Rebilling in HighLevel

Updated: February 6, 2026  | 
Author: Bill Stilwell

This post covers what Rebilling is, which usage types are billable, how to configure markups, the economics for agencies, how automatic billing works, and the transparency obligations that come with enabling it.

Reading time: about 7 minutes.

What Is Rebilling in HighLevel?

Rebilling in HighLevel is the feature that allows agencies to pass usage costs for platform services – SMS messages, phone calls, email sends, and AI usage – to their clients at a markup, and have those charges collected automatically through Stripe.

Without Rebilling, the agency pays HighLevel for all usage across all sub-accounts and must either absorb those costs or manually invoice clients separately. With Rebilling, those costs are automatically charged to each client’s connected payment method, with the agency keeping the markup above the HighLevel base rate.

Configure Rebilling from the agency dashboard in the agency settings, then enable and configure it per individual sub-account.

The Problem Rebilling Solves

HighLevel’s communication features – SMS, phone calls, email, AI conversations – are not free. They carry per-unit costs billed to the agency’s HighLevel account: a cost per SMS message, a cost per minute of phone time, a cost per email, a cost per AI interaction.

For agencies with active clients who send large volumes of messages or use AI features heavily, these costs are material. An agency running SMS follow-up sequences for 20 clients with high lead volumes can accumulate significant monthly usage charges.

Without Rebilling, every dollar of those costs is the agency’s to absorb.

Rebilling transfers that cost structure to the clients who are actually generating the usage. A client running 5,000 SMS messages per month pays for those 5,000 messages at the agency’s markup rate.

The agency’s financial exposure to usage costs goes to near-zero for rebilled clients.

Billable Usage Types

Rebilling applies to usage costs incurred through HighLevel’s native communication services – primarily LC Phone and LC Email.

LC Phone – SMS/MMS: Each SMS message sent or received through a HighLevel phone number has a per-message cost. Rebilling passes this cost to the client at the configured markup rate.

MMS messages (picture messages) have a higher per-message cost than SMS.

LC Phone – Calls: Inbound and outbound phone calls through HighLevel phone numbers are billed per minute. Rebilling passes call costs to the client – separately configurable for inbound versus outbound minutes.

LC Email: Email sends through HighLevel’s native email infrastructure have a per-email cost above a certain volume threshold. Rebilling passes these email sending costs to the client.

AI Usage: Features like Conversation AI, workflow AI actions, and other AI-powered features incur per-interaction or per-usage costs. Rebilling allows these costs to be passed to clients who use them, particularly relevant as AI features become more widely adopted and the per-interaction costs become more significant at scale.

Setting Markup Rates

The agency sets the markup for each billable usage type – either as a percentage above the HighLevel base cost or as a flat per-unit rate. There is no minimum or maximum markup required by HighLevel.

Common approaches: a flat markup of 20-50% above the HighLevel base cost (the agency earns a percentage margin on each usage unit), or a specific flat rate per unit (e.g., $0.015 per SMS when the HighLevel base cost is $0.0075) that is easier for clients to understand and predict.

The markup decision has implications for client relationships. A very high markup on SMS costs may create friction if clients notice the usage charges on their Stripe statements.

A modest, transparent markup that covers the cost plus a reasonable margin is generally the approach that creates the least friction and the most sustainable billing relationship.

How Automatic Billing Works

When Rebilling is enabled for a sub-account and the client has a payment method connected, HighLevel automatically tracks the client’s usage and charges the connected Stripe card at the configured rates.

The billing is typically aggregated over a billing period rather than charged in real time for every individual SMS. Clients see a charge on their Stripe statement reflecting their usage for the period – a line item for SMS costs, a line item for call costs, etc.

The agency does not need to generate invoices, calculate usage amounts, or initiate billing manually. Once configured, Rebilling runs automatically for as long as it is enabled for the sub-account.

Per-Sub-Account Configuration

Rebilling is configured independently for each sub-account. An agency can enable it for some clients and not others, and can set different markup rates for different clients.

This flexibility supports different client contract structures. Clients on a flat-fee “all-in” retainer might have Rebilling disabled – their usage is absorbed into the retainer.

