Billing in the Client Portal

The Billing section allows clients to manage their own payment details, view invoices, and track usage. This is powered by Stripe Connect, enabling you to bill clients directly through your agency’s Stripe account.

Growth plan required

Required Permissions

Permission	Capability
`manage_billing`	View invoices, update payment method, and see usage summary

Without manage_billing, the Billing section does not appear in the portal sidebar.

Prerequisites

Before clients can access billing in the portal, you need to:

Set up Stripe Connect — Connect your Stripe account in Settings → Billing.
Create a pricing plan — Define the plans and pricing you offer to clients.
Assign a plan to the client — Set the client’s subscription from the agency dashboard.

Stripe Connect must be fully configured before the billing section becomes functional. See the billing setup guide for details.

What Clients See

Current Plan

A summary card showing:

Plan name and tier
Monthly price
Included minutes
Current billing period dates

Client portal billing page showing current plan summary and usage

Usage Summary

A breakdown of the client’s usage for the current billing period:

Minutes used — Total call minutes consumed
Minutes remaining — How many minutes are left in their plan
Usage bar — Visual indicator of consumption against their limit
Overage rate — Per-minute cost if they exceed their plan, if applicable

⚠️

If a client exceeds their included minutes, overage charges apply automatically based on the rate you configured in their plan.

Invoice History

A table of past invoices showing:

Invoice date
Amount charged
Payment status (paid, pending, failed)
Link to download the invoice PDF

Clients can download any invoice for their records.

Payment Method

The currently saved payment method (e.g., Visa ending in 4242). Clients can:

Update payment method — Enter a new credit card
View payment method — See the last four digits and expiration date

Client portal payment method section with update button

💡

Encourage clients to keep their payment method up to date. Failed payments can result in service interruptions.

What Clients Cannot Do

Even with manage_billing permission, clients cannot:

Change their own plan or tier (this is agency-controlled)
Access your Stripe dashboard or see your revenue
Modify overage rates or pricing
Cancel their subscription (they must contact your agency)

Failed Payments

If a client’s payment fails, they will see a banner in the billing section prompting them to update their payment method. You will also receive a notification in your agency dashboard.

Failed payment retry schedule:

First retry — 3 days after failure
Second retry — 5 days after first retry
Third retry — 7 days after second retry

If all retries fail, the subscription is marked as past due.

Stripe Connect Setup

For the billing portal to work, your agency must have Stripe Connect configured. This involves:

Connecting your Stripe account in Settings → Billing
Completing the Stripe onboarding process (identity verification, bank account)
Creating products and prices in your Stripe dashboard or through BuildVoiceAI

Stripe Connect availability depends on your country. Some regions may have restrictions. Check Stripe’s supported countries for details.

Best Practices

Communicate plan limits — Make sure clients understand their included minutes and overage rates before they start using the service.
Monitor usage proactively — Check client usage from your agency dashboard and reach out before they hit overages.
Send custom invoices — For enterprise clients, consider handling billing outside the portal for more flexibility.