How Billing Works

No Fixed Monthly Fee

Unlike many SaaS services, AutoLetter charges no fixed monthly fee. You can create your account, design templates, connect integrations, and prepare campaigns -- all for free. Costs only arise when a letter is actually printed and sent via DHL.

Monthly Billing Cycle

Billing occurs in a monthly cycle:

1. Track usage -- During the month, AutoLetter records every sent letter with all relevant details (page count, color mode, print mode, delivery region).
2. Measure consumption -- Usage data is automatically transmitted to Stripe Billing Meters. These measure your consumption in real time.
3. Create invoice -- At the end of the billing period, Stripe creates an invoice for the total consumption of the month.
4. Automatic charge -- The invoice amount is automatically charged through your stored payment method.

Stripe Billing Meters

AutoLetter uses Stripe Billing Meters for consumption measurement. This is a specialized Stripe feature designed for usage-based billing models. Each sent letter is captured as a usage event with all price-relevant properties:

• Page count
• Color mode (color or black-and-white)
• Print mode (simplex or duplex)
• Delivery region (Germany or International)

Based on this data, Stripe calculates the correct price per letter and sums all items into the monthly invoice.

Advantages of the Model

The usage-based model offers you several advantages:

• No risk -- You pay nothing if you do not send anything. Ideal for testing and trying out.
• Flexible scaling -- Whether 10 or 10,000 letters per month -- billing scales with your needs.
• Full transparency -- Every single letter is itemized on the invoice.
• No cancellation periods -- Since there is no fixed contract, you can pause or stop at any time without costs.

What Happens During Inactivity?

If you do not send any letters in a month, no invoice is created and no costs are incurred. Your account remains active, your templates and campaigns are preserved. You can resume sending at any time.

Summary