Overview
Auto-Upgrade automatically moves you to the next plan tier when your accumulated overage charges reach the cost of that tier. You get more quota without paying more than you already would, and you stay in control throughout.
Auto-Upgrade is available on paid AfterShip Tracking and Returns plans.
How Auto-Upgrade works
When your usage exceeds your plan's quota, extra usage is billed as overage at a per-unit rate. Auto-Upgrade monitors your accumulated overage across the billing cycle. When the following condition is met, an upgrade triggers automatically:
Current plan price + accumulated overage ≥ price of the next tier.
In simple terms, the moment paying overage costs as much as, or more than the next plan up, we move you to that plan instead.
Noteworthy considerations
It only moves you up one tier at a time, within your current plan line. For example, Essential‑500 > Essential‑1K. It never jumps you across plan lines (for example, from Essential to Pro).
Auto-Upgrade can trigger more than once in a billing cycle. If your usage keeps growing after an upgrade, you can move up another tier in the same cycle.
It never triggers in the last 24 hours of your billing cycle, so there are no last-minute surprises before renewal.
It only triggers when upgrading saves you money. If staying on overage is cheaper, nothing changes.
Example:
Say you're on Essential‑500 at $35/month and overage is billed at $0.08 per unit.
As your usage climbs past 500, overage starts to accumulate. The next tier, which is Essential‑1K at $59/month is a $24 difference. Once your accumulated overage reaches $24 (about 300 units), continuing to pay overage would cost the same as upgrading. At that point, Auto‑Upgrade moves you to Essential‑1K.
The result: You now have 1,000 units of quota, pay $59, and the overage you'd already accrued is absorbed into the new plan price.
What happens to your billing when an upgrade triggers
Your bill never increases beyond what you were already going to pay. Here's what changes:
The upgrade takes effect immediately in your current billing cycle.
You're charged the prorated difference between your old and new tier for the remainder of the cycle.
The overage already accumulated that cycle is absorbed into the new plan price. You don't pay it twice.
Your full new quota is granted right away, and your overage counter resets. If your usage later exceeds the new tier, overage applies again at the standard rate.
Any existing discounts or coupons carry over to the upgraded plan.
Turn Auto-Upgrade on or off
You can turn Auto-Upgrade on or off at any time.
Go to your AfterShip Tracking settings.
Click Billing and use the Auto-Upgrade toggle under Upgrade preferences to switch the option on or off as per your preference.
The setting can be configured and managed for Tracking and Returns independently on the Organization Billing page.
Turning it off takes effect immediately. Upgrades that have already happened aren't rolled back automatically, you can downgrade those manually (see below).
Downgrade to a lower plan
You can downgrade at any time from the Settings > Billing section.
Go to Billing in your AfterShip Tracking settings.
You can view your current plan, usage quota, and billing cycle details in the Current plan section.
Click the (....) icon, then Downgrade to open the comparison table of AfterShip Tracking plans.
Choose the desired plan to downgrade to and click Choose {plan}.
A confirmation window will appear showing the new plan details. Review the information, then click Downgrade plan to finalize the upgrade.
The change takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle.
This is useful for seasonal spikes; ride a higher tier through a busy period, then step back down.
If Auto-Upgrade is still on and usage climbs again, it can re-trigger. Turn the toggle off if you want to prevent that.
If you're billed through Shopify
Shopify's billing rules don't allow automatic charges. Instead of upgrading you directly, AfterShip sends you an email approval request when an upgrade would save you money on overages.
Once your overages reach the threshold, here's what happens:
A banner (in-app notification) appears on your AfterShip admin home page, prompting you to approve the upgrade. The banner displays the recommended plan name, the new return quota, and the monthly price, so you can review exactly what you're approving before taking action. The banner also includes a Manage auto-upgrade option, where you can switch auto-upgrade on or off based on your preference.
An email approval request is sent to your registered email address with the same upgrade details.
The upgrade only applies once you approve it in Shopify. If you don't approve, nothing changes, you stay on your current plan and continue paying overages at the standard per-unit rate.
Notifications
When Auto-Upgrade is enabled, you'll receive:
A heads-up at 80% of the upgrade threshold: An email and an in-app notification before an upgrade will be triggered.
A confirmation when an upgrade is applied: An email and in-app notification showing what changed and what you're saving will be triggered.
The notifications will be sent to the organization Owner and all Admins.
FAQs
What is Auto-Upgrade and how does it work?
Auto-Upgrade automatically moves you to your next plan tier when your accumulated overage charges in a billing cycle reach the price difference to that tier. It upgrades only one tier at a time, only within your current plan line, and only when doing so costs you the same or less than continuing on overage.
Will this make my bill go up?
No. It only triggers when upgrading is cheaper than (or equal to) staying on overage. Your effective cost after an upgrade is never higher than what you would have paid otherwise. The upgrade is prorated, and any overage you already incurred that cycle is absorbed into the new plan price.
How do I turn Auto-Upgrade off?
Go to the Billing settings of your organization and switch off the Auto-Upgrade toggle. It takes effect immediately, and no further upgrades will be triggered. The toggle is per product, so you can manage Tracking and Returns separately.
Can I downgrade back to my previous plan?
Yes. Go to the Billing settings of your organization and choose the option to downgrade from your current plan. The change takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle. Already-completed upgrades aren't reversed automatically, so downgrading is how you step back down.
How is my billing affected after an auto-upgrade?
The upgrade takes effect immediately and is prorated. You only pay the difference between your old and new tier for the remainder of the cycle. The overage you'd already accumulated is folded into the new plan price (you don't pay it twice), your new quota is granted right away, and the overage counter resets. Any existing discount carries over.
Why was my plan changed (upgraded)?
Because your overage had reached the point where the next plan tier costs the same or less, so we moved you up to save you money and give you more quota. You'll have received a heads-up beforehand and a confirmation afterward, and you can downgrade or turn the feature off at any time.
I'm a Shopify customer. Will I be charged automatically?
No. We can't charge Shopify subscriptions automatically. Instead, we send you an approval request, and the upgrade only applies after you approve it in Shopify. If you don't approve, nothing changes.
Will I lose my discount when I'm upgraded?
No. Any existing coupon or discount carries over to your upgraded plan.
Can it upgrade me multiple times in one billing cycle?
Yes, if your usage keeps growing and you meet the upgrade condition again, it can move you up another tier within the same cycle. Each upgrade comes with its own notification. It never triggers in the final 24 hours before your cycle renews.
Who can use Auto-Upgrade?
It's available to paying Tracking and Returns customers. It isn't available on Trial, Free, Enterprise, and annual plans, and it won't trigger if you're already on the highest tier of your plan line (in that case, reach out and we'll help you find the right plan).