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Intercom pricing FAQs

Beth-Ann Sher avatar
Written by Beth-Ann Sher
Updated today

This article refers to our new pricing plans. For information about one of our legacy plans, please log in to view these articles instead, or contact us through the Messenger.

Pricing overview

How does Intercom pricing work?

Pricing depends on whether you’re purchasing our full Customer Service Suite, or purchasing Fin AI Agent to use with your existing helpdesk (such as Zendesk, Salesforce, and others).

Pricing for Intercom's Customer Service Suite:

When you choose Intercom’s Customer Service Suite, you can select from three plans: Essential, Advanced, or Expert. The plan you choose determines your seat price. You’ll then be charged based on the number of full seats you need—these provide full access to all plan features and are billed per teammate.

All plans include access to:

  • Intercom Helpdesk

  • Fin AI Agent

Note: Usage-based pricing applies to Fin and some messaging channels.

Pricing for Fin on your existing helpdesk:

If you’re using Fin with a helpdesk like Zendesk or Salesforce, we offer separate pricing:

  • $0.99 per Fin resolution

  • 50 resolutions per month minimum

  • Unlimited teammates – No seat costs

There are no extra charges for integration, setup, or platform use when using Fin with your existing helpdesk.

What is Proactive Support Plus?

Proactive Support Plus is an optional add-on available for any Intercom plan (Essential, Advanced, or Expert).

It unlocks advanced capabilities like Product Tours, Surveys, In-app Posts, Mobile Push, and Mobile Carousels. The add-on is priced at $99 per month, which includes 500 messages sent each month. If you exceed 500 messages in a month, additional charges will apply based on the "Messages Sent" metric.

You can add Proactive Support Plus to your plan at any time unless you are on a contract, in which case you’ll need to contact your Account Manager.

Are there any additional usage charges?

In addition to seats, you only pay for what you use. Here’s a breakdown:

WhatsApp:

WhatsApp is charged per ‘conversation’, with unit costs varying by volume. We have different pricing for inbound and outbound WhatsApp. Learn more about WhatsApp pricing.

SMS:

SMS is charged per the number of “SMS sent and/or received” with unit costs varying by volume. Prices also vary by region. Learn more about SMS pricing.

Email Campaigns:

Emails sent from the Inbox have no additional charge. Inbound emails from your customers and responses to those emails are included in your plan, with no additional charge. Outbound email campaigns are charged per the number of ‘Bulk Emails Sent’. Learn more about Email pricing.

Fin Resolutions:

Fin AI Agent usage is measured in ‘resolutions.’ This ensures that you only pay when Fin achieves the outcome you and your customers care about most – resolved conversations. A resolution is counted when either the customer confirms the AI Answer resolved their issue, or the customer doesn’t request more help after the last AI Answer. Learn more about Fin AI Agent pricing.

Proactive Support Plus & Messages Sent:

Purchasing the optional ‘Proactive Support Plus’ add-on unlocks a number of capabilities including Product Tours, Surveys, In-app Posts, Mobile Push, and Mobile Carousels. The baseline monthly fee includes 500 Messages Sent every month (see below for how ‘Messages Sent’ is calculated). Any messages sent above 500 per month are at an additional cost and charged per ‘Message Sent.’ Learn more about Proactive Support Plus.

Use our intuitive Pricing Calculator to effortlessly project your expenses and gain clarity on how Intercom fits within your budget.

What apps and integrations does Intercom offer?

Intercom provides over 450+ apps and integrations, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Jira. Learn more about apps and integrations.

Do I have to sign up with a contract?

No, all plans offer a yearly subscription and you can also choose to pay monthly on the Essential and Advanced plans. If you'd prefer to have a contract, this can be arranged with our Sales team.

Can I create my own customized package?

You can choose your core plan, your number of seats, and if you want any add-ons. You can also choose whether to use Fin, Email, WhatsApp, Phone, and SMS. You cannot add something from one plan to another nor remove something from a plan.

What’s the minimum I have to buy to use Intercom?

All our plans require the purchase of only a single seat to get started. Unless you have a contracted subscription, all usage is pay-as-you-go and you only pay for what you use. So it's easy to get started and grow with us over time.


Seats

What is a seat

Seats provide access to Intercom’s products and features within your chosen plan. Each teammate using Intercom must have a designated seat assigned to them.

  • Lite seats provide limited access to Intercom to support cross-functional collaboration. A set number of Lite seats are included without additional charge only on the Advanced and Expert plans.

How can I change my plan or number of seats?

Customers on pay monthly/yearly subscriptions can easily manage their plan, seats, and add-ons from their Intercom workspace. Customers on contracts need to contact their Account Manager to make a change.

