# Understanding Call Minutes & Billing

Teloai operates on a **usage-based** model. You pay primarily for two things:

1. The **minutes** your AI spends in calls.
2. Any **dedicated phone number** rentals.

### &#x20;1. Included Minutes vs. Pay-as-You-Go <a href="#id-1-included-minutes-vs-pay-as-you-go" id="id-1-included-minutes-vs-pay-as-you-go"></a>

* **Included Minutes**: Some plans may come with a set of monthly minutes. These are consumed first.
* **Pay-as-You-Go**: If you exceed included minutes (or if you’re on a usage-based plan), you pay for each additional minute used.

### &#x20;2. How We Calculate Minutes <a href="#id-2-how-we-calculate-minutes" id="id-2-how-we-calculate-minutes"></a>

* **Per-Second Billing**: Typically, Teloai bills by the second (converted to minutes). For example, a 90-second call is 1.5 minutes.
* **Rounding**: Make sure you check your plan’s rounding rules. Some might round up to the nearest 30 seconds, while others do pure per-second.

### &#x20;3. Monthly Usage & Purchasing Extra <a href="#id-3-monthly-usage-26-purchasing-extra" id="id-3-monthly-usage-26-purchasing-extra"></a>

* **Monthly Reset**: If your plan includes minutes, those reset monthly on your billing date.
* **Buying Add-Ons**: You can purchase extra minute bundles if you expect a spike in call volume.

### &#x20;4. Additional Costs <a href="#id-4-additional-costs" id="id-4-additional-costs"></a>

* **Phone Number Rental**: A monthly fee for each dedicated inbound/outbound number you rent (varies by region).
* **Possible Carrier Surcharges**: Some countries may have unique taxes or surcharges—check the Costs & Pricing section for more details.

### &#x20;5. Monitoring Usage <a href="#id-5-monitoring-usage" id="id-5-monitoring-usage"></a>

* **Dashboard**: The platform displays your current usage, how many minutes are left, and your estimated cost so far.
* **Notifications**: You can set up alerts (e.g., “Email me when I hit 80% of monthly minutes”) using the no-code automation platform.