# EMQX Agents Subscriptions and Invoices

Creating an EMQX Agents deployment requires a Starter subscription. Review the plan and trial terms, manage the subscription, complete overdue payments, and view subscription invoices in the EMQX Cloud Console. For deployments created before subscription billing, see [Deployments Created Before Subscription Billing](#deployments-created-before-subscription-billing).

## Plan and Billing

Each Starter subscription is associated with an Agents deployment. For eligible accounts, the subscription begins with a free trial. EMQX Cloud uses Stripe, a third-party payment service provider, to manage subscription charges, automatic renewals, and invoices. Agents subscription charges and invoices are managed separately from other EMQX Cloud service charges.

| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Plan | Starter |
| Subscription price | $30 per month, plus applicable taxes |
| Included Credits | 2,000 AI credits per subscription period |
| Deployment runtime | Included in the subscription; no separate hourly deployment charge |
| Payment method | A linked credit card for subscriptions created directly in the Console |

Paid subscription fees are charged monthly in advance. Review the price and renewal terms in the summary on the deployment creation page before subscribing. The Stripe invoice shows the applicable taxes, billing period, and amount due.

Included Credits reset at the start of each subscription period. Unused Included Credits do not carry over to the next period. Model calls require available Credits. [Ending the subscription](#when-a-subscription-ends) also closes access to new model calls.

## Before You Subscribe

To create a subscription directly in the Console, you must link a credit card, including when the subscription starts with a free trial. You can add the card during deployment creation or from **Billing** -> **Overview**. You cannot use your EMQX Cloud account balance or coupons instead of a credit card to pay for an Agents subscription. For card setup, see [Add and Update Billing Information](../billing/billing_information.md).

If your account uses a US bank account or marketplace billing, click **Contact Us** on the Agents creation page. This opens a support ticket with the deployment configuration. Direct subscription creation in the Console is not available with those billing methods.

## Free Trial

The Console shows whether your account is eligible for a free trial. Eligible accounts receive a free trial that lasts one calendar month and includes 2,000 AI credits. A trial can be claimed only once per account. Deleting a trial deployment does not restore trial eligibility, and accounts that have already used Agents deployments before subscription billing are not eligible for another trial.

At the end of the trial, the subscription automatically converts to a paid subscription using the linked card. After creation, check **Next Billing Date** under **Billing Method** on **Deployment Settings** for the actual trial end date. The Console displays the date in your local time zone.

To end the subscription without converting to a paid subscription, [cancel the subscription](#cancel-a-subscription) before the trial ends. You can resume it before that date. The Console does not provide an action to end the trial early and start a paid period.

The trial Credits apply only to the trial period. When the paid subscription period starts, its 2,000 Included Credits become available. Unused trial Credits do not carry over.

## Subscribe and Create a Deployment

Follow [Create an EMQX Agents Deployment](./emqx_agents_create_deployment.md) to configure the deployment, link a card, subscribe, complete any bank verification, and verify that the deployment is ready. That page also explains how to continue an interrupted creation.

## View Subscription Information

Open the Agents deployment and click **Deployment Settings** in the left navigation menu. For users with permission to view the subscription, **Billing Method** shows the following information.

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Current** | The deployment's billing method, for example **Monthly subscription**. |
| **Subscription Status** | The subscription's billing status, separate from the deployment's running status. |
| **Next Billing Date** | The date on which the subscription is scheduled to renew. During a subscription trial, this is the trial end date. |
| **Subscription Ends** | The date on which the subscription will end after you schedule cancellation. |
| **Trial Expiration Date** | The expiration date shown for a deployment without a Stripe subscription. See [Deployments Created Before Subscription Billing](#deployments-created-before-subscription-billing). |

The subscription status can be:

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Free trial** | The subscription is in its free trial period. It converts to a paid subscription when the trial ends unless you cancel it. |
| **Subscribed** | The paid subscription is active. |
| **Overdue** | A subscription payment is overdue. Complete the payment through the Stripe link when it is displayed. |
| **Unpaid** | The subscription has unpaid charges. Use the payment link when available, or contact support if you cannot resolve the payment. |
| **Ended** | The subscription has ended. You cannot restart it with **Resume Subscription**. |
| **Paused** | The subscription is paused. Contact support to check its billing status. |

Users without permission to view subscription information do not see these fields. Users with read-only access cannot cancel or resume a subscription. For the complete permissions matrix, see [Role Permissions Matrix](../feature/user.md#role-permissions-matrix).

