Plan Limits & Upgrades
Manage Free plan limits, understand upgrade triggers, and learn how to switch between plans smoothly
Show all sections (42)
- How It Works
- Real-World Example
- What Happens at Limit
- Freeing Up Capacity
- Email Notification Limit (200/month)
- How It Works
- Monthly Usage Tracking
- What Happens at Limit
- Managing Email Limits
- Push Notification Limit (200/month)
- How It Works
- Same as Email
- What Happens at Limit
- Upgrade Warning System
- Progressive Alerts
- Where Alerts Appear
- Upgrading to Growth
- When to Upgrade
- Upgrade Process
- Timing Your Upgrade
- Downgrading to Free
- How to Downgrade
- What Happens After Downgrade
- Managing Over-Limit Situations
- Downgrade Timing
- Re-Upgrading After Downgrade
- Coming Back to Growth
- Limit Best Practices
- Maximizing Free Plan
- Planning for Growth
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I upgrade mid-month?
- What if I downgrade by accident?
- Do limits stack month to month?
- Can I increase Free limits without upgrading?
- What happens to queued notifications when I hit limit?
- Can I temporarily upgrade for busy season?
- Getting Help
- Next Steps
Learn how Free plan limits work, what happens when you reach them, and how to upgrade or downgrade seamlessly.
Free Plan Limits Overview
Three Core Limits
1. Active Subscriptions: 500
- Maximum customers waiting at once
- Resets as notifications send
2. Email Notifications: 200/month
- Maximum emails sent per calendar month
- Resets 1st of each month
3. Push Notifications: 200/month
- Maximum web push sent per calendar month
- Resets 1st of each month
What's unlimited on Free:
- Products/variants
- Restock events
- Dashboard access
- Analytics (basic)
- Widget displays
Active Subscriptions Limit (500)
How It Works
What counts as "active":
Customer subscribed, product still out of stock
↓
Status: Active
↓
Counts toward 500 limit
What doesn't count:
Customer notified, product restocked
↓
Status: Completed
↓
Freed from limit (back to capacity)
Real-World Example
Scenario 1: Normal Flow
Monday:
- 400 active subscriptions
- 100 slots available
Tuesday: Product restocks
- 100 notifications sent
- 100 subscriptions completed
- 300 active subscriptions
- 200 slots available
Scenario 2: Hitting Limit
Week 1:
- Growing to 480 active subscriptions
- 20 slots remaining
Week 2:
- Reached 500 subscriptions
- Limit hit
- New subscriptions paused
What Happens at Limit
Customer experience:
When they click "Notify Me":
[Modal shows]
Subscription limit reached
We're currently at capacity for this product.
Please check back later or upgrade to notify all customers.
[Close]
Merchant dashboard:
Warning banner appears:
Free plan limit reached (500/500 subscriptions)
New subscriptions are paused. Upgrade to Growth for unlimited subscriptions.
[Upgrade Now] [Dismiss]
Widget behavior:
- Widget still displays on storefront
- New subscriptions rejected
- Existing subscriptions remain active
- Capacity frees as notifications send
Freeing Up Capacity
Natural reduction:
As products restock and notifications send, capacity returns:
Current: 500/500 (full)
↓
5 products restock → 75 notifications sent
↓
New capacity: 425/500
↓
Can accept 75 new subscriptions
Manual cleanup:
Cancel old subscriptions to free space:
Dashboard → Subscriptions → Select old ones → Cancel
Useful for:
- Subscriptions older than 60 days
- Discontinued products
- Test subscriptions
Email Notification Limit (200/month)
How It Works
What counts:
- Every email successfully sent
- Delivered to customer inbox
- Failed deliveries (count toward limit)
What doesn't count:
- Queued but not sent
- Subscription confirmations
- Unsubscribe pages
Reset timing:
January 1, 12:00am UTC → Counter resets to 0
February 1, 12:00am UTC → Counter resets to 0
Monthly Usage Tracking
View your usage:
Dashboard → Overview
Email Notifications This Month
136 / 200 sent (68% used)
[View Details]
Detailed breakdown:
Dashboard → Notifications → History
[Filter: This Month]
Jan 1-15: 136 emails sent
Jan 16-31: 64 remaining
What Happens at Limit
When you reach 200 emails:
1. Notifications pause automatically
Queue status: Paused (limit reached)
Pending: 47 notifications waiting
Resume: February 1st
2. Dashboard warning
Monthly email limit reached (200/200)
Email notifications paused until next month.
Upgrade to Growth for unlimited notifications.
[Upgrade Now] [Learn More]
3. Existing subscriptions safe
All subscriptions remain active:
- Customers stay subscribed
- Widget continues collecting
- Notifications resume next month
Managing Email Limits
Strategic batching:
Use Fair Queue to control send rate:
Dashboard → Settings → Fair Queue
Batch size: 20 emails
Batch delay: 2 hours
= 10 emails per hour maximum
= 240 emails per day maximum
Lower batch size = slower sending = longer monthly capacity.
