This article addresses some of the frequently asked questions about contact limits and how overages are calculated.

How does Emma count contacts for billing purposes?

The majority of our customers are invoiced based on the monthly high watermark of active contacts in their account.

The high watermark is the sum of all contacts who were active in the account at any point during the month. The current month's high watermark is shown in the account's Billing page and resets when the next billing cycle begins.

✎	Note
	The contact high watermark cannot go down during a billing period; it only goes up. This means that if you archive contacts, your peak count for the month will remain the same. The archived contacts are still counted towards your high watermark because they were active at some point during that month.

What constitutes an active contact?

Any contact stored in the Audience section of your account in the Active status is considered an active contact. In a given month, if an active contact is archived, or moves to the Error or Opt-out status, it is still counted towards the monthly active contact total for that month.

Ⓘ	Info
	Contacts who are in the Opt-out status, the Error status, or the Archive for the entire month are not considered active contacts.

Does the amount of contacts determine my rate?

As a customer, you pay a flat rate each month (or year), which gives you an agreed-upon limit of active contacts in your account over the course of your billing cycle.

Can I change my contact limit?

If you experience unexpected list growth and would prefer to upgrade your account rather than incur and pay overages, we’re happy to help! Please click the Upgrade button in the Billing section of your account and someone will reach out to you.

Additionally, during your contract renewal cycle (60-75 days before your end date), we'll work with you to ensure that your renewal plan fits your needs for the upcoming term, including finding a contact limit that makes sense for your current list size and forecasted growth and determining which billing frequency is the best fit.

Where do overages come in?

Our two standard offerings for billing frequency are monthly and annually. The frequency that you choose determines how you’re charged for any potential overages.

Monthly Billing Overages

Customers who are invoiced monthly should work to keep their contact high watermark below their allotted monthly contact threshold. Should you go over your contact threshold during the month, those overages will show up on your invoice at the beginning of the following month.

For example: If you’re on a plan with 25,000 contacts and go over that limit in September, you can expect to see overages invoiced at the beginning of October for any active contacts exceeding the 25,000 active contacts that you’re allowed per month.

Annual Billing Overages

Customers invoiced annually receive a "bucket" of contacts to use for the year.

For example: If you are on a plan with 25,000 contacts that pays annually, you can have up to 300,000 active contacts per year (25,000 contacts x your 12-month term). Each month, we record your active contact total, and then add up all 12 months at the end of your term. If you’ve surpassed your annual limit for active contacts, you can expect to be charged for those overages on your annual bill. To ensure you don’t accidentally surpass your annual allotment, we suggest that you use your plan type (25,000 in this example) as a guideline for your monthly active contact count.

How am I charged for archived contacts?

If an active contact is archived during the month, it still counts toward the monthly high watermark. The following month, you won't be charged for that archived contact, as long as they are not restored to the audience. For annual customers, we count active contacts each month, then add them up at the end of the term, so it essentially works the same way.

For example, if you have an annual contract and you archive a contact in the month of May, they'd count towards the active total for May and we'd notate that number to add up at the end of the term and then that contact would drop off for June's count.

How do I update my account credit card?

For general billing questions such as updating your credit card or billing contact, please refer to our article about accessing and managing your billing information.