Manage Agents subscriptions from **Deployment Settings**. The **Billing** -> **Subscriptions** page is for annual prepaid deployment subscriptions.

## Cancel a Subscription

Subscriptions renew automatically, including trial subscriptions. Canceling schedules the subscription to end at the end of the current period.

You need the root account, the Administrator role, or the Project Administrator role for the deployment's project to cancel or resume its subscription.

1. Open the Agents deployment and click **Deployment Settings**.
2. Under **Billing Method**, check **Subscription Status** and **Next Billing Date**.
3. Click **Cancel Subscription**.
4. Confirm the cancellation in the dialog.
5. Verify that the button changes to **Resume Subscription** and the date label changes to **Subscription Ends**.

The deployment remains usable until the date shown in **Subscription Ends**, subject to available Credits. During a trial, cancellation ends the subscription at the trial end date without converting it to a paid subscription.

## Resume a Subscription

Before the current period ends, you can resume a subscription scheduled for cancellation:

1. Open **Deployment Settings** and confirm that the subscription has not ended.
2. Under **Billing Method**, click **Resume Subscription**.
3. Confirm the change in the dialog.
4. Verify that the button changes to **Cancel Subscription** and the date label changes to **Next Billing Date**.

The subscription continues to renew automatically using its linked credit card. Canceling or resuming a subscription does not complete an overdue payment. To complete the payment, follow [Complete an Overdue Payment](#complete-an-overdue-payment).

For users with permission, a **Cancel Subscription** or **Resume Subscription** button is available when the subscription status is **Free trial**, **Subscribed**, **Overdue**, or **Unpaid**, except for deployments created before subscription billing.

## Complete an Overdue Payment

When **Deployment Settings** displays an overdue-payment prompt:

1. Click **complete your payment** in the prompt to open the Stripe invoice page.
2. Complete the payment and any bank authentication requested by Stripe.
3. Return to **Deployment Settings**. The Console refreshes subscription information when you return to the page.
4. Verify that **Subscription Status** is **Subscribed** and the overdue-payment prompt is no longer displayed.

Opening the Stripe page does not confirm a successful payment. If the payment is still incomplete, the prompt remains. If no payment link is displayed or the status does not update after a successful payment, refresh the settings page or contact support.

If your payment is overdue, pay the outstanding invoice promptly to avoid service interruption. The subscription may be canceled if payment retries fail; there is no guaranteed grace period.

## When a Subscription Ends

When a subscription ends, you can no longer make new model calls. EMQX Cloud does not automatically delete the deployment or change the deployment status shown in the Console. A deployment shown as **Running** does not by itself mean that model calls are available.

To remove the deployment and its resources, follow [Delete a Deployment](./emqx_agents_manage_deployment.md#delete-a-deployment). Deleting a deployment removes its data and immediately cancels its associated subscription instead of waiting for the current period to end. If you want to keep using it until the period ends, [cancel the subscription](#cancel-a-subscription) instead.

For available options after a subscription ends, submit a [support ticket](../feature/tickets.md).

## View Agents Invoices

In the Console, open **Billing** -> **Invoices** and select **Agents Invoices**. The **General Invoices** category is for other EMQX Cloud service invoices.

For invoice permissions, fields, statuses, and instructions for opening and downloading invoices, see [View Agents Invoices](../billing/invoices.md#view-agents-invoices).

## Update Billing Information

You cannot change the billing country while the account has an Agents subscription that has not ended, including a free trial. You can update other supported billing details without changing the country. To change countries, first ensure that all Agents subscriptions have ended. Clicking **Cancel Subscription** stops automatic renewal. The subscription remains active until the current period ends.

For the account's payment details, open **Billing** -> **Overview**. See [Add and Update Billing Information](../billing/billing_information.md) for the supported changes.

## Deployments Created Before Subscription Billing

EMQX Agents deployments created before subscription billing was introduced will remain on a free trial until December 1, 2026. These deployments will not be automatically converted to paid subscriptions or charged subscription fees.

Subscription cancellation and resumption do not apply to these deployments. Contact support for subscription options.

## Next Steps

- [View Credits usage](./emqx_agents_manage_deployment.md#view-credits-usage) for a deployment.
- [Manage the deployment configuration](./emqx_agents_manage_deployment.md#deployment-settings).
- [Add a connector](./connectors.md) and [start a chat](./chats.md) to build an agent.