Your plan doesn't change automatically when your ad spend changes. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time:
Open the Upgrade page
Move the slider to the plan that suits you and click Subscribe.
When the change takes effect and when you're charged depend on your current plan and the new one. The general rule:
Essential → Pro, or a higher spend limit: the plan changes immediately.
A lower spend limit: the plan changes when your current billing cycle ends. You stay on your current plan until then.
Your billing company and currency stay the same when you change plans. If you're billed in euros, all amounts below apply in euros with the same numbers.
Case 1. Monthly → Monthly
When you move from one monthly plan to another monthly plan or from one yearly to another yearly, when the plan changes depends on whether:
you are switching from Essential to Pro - the plan update happens immediately,
you are switching from Pro to Essential - then it depends on whether the new spend limit is higher or lower.
the new spend limit is lower - the update will happen once the current billing cycle is over i.e. you will remain on the initial plan for the period you have initially subscribed for.
the new spend limit is higher - then the plan is updated immediately.
These are the most common examples, so let's take a closer look at how they work:
Upgrade from monthly to monthly
You purchased a Pro plan $99 on August 15th, you were charged $99 for the August 15 - September 15 billing cycle. Pro plan $99 has $10k ad spend limit. In the middle of the billing period you decided to upgrade to the Pro plan $199. As mentioned above you will not be charged anything right away, instead the next invoice amount will be increased by the difference between what you've already paid and what you owe for the bigger plan. The math here is pretty simple: you used plan $99 for half a month and for another half you were on the $199 plan, so the total cost for the August 15 - September 15 period should be the sum of the halves of these plans.
99/2 + 199/2 = $149 - this is how much this particular billing period will cost.
But you have already paid $99 for this billing cycle, which means the next invoice amount will be increased by (149 - 99) = $50. On September 15th you're billed the $50 on top of the fee for the next billing cycle (September 15 - October 15). Given that on September 15th you're still on the $199 plan it means you'll be billed for the 199 plan, so the total invoice amount will be (199 + 50) = $249.
Downgrade from monthly to monthly
You aren't downgraded immediately. You stay on your current plan for the rest of the month, and the new plan starts with your next billing cycle.
Initial plan | New plan | Plan update | Charge |
99 monthly Pro | 499 monthly Pro | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
499 monthly Pro | 99 monthly Pro | When the current cycle ends | When the current cycle ends |
49 monthly Essential | 149 monthly Essential | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
149 monthly Essential | 49 monthly Essential | When the current cycle ends | When the current cycle ends |
49 monthly Essential | 99 monthly Pro | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
99 monthly Pro | 49 monthly Essential | When the current cycle ends | When the current cycle ends |
499 monthly Pro | 499 monthly Essential | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
Case 2. Yearly → Yearly
Upgrades and downgrades from yearly to yearly are based on the same logic as in Case 1:
If you are switching from Essential to Pro - the plan update happens immediately,
If you're switching from Pro to Essential, it depends on whether the new spend limit is higher or lower. If the new spend limit is lower, the update will happen once the current yearly billing cycle is over.
Initial plan | New plan | Plan update | Charge |
99 yearly Pro | 499 yearly Pro | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
499 yearly Pro | 99 yearly Pro | When the current cycle ends | When the current cycle ends |
49 yearly Essential | 149 yearly Essential | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
149 yearly Essential | 49 yearly Essential | When the current cycle ends | When the current cycle ends |
49 yearly Essential | 99 yearly Pro | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
99 yearly Pro | 49 yearly Essential | When the current cycle ends | When the current cycle ends |
499 yearly Pro | 499 yearly Essential | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
Case 3. Yearly → Monthly
Changes from yearly to monthly plans take place depending on:
if you are switching from Essential to Pro - the plan update happens immediately,
if you switching from Pro to Essential it depends on whether the new spend limit is higher or lower. If the new spend limit is lower, the update will happen once the current yearly billing cycle is over i.e. you will remain on the initial plan for the period you have initially subscribed for.
Initial plan | New plan | Plan update | Charge |
99 yearly Pro | 1799 monthly Pro | When the current year ends | When the current year ends |
299 yearly Essential | 99 monthly Pro | Immediately | Next invoice includes the prorated difference |
Case 4. Monthly → Yearly
Changes from monthly to yearly plans take place depending on:
If you are switching from Essential to Pro - the plan update happens immediately,
If you're switching from Pro to Essential, it depends on whether the new spend limit is higher or lower. If the new spend limit is lower, the update will happen once the current yearly billing cycle is over i.e. you will remain on the initial plan for the period you have initially subscribed for. If the new spend limit is higher, then the plan is updated immediately.
Initial plan | New plan | Plan update | Charge |
99 monthly Pro | 499 yearly Pro | Immediately | You will be charged immediately for the difference between the time spent on plan 99 during this month and what you owe for the time left during this year on plan 499 |
249 monthly Pro | 149 yearly Essential | Once the current billing cycle (month) is over | Once the current billing cycle (month) is over |
149 monthly Essential | 299 yearly Essential | Immediately | You will be charged immediately for the difference between the time spent on plan 149 during this month and what you owe for the time left during this year on plan 299 |
149 monthly Essential | 99 yearly Pro | Immediately | You will be charged immediately for the difference between the time spent on plan 149 during this month and what you owe for the time left during this year on plan 99 |
Canceling before the end of your billing period
If you cancel before your billing period ends, the remaining amount isn't refunded, whether or not you keep using Birch. See Article 3 of our Terms and Conditions.
Still unsure how a change affects you? Ask us in the in-app chat or at support@bir.ch.