Prioritize high-value products:
Focus on products that convert best:
Dashboard → Analytics → Top Products
Disable notifications for:
- Low-margin items
- Slow-selling products
- Test products
Plan ahead for restocks:
If expecting major restock:
100 waiting customers
× 1 restock
= 100 emails needed
Check: 150 already sent this month
Remaining: 50 ← Not enough!
Solution: Wait until next month or upgrade
Push Notification Limit (200/month)
How It Works
What counts:
- Every push notification sent
- To all user's devices
- Successful or failed delivery
What doesn't count:
- Push permission requests
- Test notifications
- Service worker registrations
Reset: 1st of each month, 12:00am UTC
Same as Email
Push notifications match email limits for simplicity:
- Instant delivery
- Higher visibility (device notification)
- Higher engagement (open rates 3-5x email)
- More valuable (immediate action)
Most Free plan stores use 50-100 push notifications per month, making 200 a comfortable limit.
What Happens at Limit
When you reach 200 push:
1. Push sending stops
Push notifications: Disabled
Email continues: Still active
Subscriptions: Still collecting
2. Customers see email-only option
[Subscription Modal]
Email: [email protected]
Also send push notifications (unavailable)
"Push notifications paused. Upgrade for unlimited."
3. Dashboard notification
Push notification limit reached (200/200)
Push notifications paused until next month.
Email notifications continue normally.
[Upgrade to Growth]
Upgrade Warning System
Progressive Alerts
We notify you before limits hit—never surprises.
At 80% capacity:
Approaching limit
Email notifications: 160/200 (80%)
You have 40 emails remaining this month.
Consider upgrading to avoid disruptions.
[Upgrade] [Dismiss]
At 90% capacity:
Limit almost reached
Email notifications: 180/200 (90%)
Only 20 emails left this month.
Upgrade now for unlimited notifications.
[Upgrade Now] [View Usage]
At 100% capacity:
Limit reached
Email notifications: 200/200 (100%)
Notification queue paused.
Upgrade to Growth to resume immediately.
[Upgrade Now] [Learn More]
Where Alerts Appear
1. Dashboard banner
- Top of every page
- Can be dismissed (reappears daily)
- Action buttons included
2. Relevant pages
- Subscriptions page
- Notifications page
- Queue status page
3. Email notifications
- Sent at 90% and 100%
- Includes usage details
- Direct upgrade links
4. In-app modals
- On critical actions
- When limit blocks operation
- Clear next steps
Upgrading to Growth
When to Upgrade
Clear signals you need Growth:
Hitting limits regularly
Subscriptions: Hit 500 twice this month
Emails: Reached 200 for 3 months straight
Push: Using full 200 each month
Missing opportunities
47 customers can't subscribe (limit full)
Queue paused for 15 days (email limit)
Products restocking but can't notify
Need attribution data
Want to know which emails drive sales
Need ROI visibility
Planning inventory based on demand
Growing faster than Free allows
Traffic increasing monthly
More products going out of stock
Customer base expanding
Upgrade Process
Step 1: Choose trial or direct
Option A: Start 14-day trial (recommended)
Dashboard → Billing → Start 14-day trial
✓ Free for 14 days
✓ Full Growth features
✓ Cancel anytime
✓ No charges during trial
Option B: Subscribe directly
Dashboard → Billing → Upgrade to Growth
✓ Skip trial
✓ Instant activation
✓ Charged $19 immediately
✓ Cancel anytime after
Step 2: Instant activation
Growth features unlock immediately:
- Limits removed
- Attribution starts tracking
- Advanced analytics accessible
- Usage dashboard available
Step 3: Use unlimited features
Before: 500 subscription limit
After: ∞ Unlimited
Before: 200 emails/month
After: ∞ Unlimited
Before: 200 push/month
After: ∞ Unlimited
Timing Your Upgrade
Best time to upgrade:
Early in month:
Date: January 5th
Remaining: 26 days in month
Logic: Full month of unlimited usage
Before major restock:
Expected: 2,000 customers waiting
Free limit: 500 emails/month
Solution: Upgrade before restock event
After hitting limit:
Status: Limit reached, queue paused
Effect: Upgrade resumes notifications immediately
Benefit: No lost opportunities
Worst time to upgrade:
Date: January 28th
Remaining: 3 days in month
Better: Wait until February 1st
Downgrading to Free
How to Downgrade
Step 1: Open Billing
Dashboard → Billing & Plans
Step 2: Click "Downgrade to Free"
Confirmation modal appears:
Downgrade to Free Plan?