To get access to Premier Support, Premier Onboarding, and Custom API rate limits, you'll need to talk to Sales and sign a contract.

Does a lite seat include access to Proactive Support Plus?

A lite seat grants access to Proactive Support Plus settings, but not the ability to create content or set it live (outbound messages and Series). A full seat is needed in order to create and manage outbound content.

Does a lite seat include access to Copilot?

No, a lite seat can't use Copilot (included or unlimited usage).


Payments

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards for online payment as well as Apple Pay / Google Pay. Invoices cannot be paid via debit cards, pre-paid card, PayPal or similar services.

Customers on a contract are given the option of ACH transfers and credit card payments. If you have a contracted subscription, your contract will show the agreed payment method e.g. credit card, ACH or wire transfer.

Do you offer discounts for startups?

Yes, startups get 90% off Intercom + 1 year of Fin free. Find out more about Intercom's Early Stage program and check if you're eligible.

Can I pay in my local currency?

Intercom is billed in United States Dollars (USD) only. This applies across our whole platform, including seat pricing, additional usage charges, add-ons, and Premier Services. Right now, we can’t bill in any other currencies.

What should I do if my account has been restricted due to non-payment of invoices?

We will retry payment on invoices once every 7 days for a total of four times. If a payment fails four times in a row the account will then be frozen. In order to resume access on the account, payment will need to be made.

Payment can be made by following the link for payment on the invoice or under Settings > Subscription > Billing > Invoices using the Pay Now button.

Once payment is made the account access will be resumed. You may have to hard refresh to see service resumed on your workspace.

Will I be charged for sending messages through Workflows?

No, we do not charge for messages sent in a workflow. Charges apply to bulk outbound messaging set up from the Outbound section of your workspace.


Free trials

How does the free trial work?

Intercom’s free trial requires no credit card to sign up. During the 14-day trial, you’ll have access to all features in your chosen plan, as well as free Fin AI Agent, Copilot, and Proactive Support Plus usage. After the free trial period, just add your credit card details to continue using Intercom.

Do I need to enter my credit card details to sign up?

No! You do not need to enter any payment details to start a free trial with Intercom and there are no setup fees. A card is only required to continue using Intercom after your free trial.

What happens at the end of my free trial?

You will no longer be able to use Intercom until you choose your plan and provide a payment method or talk to our Sales team.

Can I start a free trial of Fin for Intercom?

Yes, all customers can start a free trial of Fin AI Agent at any time (even after your initial 14-day trial of Intercom has ended). To start a free trial, head to Fin AI Agent in your workspace or talk to our team. You won't be charged for Fin usage or resolutions during the trial period.

Can I start a free trial of Fin for my existing helpdesk?

Yes, if you'd like to use Fin AI Agent on your current platform (Zendesk, Salesforce, and more) you can! Trials require no credit card to sign up. During the 14-day trial, you’ll have unlimited access to free Fin resolutions, with no limits on usage. To continue using Fin on your helpdesk after your trial ends, simply add a payment method.

Can I trial Fin again after my free trial has ended?

You can request to trial Fin again—or extend your free trial period—by contacting us in the Messenger.


Subscriptions

Does Intercom offer a free plan?

Intercom does not offer a free plan. However, there is an Early Stage program which offers a 90% discount + 1 year of Fin free to eligible startups. Learn more about the Early Stage program and how to apply.

Who is my 'Account Manager'?

Customers who sign a contract for their subscription are assigned an Account Manager at Intercom who helps handle their subscription. If you're not sure who your Intercom Account Manager is, reach out to us in the Messenger and request to 'Talk to a person' so we can put you in touch with them.

Why can't I choose the number of seats I want when starting a subscription for Essential?

If you have existing teammates on your workspace, you will see a seat count equal to the number of teammates. For example if you have 3 teammates and try start a trial/subscription for Essential, it will show 3 seats ($39 x 3 = $117).

To reduce the seat count, you will need to first delete the additional teammates. Note that the seat count is only updated once every 24-48 hours for billing purposes so you will not see the drop in seat count immediately.

Why do I see a payment and refund when I start my new subscription?

When you start your subscription, we’ll place a temporary hold on your credit card to ensure funds are available for your first invoice. The amount will be released immediately, and no money will actually leave your account—it's just a hold that will be removed.

What happens if I cancel my subscription? Will I lose settings, API keys, custom branding settings, etc.?

Canceling your subscription will not delete any data. However, live content such as Proactive Support messages, Workflows, and your Help Center, will be automatically paused as soon as your subscription becomes inactive. Also, any teammate permissions will be reset.


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