Making sense of a prorated invoice
When you change the number of seats on your annual plan part-way through a billing period, your next invoice can look confusing - it shows both a credit and a charge for what seems like the same thing. This is normal. It is how proration works, and it ensures you only pay for what you actually use. This guide explains the line items, walks through a worked example, and covers the 5-day grace period. To change your seat count in the first place, see update annual plan seats.
1. Why you see both a charge and a credit
You pay for your annual plan up front, for a set number of seats, for the whole period. When you add or remove seats mid-period, RosterElf has to reconcile what you already paid against what you now owe. It does this with two line items:
- A credit (“Unused time on … after [date]”) - refunds the part of your earlier payment that covers the days remaining at your old seat count.
- A charge (“Remaining time on … after [date]”) - bills the days remaining at your new seat count.
The two lines net out, so the amount you actually pay is just the difference for the time left in the period.
2. Worked example
Say you are on an annual Core plan with 12 seats, and on 19 Jun 2026 you add 2 seats to bring it to 14. Your invoice shows:
- Credit: “Unused time on 12 × Core after 19 Jun 2026” - refunds the remaining-days portion of your already-paid 12 seats.
- Charge: “Remaining time on 14 × Core after 19 Jun 2026” - bills 14 seats for those same remaining days.
Net result: you pay for 2 extra seats for the portion of the period left after 19 Jun - not a full year for 2 seats, and not a duplicate charge for all 14.
3. How proration is calculated
Proration is worked out daily. In simple terms:
- Take the per-seat price for the billing period (Core annual is $6 per staff per month-equivalent within the annual term).
- Divide by the number of days in the period to get a daily rate per seat.
- Multiply by the number of days remaining and the change in seat count.
Because it is day-based, the closer the change is to the end of the period, the smaller the prorated amount. You are only ever billed for the time you actually hold the extra seats.
4. The 5-day grace period
If a staff member becomes active and pushes you above your current seat count, RosterElf does not bill you straight away. A 5-day grace period applies: billing reconciliation runs 5 days after activation, and only seats still active at that point are charged (prorated). If you reactivated someone briefly - for example to run a report - archive them within 5 days to avoid a charge.
Frequently asked questions
1. Why am I being both charged and credited on the same invoice?
When you change seats part-way through your billing period, RosterElf (via Stripe) credits you for the unused time on your old seat count and charges you for the remaining time on your new seat count. The two lines net out so you only pay the difference for the days left in the period.
2. What does "Unused time on 12 × Core after 19 Jun 2026" mean?
That is the credit line. You already paid for 12 seats for the full period, so RosterElf refunds the portion of that payment covering the days remaining after the change date. It is money returned to you, not a charge.
3. What does "Remaining time on 14 × Core after 19 Jun 2026" mean?
That is the charge line. It bills your new seat count (14) for the days remaining in the period from the change date onward. Combined with the credit, you only pay for the extra 2 seats for those remaining days.
4. How is the prorated amount calculated?
Proration is daily. RosterElf takes the per-seat price for the period, divides it by the number of days in the period to get a daily rate, then multiplies by the number of days remaining and the change in seats. You are only billed for the time you actually have the extra seats.
5. What is the 5-day grace period?
If a staff member becomes active and pushes you over your current seat count, RosterElf waits 5 days before reconciling billing. If the staff member is still active after 5 days, the additional seat is charged (prorated). Archive the staff member within 5 days to avoid the charge.
6. Where can I see these invoices?
You can view and download all invoices from your billing portal. See downloading invoices for the steps.