Overview
If your company operates multiple locations, you may have different billing needs for various services within your account. By default, all charges are billed to the main account holder. However, if you’d like to bill specific locations separately for certain services, our system allows you to do that.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- What Can Be Billed Per Location?
- Should You Use Per-Location Billing?
- Pros & Cons of Per-Location Billing
- Example of Cost Impact
- How to Set Up or Undo Per-Location Billing for Each Service
- Conclusion
🔹 For instructions on how to enable per-location billing or assign services to specific locations, see the bottom of this article.
This article will help you determine whether per-location billing is right for you and how to set it up.
What Can Be Billed Per Location?
You can assign separate billing to individual locations for the following services:
- Email Boxes & SEO Services – Charges for email accounts and SEO services assigned to a location.
- IO Phone Numbers & Associated Billing – Individual phone numbers and their related billing can be assigned per location.
- WordPress & API Module – This includes web hosting and API access for WordPress sites.
- Multi-Location Fee – The base fee associated with maintaining multiple locations in the system.
By default, these charges are consolidated under the main account. But if you prefer to have a specific location owner, credit card, or payment method handle their respective costs, you can configure per-location billing.
Should You Use Per-Location Billing?
To decide if per-location billing is right for you, follow this simple decision tree:
Step 1: Do You Want All Charges on One Bill?
- Yes → No action needed. Keep everything under the main account billing.
- No → Proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Do You Need Certain Locations to Pay for Their Own Services?
- No → No action needed. Keep all billing consolidated.
- Yes → Proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Which Services Should Be Billed Separately?
- If specific locations should pay for Email Boxes, IO Phone Numbers, the WordPress Module, or Multi-Location Fees, then per-location billing is the right choice.
By setting up per-location billing, you allow location owners or managers to take financial responsibility for their own services instead of everything being charged to the main account holder.
Pros & Cons of Per-Location Billing
Pros
- Flexible Billing – Allows different locations to manage their own costs.
- Independent Payment Methods – Each location can use its own payment method.
- More Financial Control – Helpful if locations operate as separate businesses.
Cons
- More Complex Billing – Managing multiple invoices may require additional tracking.
- Potentially Higher Costs – If each location pays for its own WordPress & API module or IO Phone subscription, costs can increase.
Example of Cost Impact
⚠ Important Note: Enabling per-location billing for certain services—such as IO Phone or the WordPress & API Module—can technically increase total costs, even though the charges are spread among different locations. This is because the main module cost is no longer being shared among all locations, and each location that opts in will be responsible for their own full subscription fee.
1. WordPress & API Module
At first glance, paying $39/month twice for the WordPress & API Module might seem unnecessary, since the module can be shared across all locations under a single subscription. However, in some cases, per-location billing can actually be the more cost-effective approach.
- $39/month (WordPress & API Module)
- $100/month (for 10 additional websites)
- Total: $139/month
If everything was billed under the main account, the main account owner would be responsible for that entire cost. But if that specific location pays its own $39/month for the WordPress & API Module, they will also take on the cost of their additional website hosting.
2. IO Phone Subscription
By default, IO Phone costs $65/month and can be shared across all locations. However, if you want each location to manage its own IO Phone subscription and user fees, you can opt to bill them separately.
- The main account pays $65/month for IO Phone, which covers any locations sharing this subscription.
- One additional location opts to pay for its own IO Phone subscription independently. This location will pay $65/month separately, as if it were a separate instance.
- The third location does not need IO Phone and does not pay anything for it.
This setup makes sense if specific locations need independent control over their IO Phone usage and billing. However, if your goal is to minimize total costs, it’s more efficient to keep IO Phone under a shared $65/month plan whenever possible.
How to Set Up or Undo Per-Location Billing for Each Service
How to Add a Payment Method to a Specific Location
To add a payment method for a specific location:
- Navigate to Settings > Subscription (Locations)
- Click on the location you wish to manage
- Add a card as you normally would
Once added, this card will serve as the default payment method for any services that are assigned to be billed at the location level.
1. Setting Up Per-Location Billing for Email Boxes & SEO Services
- Navigate to Settings > Subscription (Locations)
- Scroll down to the Email Mailbox or SEO Services section
- Click the Add button on any service you wish to subscribe to.
2. Assigning IO Phone Numbers to Locations for Separate Billing
- Go to Settings > IO Phone
- Click on Numbers
- Select the specific phone number you want to assign billing for
- Check the box for Charge Location Card to bill that number to the assigned location
If you would like to stop charging to the location card, uncheck the box. - Save changes
3. Enabling Per-Location Billing for the WordPress & API Module
- Navigate to Settings > WordPress
- Click on the site that belongs to the specific location
- Check the box for Charge Location Card
If you would like to stop charging to the location card, uncheck the box. - Save changes
4. Assigning Multi-Location Fees to Specific Locations
- Navigate to Settings > Warehouses/Addr
- Click on the address assigned to that location
- Check the box for Charge Location Card to ensure that location is billed separately
If you would like to stop charging to the location card, uncheck the box. - Save changes
Conclusion
Per-location billing is ideal if you want location owners or different payment methods to handle specific charges. However, if all charges should remain under a single billing account, this feature is unnecessary.
If you decide to enable per-location billing, follow the steps above for each service you wish to assign separately.
Still have questions? Contact our support team for assistance! 🚀