You'll lose:
- Unlimited subscriptions (back to 500)
- Unlimited notifications (back to 200/month)
- Revenue attribution features
- Advanced analytics
You'll keep:
- All existing subscriptions
- Historical data (locked but saved)
- Basic analytics
- Core features
[Downgrade] [Cancel]
Step 3: Confirm downgrade
Effective immediately:
- Growth features lock
- Limits apply
- Usage charges stop
- No pro-rated refunds
What Happens After Downgrade
Immediate effects:
1. Limits reinstate
Active subscriptions: 623 → Over limit!
New subscriptions: Paused until < 500
Email sends: Subject to 200/month limit
Push sends: Subject to 200/month limit
2. Features lock
Attribution dashboard: Locked (view-only)
Advanced analytics: Locked
Revenue metrics: Locked (preview shown)
3. Data preserved
Attribution data: Saved (can view if re-upgrade)
Historical analytics: Saved
Subscription data: Fully accessible
Managing Over-Limit Situations
If you have > 500 active subscriptions:
Current: 623 active subscriptions
Limit: 500 on Free plan
Over by: 123 subscriptions
What happens:
All 623 remain active
Notifications still send for existing
New subscriptions blocked until < 500
Gradual reduction:
Week 1: Products restock, 100 notify → 523 active
Week 2: More restocks, 50 notify → 473 active
Week 3: Can accept new subscriptions again
Downgrade Timing
End of billing cycle:
If you downgrade mid-cycle:
- No pro-rated refund
- Growth features lost immediately
- Can re-upgrade anytime
Better approach:
Current: January 15th
Billed through: February 14th
Wait until: February 14th to downgrade
Benefit: Use paid features until billing ends
Re-Upgrading After Downgrade
Coming Back to Growth
Easy re-activation:
Dashboard → Billing → Upgrade to Growth
What returns immediately:
- Unlimited limits
- Attribution dashboard (with historical data)
- Advanced analytics (full access)
- All Growth features
Historical data restored:
Attribution from April-June: Visible again
Advanced analytics: Full history shown
Usage ledger: Complete records
New trial eligibility:
- No second 14-day trial
- Can subscribe directly
- Charged $19 immediately
Limit Best Practices
Maximizing Free Plan
1. Clean up old subscriptions
Monthly task: Cancel subscriptions > 60 days old
Benefit: Free up capacity
Tool: Dashboard → Subscriptions → Bulk Actions
2. Strategic email usage
Prioritize:
High-margin products
Fast-selling items
Proven converters
Deprioritize:
Low-margin clearance
Slow movers
Test products
3. Smart Fair Queue settings
For staying under 200 emails:
Batch size: 15-20 emails
Batch delay: 3-4 hours
Result: ~75-100 emails/month
4. Monitor usage weekly
Every Monday:
- Check subscription count
- Review email usage
- Project end-of-month totals
- Adjust strategy if needed
Planning for Growth
Indicators it's time:
Usage patterns
Month 1: 150 subscriptions, 75 emails
Month 2: 250 subscriptions, 120 emails
Month 3: 400 subscriptions, 180 emails
Month 4: 500 subscriptions ← Time to upgrade
Revenue impact
Estimated attributed orders: 15/month
Average order value: $60
Potential recovery: $900/month
Growth cost: ~$37/month ($19 + 2% of $900)
ROI: 2,333%
Business growth
Traffic: +50% month-over-month
Stockouts: Increasing frequency
Demand: Growing wait lists
Conclusion: Upgrade to capture opportunity
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upgrade mid-month?
Yes. Upgrade takes effect immediately:
- Limits removed instantly
- Pro-rated billing for first month
- Full month starts from upgrade date
What if I downgrade by accident?
Contact support immediately:
- Email: [email protected]
- We can restore Growth within 24 hours
- Pro-rated charges may apply
Do limits stack month to month?
No. Limits reset monthly:
- Unused emails don't carry over
- Each month is fresh 500/100 allocation
- Can't "save up" capacity
Can I increase Free limits without upgrading?
No. Free limits are fixed:
- 500 subscriptions
- 200 emails/month
- 200 push/month
Only Growth offers unlimited.
What happens to queued notifications when I hit limit?
They pause:
- Stay in queue
- Resume next month automatically
- Or resume immediately on upgrade
Can I temporarily upgrade for busy season?
Yes! Common strategy:
October-November: Upgrade (holiday stockouts)
December-January: Downgrade (post-holiday lull)
February-March: Re-upgrade (spring season)
No penalties for seasonal upgrading.
Getting Help
Questions about limits:
- Email: [email protected]
- Live chat: Dashboard → Help
Before upgrading:
- Read Usage-based billing
- Calculate ROI using your data
- Start trial to test features
Need custom limits:
- Contact us for enterprise needs
- We'll review your requirements
- Custom solutions available
Next Steps
- Hit a limit? Start your 14-day trial
- Understanding costs? Usage-based billing explained
- Compare plans: Plans & pricing overview
Ready to upgrade? Dashboard → Billing → Start 14-Day Trial
Was this article helpful?
Let us know — your feedback helps us improve our documentation.