Clients on a usage-based or SaaS-style plan might have Rebilling enabled so they pay for their actual usage.

For agencies transitioning existing clients to a usage-based model, the per-sub-account toggle makes it possible to enable Rebilling for new clients from the start while managing the transition for existing clients on their own timeline.

Transparency and Client Agreements

Rebilling is a billing mechanism, not a contract. The agency is responsible for ensuring clients understand and agree to being charged for usage before Rebilling is activated on their account.

Client service agreements should clearly state: which platform services will generate usage charges, the rates at which those charges will be billed, when charges will appear on the client’s Stripe statement, and the process for disputing unexpected charges.

Activating Rebilling without prior client disclosure – even if the markup is modest – creates billing disputes, damages the client relationship, and in some jurisdictions may create legal liability. The technical capability to charge clients automatically does not eliminate the contractual and disclosure obligations that precede doing so.

When enabling Rebilling for an existing client who has not previously been billed for usage, notify them in advance. A brief email explaining the change, the rates, and when it takes effect gives the client the opportunity to adjust their platform usage before charges begin.

Usage Monitoring

With Rebilling enabled, monitoring client usage is important for two reasons. First, it helps the agency ensure clients are not accumulating unexpectedly large bills that will generate disputes.

Second, it identifies automation issues – an automation loop that sends SMS messages repeatedly generates both large usage charges and poor client experiences.

HighLevel provides usage reports per sub-account showing the volume of SMS, calls, emails, and AI interactions over a given period. Reviewing these reports monthly (or more frequently for high-volume clients) helps the agency identify anomalies before they become problems.

Setting a usage alert or threshold notification – if the sub-account’s platform supports it – provides an automated warning before usage reaches a concerning level rather than discovering it in arrears.

The Economics for Agencies

Rebilling creates a margin-positive revenue stream from usage that would otherwise be a cost center. The economics are straightforward: HighLevel charges the agency at the base rate; the agency charges the client at the markup rate; the difference is gross margin with no additional work required.

For an agency with 20 active clients each generating $50/month in LC Phone and LC Email usage costs, the agency is paying $1,000/month in usage without Rebilling. With Rebilling at a 30% markup, the agency charges clients $1,300/month total and keeps $300/month as margin – while eliminating the $1,000/month cost from the agency’s income statement.

At scale, with high-usage clients or clients using AI features intensively, the numbers become more significant. An agency whose clients collectively generate $5,000/month in usage costs faces a meaningful financial exposure without Rebilling.

With Rebilling at a modest markup, that exposure converts to a revenue line.

What Can You Do With It?

• Eliminate the agency’s financial exposure to client usage costs: Usage costs that previously eroded agency margins are passed to the clients generating them – automatically, without manual billing.
• Create an additional revenue stream with zero incremental effort: Once configured, Rebilling charges clients and generates markup revenue without any ongoing agency action. The revenue accrues with every SMS, call, email, and AI interaction the client generates.
• Offer tiered pricing that reflects actual client usage: Clients who use the platform heavily pay more than clients who use it lightly – a fair, usage-based cost structure that is increasingly standard in SaaS products.
• Scale SMS and AI usage for clients without worrying about margin erosion: An agency running high-volume SMS sequences or advanced AI for clients can do so knowing the usage costs flow to the client – removing the margin pressure that otherwise limits how aggressively the agency uses these features on behalf of clients.
• Structure different pricing for different client types: Absorb usage costs for small or new clients on a promotional plan while rebilling established, high-usage clients at standard rates.

Key Definitions

Use Cases by Industry

Marketing Agency – Transitioning to Usage-Based Billing

An agency with 15 clients on monthly retainers has been absorbing all platform usage costs. As AI features are adopted more heavily, usage costs are growing.

The agency decides to transition to a hybrid model: the retainer covers services and a base platform fee; usage above a threshold is billed through Rebilling.

They update their service agreements, notify clients of the change 30 days in advance, and activate Rebilling for all 15 sub-accounts with a 25% markup. Within two months, the agency’s net platform costs drop from $800/month to effectively zero – and the markup generates an additional $200/month in revenue.

