If you added or removed team members mid-billing cycle and noticed extra line items on your next invoice, you're in the right place. This article walks through what those charges mean and why the total is what it is.
Note: This applies to monthly Core, Core Plus, Spec Lite, and Spec Pro plans. Annual plans handle seats differently. See Adding and removing seats on an annual subscription for details.
On a legacy plan? If you're on an older Gather plan (such as Solo, Studio, Firm, or a custom Enterprise plan), your invoice may look a little different than what's described here. If you have questions, reach out to us at support@gatherit.co and we'll walk through it with you.
Why your invoice has extra line items
When you add or remove a team member mid-cycle, Gather doesn't send you a separate invoice for that change. Instead, we prorate the charge (or credit) and roll it into your next scheduled invoice. This keeps billing cleaner and avoids small surprise charges throughout the month.
If you made several seat changes in one billing period, each change is recorded as its own line item. That's why a single invoice can include multiple "Remaining time" and "Unused time" entries.
The three types of charges you'll see
Your next invoice will usually include three kinds of line items:
Proration adjustments. "Remaining time" charges and "Unused time" credits from seat changes made during the previous billing period.
Seat charge. The standard monthly charge for any additional seats beyond the one included with your plan, covering the upcoming period.
Plan charge. Your base subscription fee for the upcoming period, which includes one seat (for example, Core at $199/month or Core Plus at $249/month).
What each line item means
Line item | Type | What it means |
Remaining time on a Seat | Charge | A prorated charge for a seat that was added mid-cycle. Covers that seat from the day it was added through the end of the billing period. |
Unused time on a Seat | Credit | A credit for your previous seat count. It appears when an existing number of additional seats changes, including when more seats are added. It's how Stripe (our billing processor) recalculates the previous seat quantity. Always a negative amount. |
Seat (next period) | Charge | The standard monthly charge for your current number of additional seats, billed for the upcoming period. |
Plan (next period) | Charge | Your base plan fee for the upcoming period, including your first seat. |
Why "Unused time" appears even when you added seats: Stripe issues a credit for the old seat count and a new charge for the new seat count every time the quantity changes. The two entries always net out to the correct prorated amount. If you're adding your very first additional seat, you'll only see a "Remaining time" charge, since there's no previous seat count to credit. Likewise, removing your last additional seat shows only an "Unused time" credit.
A worked example
Let's walk through a real scenario.
Setup:
Plan: Core at $199/month (includes 1 seat)
Additional seat rate: $59/month
You subscribe, then right away add 3 team members and remove 1 the same day
Net result: 2 additional seats for essentially the full first period
First invoice (at subscription start):
Description | Amount |
Core plan | $199.00 |
Total | $199.00 |
The first invoice only shows the base plan fee. The prorated seat charges don't appear yet. They're deferred to your next bill.
Second invoice (next billing date):
Because you made several seat changes during the first period, the second invoice includes multiple "Remaining time" and "Unused time" entries, plus the standard upcoming charges. When you add it all up:
Component | Amount |
Prorated charges for 2 net seats added at the start of the period | ~$118.00 |
2 additional seats for the upcoming period (2 x $59) | $118.00 |
Core plan for the upcoming period | $199.00 |
Invoice Total | ~$435.00 |
In plain terms: you're paying for the base plan ($199) plus two months of seat charges. One month catching up from the previous period, and one month for the upcoming period. That's 2 seats x $59 x 2 months = $236. Together, about $435.
A note on the "few cents" difference: Stripe prorates charges down to the second, so your actual total may come out a penny or two off from a round number (e.g., $435.01 instead of $435.00). This is normal. If seats were added or removed later in the period, the prorated amount will be smaller.
Good to know
The math always nets out correctly. If you add the "Remaining time" charges and subtract the "Unused time" credits, the result will match the prorated amount for your net seat change.
Seat changes are always deferred. You won't receive a separate invoice when you add or remove a team member. All seat adjustments appear on your next regular billing date. (Switching to a different plan works differently and will be billed immediately.)
More changes = more line items. If you make several seat changes in one billing period, each change creates its own line item. The invoice may look long, but the total stays accurate.
The "Upcoming Invoice" preview in your account is an estimate. It reflects what you'll be billed on your next invoice date and may shift if you add or remove seats before then.
First-cycle seat changes appear on the second invoice. If you add seats right after subscribing, those prorated charges will show up on your second bill, not your first. Good to know so you're not caught off guard.
Still have questions?
If anything on your invoice looks off or you'd like us to walk through the math with you, reach out via the in-app chat in the lower right-hand corner of your account, or email us at support@gatherit.co. We're happy to help.