Wallet and Usage Charges Explained

Your Dental Marketing Tool subscription covers your core platform access, but certain usage-based services draw from a separate wallet balance. This article explains what those charges are, how to monitor them, and how to keep your wallet funded so your practice communications never go dark.

What Is the Wallet?

The wallet is a prepaid credit balance that covers the real costs of sending messages and using AI-powered services on your behalf. Think of it like a postage meter for digital communications. Your monthly subscription keeps the platform running; the wallet pays for the stamps.

The wallet balance is separate from your subscription invoice. You can view your current balance at any time by going to Settings and clicking Billing, then selecting the Wallet tab.

What Draws from Your Wallet Balance

The following types of activity consume wallet credits:

• Outbound text messages (SMS). Every text your practice sends to a patient costs a small per-message fee. This includes individual replies from the inbox, automated appointment reminders, and bulk text campaigns.
• Inbound text messages. Receiving texts from patients also carries a small per-message cost on most number types.
• Outbound and inbound calls. Phone calls made or received through your Dental Marketing Tool number are billed per minute.
• Outbound emails. Emails sent through the platform, including campaigns and automated follow-ups, consume a small per-email credit.
• AI agent minutes. When your Voice AI Receptionist or Text AI Agent handles a conversation, the time or message volume is billed against your wallet. Longer calls and more complex text exchanges use more credits.
• Phone number fees. Your dedicated local or toll-free number may carry a small monthly usage fee that comes out of the wallet rather than the subscription.

Monitoring Your Usage

To see a breakdown of what your wallet has been spending, go to Settings, click Billing, and open the Wallet tab. You will find a transaction log that shows each charge type, the date, and the amount deducted. This is helpful for spotting unusual activity, such as a campaign that sent more messages than expected, or an AI call session that ran longer than normal.

If you want a broader view of your billing history, the invoices and receipts page shows both subscription charges and wallet top-up transactions in one place.

Topping Up Your Wallet

You can add funds to your wallet manually at any time, or set up automatic reloads so your balance never runs dry mid-day.

Manual Top-Up

1. Go to Settings and click Billing.
2. Open the Wallet tab.
3. Click Add Funds.
4. Enter the amount you want to add and confirm. The charge will go to the payment method on file.

Automatic Reload

1. In the Wallet tab, find the Auto-Reload section.
2. Toggle auto-reload On.
3. Set a Reload Threshold. When your balance drops below this amount, a reload is triggered automatically.
4. Set a Reload Amount. This is how much will be added each time the threshold is hit.
5. Click Save.

What Happens If Your Balance Runs Out

If your wallet balance reaches zero and auto-reload is not enabled, outbound messages and calls will stop going through until you add funds. Patients will not receive texts, appointment reminders will pause, and your AI receptionist will be unable to respond. Incoming calls may still ring through to your forwarding number depending on your setup, but the AI agent will not engage.

If your payment method is outdated and a wallet reload fails, you will see a notification inside the platform. Update your card on the payment method page and then manually trigger a top-up to restore service.

Keeping Costs in Check

A few simple habits can help you get the most out of your wallet balance:

• Review your usage log monthly so you know your typical spend and can spot anything unusual.
• For bulk text campaigns, use the opt-out and consent tools to keep your list clean. Sending to patients who have unsubscribed wastes credits and can create compliance issues.
• If you use the Voice AI Receptionist, review AI call logs periodically. Very long AI calls may indicate a caller who needed a live transfer sooner. Tuning your handoff settings can shorten those sessions and reduce cost.

For a full picture of what your subscription includes versus what draws from the wallet, see the billing overview. If a wallet reload payment ever fails, the failed payment guide walks through exactly how to resolve it.