Result: Platform usage costs are eliminated from the agency’s cost structure. The transition is handled professionally with advance notice. Clients understand the change and continue with the agency without issue.

SaaS Mode Agency – Usage Included in Plans

A SaaS Mode agency offers three subscription tiers. The Starter plan includes a usage credit per month ($10 of SMS/email/AI usage included); usage above the credit is billed through Rebilling at standard markup rates.

The Pro and Agency plans include larger credits before Rebilling kicks in.

This model is familiar to SaaS subscribers – most software tools with usage components work this way. The included credit covers normal usage for most subscribers.

Heavy users pay for what they use. The Rebilling mechanism makes this billing structure operationally simple to execute.

Result: A fair, transparent, familiar usage billing model that mirrors how other SaaS products work. The included credit prevents most subscribers from ever seeing usage charges while still protecting the agency’s margins for heavy users.

High-Volume SMS Agency – Protecting Margins

An agency specializing in SMS marketing for local businesses runs campaigns that generate 10,000–50,000 messages per month per client. Without Rebilling, the agency’s monthly LC Phone costs across 10 clients run to several thousand dollars.

With Rebilling enabled for all 10 clients at a 20% markup, the SMS costs are passed through with the markup as additional revenue. The agency’s financial model shifts: SMS cost exposure disappears, and the markup across 500,000 monthly messages generates meaningful additional monthly revenue.

Result: High-volume SMS campaigns are now margin-positive for the agency rather than a margin drag. The agency can run more aggressive SMS sequences for clients without worrying about the cost impact on agency profitability.

AI-Heavy Agency – Managing AI Cost Exposure

An agency deploying Conversation AI for multiple clients is seeing AI usage costs grow as clients’ AI-handled conversation volumes increase. Each AI interaction has a per-conversation cost that accumulates quickly at scale.

The agency enables Rebilling with AI usage markup for the five clients with the highest AI conversation volumes. These clients see a small line item on their monthly Stripe charges for AI usage – typically $20-80/month per client – but the agency’s explanation frames it as “your AI assistant handled 2,000 conversations this month at $0.03 each – saving you approximately 40 hours of staff time.”

Result: AI costs are passed through with context that reinforces the value. Clients understand what they are paying for and the ROI framing makes the charge feel like an investment rather than a fee.

Who Is This For?

How to Configure Rebilling

Step 1: Access Rebilling in agency settings

In the HighLevel agency dashboard, go to Agency Settings and find the Rebilling section.

Step 2: Enable Rebilling at the agency level

Enable Rebilling if not already active. This enables the configuration options for individual sub-accounts.

Step 3: Update client service agreements

Before enabling Rebilling for any specific client, ensure the client’s service agreement discloses that usage charges will be billed through Stripe at the configured rates. This step precedes the technical setup.

Step 4: Enter the sub-account’s settings

From the agency dashboard, enter a specific client’s sub-account settings. Find the Rebilling configuration section.

Step 5: Enable Rebilling for the sub-account

Toggle Rebilling on for this client. Usage tracking begins immediately after enabling.

Step 6: Set markup rates

Configure the markup for each billable usage type – SMS, MMS, inbound calls, outbound calls, email sends, AI usage. Set rates that cover costs with appropriate margin.

Step 7: Verify the client’s payment method

Confirm the client’s sub-account has a Stripe payment method connected. Without this, automatic billing cannot process.

Step 8: Notify the existing client

If this is an existing client with no prior usage billing, send them a notification explaining the change, the rates, and when charges will begin.

Step 9: Monitor usage reports

After activation, check usage reports monthly (or more frequently for high-volume clients). Investigate unexpected usage spikes before they generate large client charges.

How Does It Connect to HighLevel?

