> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hallwayai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Usage & Billing

> Understand your response limits, billing cycles, and how to manage your subscription

## Understanding Response Limits

Hallway uses a response-based pricing model. Each time a respondent completes an interview, it counts as one response.

### Free Plan

The Free plan includes **3 responses total** (lifetime):

* Perfect for trying Hallway before committing
* Includes all core features: AI guide generation, transcription, and insights
* Limited to 1 project
* No credit card required

### Pro Plan

The Pro plan includes **20 responses per month**:

* Fresh 20 responses every billing cycle
* Unlimited projects
* Cross-session synthesis and advanced features
* Purchase additional response packs anytime

## Checking Your Usage

You can view your current usage in two places:

### Dashboard Banner

When you're approaching your limit (80% usage), a warning banner appears on your dashboard showing:

* How many responses you've used
* Your remaining responses
* Quick links to upgrade or purchase more

### Settings Page

For detailed usage information:

1. Click your profile in the bottom-left corner
2. Select **Settings**
3. View the **Usage & Billing** card

This shows:

* Monthly/lifetime usage breakdown
* Response pack balance (Pro only)
* Days until next billing cycle

## What Happens at Your Limit

### For Respondents

**Respondents are never blocked.** When your account reaches its response limit, respondents can still complete interviews. Their responses are saved and will be processed once you upgrade or purchase more responses.

This ensures you never lose valuable research data because of billing timing.

### For Researchers (Pro Plan)

When you exceed your response limit:

1. **New responses are saved but not processed** - Audio is recorded, but transcription and AI analysis are paused
2. **You're notified immediately** - Email notification + dashboard banner
3. **Existing insights remain accessible** - All previously processed data is available
4. **You can process anytime** - Once you upgrade or buy a pack, click "Process All" to analyze pending responses

<Warning>
  **Heads up:** You still incur costs when respondents complete interviews, even if processing is paused. We recommend upgrading promptly to avoid accumulating pending responses.
</Warning>

### For Researchers (Free Plan)

Free plan users have a hard limit of 3 responses to help control costs. When you reach the limit:

1. **New interviews cannot start** - Respondents see a friendly message explaining the study is paused
2. **Upgrade to continue** - Upgrade to Pro to collect more responses

### Pending Responses

When you have responses waiting to be processed, you'll see:

* A banner on your dashboard showing the count
* Yellow "Awaiting Quota" badges on individual sessions
* A "Process All" button (enabled when you have available quota)

To process pending responses:

1. Upgrade to Pro or purchase a response pack
2. Go to any project's **Responses** tab
3. Click **Process All** or process individual sessions

<Warning>
  **Important:** Usage counts are final. Deleting an interview does not restore your quota because the AI processing costs have already been incurred.
</Warning>

## Response Packs (Pro Only)

Need more responses for a big research project? Purchase response packs:

| Pack Size     | Price | Per Response |
| ------------- | ----- | ------------ |
| 25 responses  | \$75  | \$3.00       |
| 50 responses  | \$125 | \$2.50       |
| 100 responses | \$200 | \$2.00       |

**Key benefits:**

* Response packs never expire
* Use after monthly allocation
* Auto-resume paused studies on purchase

To purchase a response pack:

1. Go to **Settings**
2. Click **Buy Response Pack** in the Usage section
3. Select your pack size
4. Complete payment

## Grace Responses

To prevent interrupting interviews that are already in progress, Hallway allows up to **2 grace responses** when you're at your limit.

Grace responses:

* Are marked specially in your session list
* Will be deducted from your next allocation
* Ensure respondents can complete their interview

## Upgrading Your Plan

### From Free to Pro

1. Click **Upgrade to Pro** on any upgrade prompt
2. Choose monthly ($129/mo) or annual ($100/mo) billing
3. Enter payment details
4. Your new limits apply immediately

### Managing Your Subscription

To manage billing:

1. Go to **Settings**
2. Click **Manage Subscription**
3. View invoices, update payment method, or cancel

<Info>
  If you cancel Pro, you'll keep Pro features until the end of your current billing period.
</Info>

## Billing FAQ

### When am I charged?

* **Monthly**: On the same day each month you subscribed
* **Annual**: Once per year on your subscription anniversary

### Can I get a refund?

We offer refunds within 14 days of purchase for unused services. Contact [help@hallwayai.com](mailto:help@hallwayai.com).

### What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) through Stripe. Annual plans can also be paid by invoice.

### Do you offer discounts?

Yes! Annual billing saves over 22% compared to monthly ($100/mo vs $129/mo).

Need help with billing? Contact us at [help@hallwayai.com](mailto:help@hallwayai.com).