Upgrade from Trial to Paid Account
When you are ready to move from testing to production, upgrade your Exotel account to a paid plan. This guide covers plan selection, payment, and what changes after upgrading.
Before You Upgrade​
Ensure the following are complete:
- KYC verification is approved (required for production features)
- You have tested your integration during the trial
- Your call flows and API integrations are working as expected
- You have selected the plan that fits your usage needs
You cannot purchase production ExoPhones or go live without approved KYC. Complete KYC verification before upgrading.
Available Plans​
| Feature | Starter | Growth | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly minimum | Low commitment | Medium commitment | Custom |
| ExoPhones | Up to 5 | Up to 20 | Unlimited |
| Voice API | Full access | Full access | Full access |
| SMS API | Full access | Full access | Full access |
| Add-on | Included | Included | |
| Campaigns | Basic | Advanced | Full suite |
| Contact center | -- | Basic | Full |
| Call recording | 30-day retention | 90-day retention | Custom retention |
| Analytics | Standard | Advanced | Custom dashboards |
| Support | Email + Chat | Priority (email, chat, phone) | Dedicated account manager |
| SLA | 99.5% uptime | 99.9% uptime | Custom SLA |
| API rate limits | Standard | Higher | Custom |
| Webhooks | Standard | Priority delivery | Guaranteed delivery |
For high-volume use cases or specific requirements, contact the Exotel sales team at sales@exotel.com for a custom Enterprise plan.
How to Upgrade​
Step 1: Navigate to Billing​
- Log in to my.exotel.com
- Click on Billing in the left sidebar
- Select Plans & Pricing
Step 2: Select a Plan​
- Review the available plans and their features
- Click Upgrade on the plan you want
- Review the plan summary including monthly minimums and included features
Step 3: Choose a Billing Cycle​
| Cycle | Discount | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | No discount | Pay month-to-month |
| Quarterly | Small discount | Pay every 3 months |
| Annual | Best discount | Pay once per year |
Step 4: Add Credits​
- Select your initial credit amount (minimum varies by plan)
- Credits are used for voice calls and SMS at per-pulse/per-SMS rates
- You can enable auto-recharge to avoid service interruption
Step 5: Complete Payment​
Exotel accepts the following payment methods:
| Payment Method | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Credit/Debit Card | All plans | Visa, Mastercard, RuPay |
| Net Banking | India only | All major Indian banks |
| UPI | India only | Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm |
| Wire Transfer | Enterprise only | For annual payments |
| Cheque | Enterprise only | For annual payments |
Step 6: Confirmation​
- After successful payment, your account is upgraded immediately
- A confirmation email with invoice details is sent to your registered email
- Trial limitations are removed
- You can now purchase production ExoPhones
What Changes After Upgrading​
| Aspect | Before (Trial) | After (Paid) |
|---|---|---|
| Number whitelisting | Required for all outbound | Removed; call/SMS any number |
| ExoPhones | 1 trial number | Purchase production numbers |
| Campaigns | Not available | Available (plan-dependent) |
| Not available | Available (plan-dependent) | |
| SMS | Whitelisted only | Full access (DLT required for India) |
| Support | Email only | Plan-dependent (email, chat, phone) |
| API rate limits | Standard | Plan-dependent |
| Configurations | Preserved | Carry over from trial |
All your trial configurations -- call flows, API credentials, team members, and settings -- are preserved when you upgrade. No reconfiguration is needed.
Managing Your Subscription​
Changing Plans​
- Go to Billing > Plans & Pricing
- Click Change Plan
- Select the new plan
- Plan changes take effect at the start of the next billing cycle
Cancellation​
- Go to Billing > Plans & Pricing
- Click Cancel Subscription
- Your account remains active until the end of the current billing period
- After cancellation, the account reverts to a limited state (no outbound calls/SMS)
See Refund Policy for details on refunds.
Frequently Asked Questions​
Can I downgrade my plan? Yes. Downgrades take effect at the start of the next billing cycle. Features not included in the lower plan will become unavailable.
Are unused credits carried over? Yes. Credits do not expire as long as your account is active on a paid plan.
Can I switch billing cycles? Yes. Contact support to switch from monthly to annual or vice versa. Changes apply at the next renewal.
Next Steps​
- Add credits to your account to fund voice and SMS usage
- Purchase ExoPhones for production
- Review the go-live checklist before launching