Configuring Phone Rebilling and Usage Markup for Agency Accounts

When running high-volume outbound campaigns or SMS reactivations, messaging costs can escalate rapidly. If an agency operates on flat-rate monthly retainers without billing controls for usage, the financial burden of carrier fees falls directly on the agency credit line. Scale amplifies this vulnerability, turning successful client campaigns into unexpected overhead expenses.

Automating phone usage billing creates a clear boundary between agency service fees and third-party telephony costs. By leveraging automated rebilling, agencies route carrier charges directly to the client's payment card. This eliminates manual invoicing, preserves retainer margins, and establishes a predictable billing structure for both parties.

Prerequisites and Account Eligibility Check

Before configuring automated usage billing, specific backend integrations and phone system configurations must be in place at the agency level.

The foundational requirement is an active Stripe account connected directly to your primary agency dashboard. Stripe serves as the payment engine that processes carrier charges and applies configured markups. Without an active integration, usage billing cannot execute charges against client accounts.

Once Stripe is connected, verify the telephony infrastructure assigned to each sub-account by auditing the Phone Integration section under Agency Settings. The system categorizes sub-accounts into three distinct operational states:

• Phone rebilling enabled: The sub-account is fully configured and actively billing the client's payment method.
• Phone rebilling can be enabled: The infrastructure is ready, but the feature switch and payment method still require configuration.
• Phone rebilling disabled: The sub-account uses a legacy external phone integration rather than the native LeadConnector phone architecture.

Linking Payment Methods and Resell Settings

Activating usage charges for a specific sub-account requires turning on the resell engine and attaching a valid payment method belonging exclusively to the client.

To start, access the target account through the Agency Sidebar under Sub-Accounts, or open the account details directly from the Phone Integration screen. Locate the Phone System Resell Settings section and toggle the switch to enable billing for that account.

Once enabled, the system prompts for a payment source. You have two primary options for attaching payment credentials:

1. Existing Stripe Customer: If the client already pays subscription invoices through your connected Stripe account, search for their record using their name, email address, or Stripe Customer ID.
2. Direct Client Card Input: If the client does not exist in your Stripe database, an account administrator must log into the sub-account dashboard, navigate to Company Billing under Settings, and input their corporate payment card.

Configuring Plan Multipliers and Profit Margins

The billing logic applied to phone usage depends on your agency's platform subscription plan. The platform handles cost recovery differently based on whether SaaS mode capabilities are unlocked.

On standard base plans, manual price markups for profit are restricted. However, the system applies a mandatory 1.05x default multiplier to all phone usage. This 5% markup offsets the credit card processing fees incurred when Stripe charges the client card, ensuring the agency breaks even on raw usage charges.

On higher-tier SaaS plans, custom rebilling multipliers are fully unlocked. Agency operators can set custom markup rates (such as 1.5x, 2.0x, or higher) on SMS, outbound calls, phone numbers, and carrier lookups.

When establishing custom markup multipliers, consider the following operational factors:

• Carrier base rates: Native LeadConnector rates typically offer lower base costs compared to direct third-party accounts, leaving room for sustainable margins.
• Merchant processing fees: Ensure your multiplier accounts for credit card transaction fees charged by payment processors on micro-transactions.
• Usage thresholds: Higher multipliers work well for low-volume accounts, but enterprise clients with high volume may require custom tiering to remain competitive.

Monitoring Agency and Sub-Account Telephony Costs

Clear visibility into telecom expenditures prevents billing disputes and keeps agency cash flow transparent. The system maintains separate ledgers for agency-level wholesale costs and client-level retail charges.

Agencies track aggregate spending across all sub-accounts by navigating to Agency Settings, selecting Billing, and opening the credits detail view. This ledger highlights wholesale costs debited from the agency account alongside corresponding payments collected from sub-accounts.

Clients can independently review their usage logs and payment history without contacting agency support. By accessing Settings and selecting Company Billing within their specific sub-account, clients can inspect granular receipts for text messages, call duration, and auto-recharges. Providing direct visibility reduces billing inquiries and builds trust around usage-based billing structures.