Buying a Biteship subscription plan can be done from the Billing menu in the Biteship Dashboard. With a paid plan, you get larger order quotas, API quotas, and more advanced features than the free Starter plan, such as a returns page, Shopify and WooCommerce plugins, international shipping, and custom couriers.
Every Biteship account automatically uses the Starter plan until a paid plan is purchased. As your business grows, you can upgrade to the Grow, Scale, or Biteship Plus plan, then choose the monthly or annual billing cycle and the payment type that best suits your needs.
This article will help you understand:
- The subscription plan options available on Biteship
- How to purchase or upgrade a plan through the Biteship Dashboard
- The difference between Activate now and Activate later
- The difference between One-time payment and Auto-renewal
- The meaning of plan statuses after purchase
1. Getting to Know Biteship Subscription Plans
Biteship offers four plan tiers. The higher the plan, the larger the quota and the more complete the features you can use.
- Starter: A free plan that is automatically active for all accounts. Suitable for businesses that are just starting to ship.
- Grow: An entry-level paid plan. Unlocks features such as a returns page, Shopify and WooCommerce plugins, shipping label API, and international shipping.
- Scale: Includes all Grow features, plus features such as custom couriers, branded tracking pages, custom shipping labels, and instant couriers for plugins.
- Biteship Plus: A plan with custom pricing based on your business needs. For this plan, you need to contact the Biteship sales team.
You can view the latest prices, monthly quotas, and complete feature list for each plan directly in the plan selection window on the dashboard. Annual cycles are generally more economical than monthly cycles, and the savings are shown on the Save ...% label.
2. How to Buy a Biteship Subscription Plan Through the Dashboard
Step 1: Open the Billing overview page, then open the plan selection window
- Sign in to the Biteship Dashboard, then select Billing > Overview from the sidebar.
In the Plan section, click the Upgrade plan button
- The Buy plan or add-on window will open. Select a plan based on your needs.
If you are still using the Starter plan, you can also click the View plans button on the You’re currently using the Starter plan banner on the Home page. The Upgrade plan button that appears when you reach a quota limit, such as the courier limit, will also direct you to the same page.
Step 2: Select the billing cycle and plan
- Select the Monthly or Annual billing cycle. The price of each plan will adjust based on the cycle you select.
Click the Select button on the plan you want
For the Biteship Plus plan, the price is not displayed because it is customized. Follow the link available on the plan card to contact the Biteship sales team.
Step 3: Set the activation time and select a payment type
- The Select activation time window will appear. Select one of the following options:
- Activate now: The new plan becomes active after payment is successful. If you currently have a paid plan, the currently active plan and add-ons will end at the same time.
- Activate later: The new plan becomes active when your current plan ends, at the full-cycle price. This option is only available if you already have an active paid plan.
- In the Payment type section, select one of the following options:
- One-time payment: You pay once for this cycle through a payment link. The plan will not renew automatically, so make sure to renew the plan before the active period ends.
Auto-renewal: You save a payment method, such as a credit/debit card, e-wallet, or direct debit. Biteship will charge you approximately 3 days before the plan ends for the next cycle.
Step 4: Review the summary and proceed to payment
- Review the Selected plan, Activation schedule, and total price. If you need a billing document for internal purposes, click Download invoice (PDF).
- Click the button to proceed to payment. You will be directed to the payment page.
Select an available payment method, then complete the payment according to the instructions.
Step 5: Wait for payment confirmation
- After the payment is completed, you will return to the Biteship Dashboard. While the payment is being processed, the message Waiting for payment confirmation will appear.
- If successful, the message Payment successful will appear and your plan will be updated. For auto-renewal, the message that appears is Auto-renewal successfully activated.
You can monitor the active plan, validity period, and quota usage under Billing > Overview in the Plan and Subscription Usage sections. Your plan purchase history is available under Billing > Transactions in the Plan & add-on transactions tab.
3. Understanding Subscription Plan Statuses
After purchase, your plan will have one of the following statuses:
- Pending - Awaiting payment: The plan order has been created, but payment has not been completed.
- Active - Active: Payment was successful and the plan can now be used.
- Grace - Grace period: The plan’s active period has ended and usage limits now follow the Starter plan. Renew the plan before the grace period ends so data exceeding the Starter limits is not deleted.
- Failed - Payment failed: The payment could not be processed successfully. You need to purchase the plan again.
- Stopped - Ended: The plan is no longer active, for example because it was replaced by a new plan.
4. Tips for a Smooth Plan Purchase
- Complete pending payments first: If the message You have a pending plan payment ... appears, complete or wait for that payment before creating a new purchase. Creating a new purchase will cancel other unpaid plan invoices.
- Use Activate later to avoid losing quota: If your plan is still active, the Activate later option starts the new plan after the old plan ends. With the Activate now option, any remaining one-time add-on quota for the current period will expire without a refund.
- Enable auto-renewal: To prevent service interruptions, use Auto-renewal. You can still cancel it at any time, and the current period will remain active until it ends.
- Make sure you have sufficient balance for out-of-quota charges: After the API Rates, Tracking, or Maps quota is reached, additional requests are charged per request from your Bitepoints balance.
5. Frequently Asked Questions About Buying a Biteship Subscription Plan
Do I have to buy a subscription plan to use Biteship?
No. Every account automatically uses the free Starter plan. A paid plan is required if you need a larger quota or features that are only available on the Grow, Scale, or Biteship Plus plans.
Are subscription plans paid for using my Biteship balance?
No. Plan purchases are paid for through a separate payment page and are not deducted from your balance. Your Bitepoints balance is only used for shipping costs and API request charges outside the quota.
How do I upgrade my active Biteship subscription plan?
Go to Billing > Overview, click Upgrade plan or Change plan, then follow the same steps as for a new purchase. Select Activate now if you want the new plan to take effect immediately, or Activate later if you want the new plan to start after the current plan ends.
What happens if my Biteship plan’s auto-renewal is active and I change plans?
Auto-renewal remains active and will follow the new plan. If you select Activate now, the saved payment method will be charged immediately for the full-cycle price of the new plan along with any add-ons that are still being charged. If you select Activate later, there will be no charge at this time, and the new plan will be charged when your current plan ends.
What happens when my plan’s active period ends?
The plan will enter the grace period status and usage limits will follow the Starter plan. Renew the plan before the grace period ends. If it is not renewed, data exceeding the Starter limits, such as origin locations, team members, couriers, and additional custom rates, will be deleted.
My payment was successful, but the plan is not active yet. What should I do?
Payment confirmation is usually processed automatically within a few moments. Reload the Billing > Overview page. If the plan is still not active, contact the Biteship support team at support@biteship.com and include proof of payment.
Where can I download the invoice for my plan purchase?
You can download the invoice using the Download invoice (PDF) button during the purchase process, or view your plan transaction history under Billing > Transactions in the Plan & add-on transactions tab.
6. Conclusion
You can purchase a Biteship subscription plan entirely from the Billing > Overview menu: select a plan and billing cycle, set the activation time, select a payment type, then complete the payment. With the right plan, you get the quota and features that support your business’s shipping operations.
If you need additional quota without changing plans, see the article How to Buy Add-ons on Biteship. If you experience issues while purchasing a plan, contact the Biteship support team at support@biteship.com.