Intercom Billing & Contracts Explained: Annual vs Monthly, Discounts & Renewal
Intercom's billing has several important rules that can trap you. Here's everything you need to know before signing up.
Monthly vs Annual Billing
| Plan | Monthly price | Annual price | Annual saving | Annual saving/seat/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $39/seat/month | $29/seat/month | 26% | $120/seat |
| Advanced | $99/seat/month | $85/seat/month | 14% | $168/seat |
| Expert | $139/seat/month | $132/seat/month | 5% | $84/seat |
Critical: Advanced and Expert plans REQUIRE annual contracts. Only Essential is available month-to-month. If you need the flexibility to cancel anytime, you must stay on Essential.
What's on Your Intercom Bill
The base cost per agent who can send messages. Billed at the start of each billing period (monthly or annually upfront).
$0.99 per automated resolution. Billed monthly based on actual usage regardless of billing period. This is the biggest variable in your bill.
$99/month for 500 outbound messages. Required if you use targeted in-app messages, product tours, or proactive campaigns. Overage charges for additional messages beyond 500.
Essential: paid per Lite seat. Advanced: first 20 free, charged above that. Expert: first 50 free, charged above that. Lite seats can view conversations but cannot send messages.
Available on Advanced and Expert plans but charged per minute of actual usage, not a flat fee. Rates vary by region and contract.
Available on all plans. Charged per message sent. Rates vary by country and volume. Not a flat fee.
Proactive Support Plus Add-on
Proactive Support Plus unlocks outbound messaging capabilities: targeted in-app messages, push notifications, product tours, and proactive email campaigns.
You need this if you use:
- + Onboarding flows and product tours
- + Proactive in-app notifications
- + Targeted campaigns to segments
- + Automated follow-up messages
You can skip this if you:
- - Only handle inbound support requests
- - Don't use Intercom for campaigns
- - Use a separate email marketing tool for outbound
Annual Contract Renewal
Self-serve annual subscriptions
Auto-renew for another 12 months on the renewal date unless you cancel. Cancel from Settings > Billing > Payment Details before the renewal date to prevent auto-renewal.
Enterprise contracts
Auto-renew unless written notice is given at least 30 days before the contract end date. Contact your Account Manager or Intercom billing team directly. Send written notice via email and request confirmation.
Set a calendar reminder
Mark your renewal date minus 45 days as a reminder to evaluate whether to renew, upgrade, downgrade, or switch. Missing this window locks you into another 12 months.
Mid-Term Plan Changes
| Change type | Possible mid-contract? | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Add seats | Yes | Billed pro-rata for remaining contract term |
| Upgrade plan (e.g., Essential to Advanced) | Yes | Contact Intercom billing. New plan effective immediately, pro-rated cost. |
| Downgrade plan mid-annual | Generally no | Not allowed during an annual contract period. Possible at renewal. |
| Switch from monthly to annual | Yes | Contact Intercom billing. New annual period starts when switching. |
| Increase Fin AI usage | Yes | Use more Fin - billed monthly based on actual resolutions. No action needed. |
| Decrease Fin AI usage | Yes | Use less Fin. Next month's bill is automatically lower. |