• LC Phone: HighLevel’s native phone infrastructure is the primary source of Rebillable usage costs – SMS, MMS, and call minutes. The volume of LC Phone usage across all sub-accounts is typically the largest usage billing line item for agencies with active communication workflows.
• SaaS Mode: SaaS Mode and Rebilling are natural complements. A SaaS platform with subscription tiers can use Rebilling to add a usage layer on top of the base subscription – included credits per plan, with usage above the credit billed automatically.
• Payment Integrations: Stripe is the payment processor through which Rebilling charges are automatically collected. The client’s Stripe card on file in the sub-account is what Rebilling charges – no separate payment collection step is needed.
• Agency Dashboard: The Agency Dashboard is where Rebilling is enabled at the agency level and where the agency navigates to configure Rebilling per sub-account. The agency dashboard is the management layer for all Rebilling configuration.
• Workflow Builder: SMS and AI workflow actions generate the usage costs that Rebilling charges for. Workflows with high-frequency SMS sends or AI interactions for clients with Rebilling enabled automatically generate the charges that flow to the client’s Stripe account.

Common Questions

What is Rebilling in HighLevel?

A feature that automatically charges clients for platform usage costs – SMS, phone calls, email, AI – at a markup above HighLevel’s base rate, collected via the client’s connected Stripe payment method.

What usage types can be rebilled in HighLevel?

LC Phone SMS and MMS, inbound and outbound call minutes, LC Email sends, and AI feature usage. The specific categories depend on which services are configured within the sub-account.

How does HighLevel Rebilling work technically?

HighLevel tracks usage per sub-account. Charges are applied to the client’s connected Stripe card at the configured markup rate – automatically, aggregated over the billing period, without manual agency action.

Does HighLevel Rebilling require a client Stripe account?

Yes. A Stripe payment method must be connected to the sub-account for automatic billing to work.

Can I set different markup rates per client in HighLevel?

Yes. Each sub-account’s Rebilling markup is configured independently – different rates for different clients based on their contract or plan.

Can I disable Rebilling for specific sub-accounts in HighLevel?

Yes. Rebilling is enabled or disabled per sub-account. It can be on for some clients and off for others simultaneously.

What markup can I set for HighLevel Rebilling?

Any markup the agency’s pricing strategy supports – percentage above base cost or flat per-unit rate. No minimum or maximum is imposed by HighLevel.

Does HighLevel take a cut of the Rebilling markup?

No. The agency pays HighLevel at the base rate and charges clients at the markup rate. The markup is the agency’s to keep.

How does a client know they are being billed for usage in HighLevel?

The agency’s responsibility to disclose it in the service agreement and to notify clients before activation. HighLevel provides the billing mechanism; client communication is the agency’s obligation.

Can I view usage reports per sub-account to understand Rebilling amounts in HighLevel?

Yes. Usage reports within HighLevel show SMS, call, email, and AI usage volumes per sub-account, supporting billing transparency and usage anomaly monitoring.

To Wrap It Up

Rebilling addresses a straightforward financial problem: usage costs that the agency is paying should be paid by the clients generating them. The feature itself is not complicated – it is a markup mechanism with automatic billing.

What makes it worth careful attention is the client relationship management that surrounds enabling it.

The agencies who get the most value from Rebilling configure it transparently from the start for new clients – it is in the service agreement, it is in the onboarding documentation, and it is included in the pricing conversation. The markup is a normal part of how the platform costs are structured.

There are no surprises.

The agencies who create billing disputes with Rebilling are the ones who enable it retroactively for existing clients without adequate notice, or who set very high markup rates and hope clients do not notice. Both approaches are short-term thinking that trades client trust for a short-term cost saving.

Here is how to get started:

1. Review current monthly LC Phone, LC Email, and AI usage costs across all sub-accounts
2. Update the standard client service agreement to include usage billing disclosure and rates
3. Enable Rebilling at the agency level in agency settings
4. Start with two or three high-usage clients where the cost exposure is most material
5. Notify those clients of the change before enabling Rebilling on their accounts
6. Configure markup rates – modest is better for the client relationship than aggressive
7. Verify Stripe payment methods are connected for those sub-accounts
8. Monitor usage reports for the first two months to catch any anomalies
9. Roll out to remaining clients over the following quarter

The notification to existing clients before enabling Rebilling is not optional from a relationship standpoint. Even if it is technically allowed by the existing agreement, activating automatic billing without notice is the kind of surprise that generates one-star reviews and early cancellations.

A brief, clear notification sent 2-3 weeks before activation costs nothing and prevents most of the objections.