Subscription Plans
How does pricing work?
Users can purchase monthly Subscription Plans based on usage by choosing the plan that best fits their usage needs. CoveritLive offers a limited trial (CiL Trial - 200 clicks max) and two Subscription tiers (Lite & Standard) that are based on the number of clicks used per-month. View the Pricing Chart
How do Monthly Subscription Plans work?
CoveritLive's monthly subscription plans are automatically billed on the first day of each calendar month. Each monthly invoice will consist of a monthly subscription fee for the upcoming month, as well as any extra-click overage charges incurred during the previous month (if applicable). The total amount will be automatically billed to the credit card that was used to subscribe. Invoices can always be reviewed on your My Account > Invoices page, along with a summary of any upcoming charges or changes.
How do I decide which plan is right? How do I know how many clicks/UEMs I need?
The number of clicks varies depending on the type of events and audience for your site. A general rule is that 20 percent of your page views to a page with a CiL event will result in clicks. Remember that you can always upgrade your account at any time, so you can increase your clicks even during an event. The system will warn you when you’re getting close to your click capacity so you should be able to accommodate your audience even if they’re bigger than expected. Learn more about Clicks
I've signed up for a Subscription Plan. How does billing work?
Once you sign up for a Subscription Plan, you are able to specify if you want "full" or "pro-rated" clicks for the 1st month. If you select "full" then you will have access to the full number of clicks available in your plan, and will pay the full monthly price. If you select "Pro-Rated" then for the first month the number of clicks and the price of the plan will be pro-rated based on the number of days left in the month. (Note: You must select "immediately" as your start date to access the pro-rated option). Monthly plan subscribers will be automatically billed the monthly plan rate on the first of each month. Annual subscribers are billed one time and receive a discount from the monthly rate in exchange for the extended commitment. Invoices can be reviewed on the Invoices page, along with a summary of upcoming charges. Please note that when you sign up for a Subscription Plan you are responsible for all the usage charges incurred by your Enterprise Account.
The Subscription Plans listed don't meet my needs. What can I do?
If you are don’t think the monthly self-service plans will be sufficient for your large audience then it sounds like a Custom plan may be the best option for you. If you fill out the application for the Custom account, an Account Rep will contact you to discuss your custom needs.
To submit a Custom Application: Log into your current account and click the Change Plan button (located on your My Account page). From the list of plans select “ Custom” and then click “Next Step”. Fill out the form as directed. Once you submit that form, an Account Rep will contact you to work out the details. If you don't have an account simply fill in the form presented when choosing the custom plan option from our pricing page
I've received an automated payment failure or unpaid invoice notification. What should I do?
If the automated billing process fails, and you have an unpaid invoice you will receive a notification by email and on your My Account page. The most likely reason for payment failure is that your credit card has expired. You can attempt to pay the invoice manually on the Invoices page by clicking the "Pay" link next to the outstanding invoice. If manual payment fails, you should update your billing and credit card information and try again. It's important to ensure all unpaid invoices are paid. For customers on monthly terms, failure to keep your account current will cause it to be reverted to CiL Trial. For customers on annual terms, failure to keep your account current will cause readers in excess of your monthly click allotment to be prevented from viewing your events.
How can I update my billing / credit card information?
You can update your billing information at any time by going to your Invoices page and clicking the "Update Billing Information" link provided. To update your credit card information on this page please check the "Add new credit card information" box and enter the details. Click "Save" to save your updated information. If this option is selected, the new credit card information will replace the old card information on file.
Understanding "Clicks"
What is a click?
Traditionally, clicks are recorded when a user on a web page uses their mouse and clicks something on the page. We use a similar definition to determine a Reader's initial interaction with your event. For each Reader who interacts or "clicks" on your event we record a single "click" against that event. A click is defined as a Reader who actively clicks into or interacts with a CoveritLive event.
If the event has a Title Page, a click would be counted if the Reader clicked the Title Page to enter the event. For events without a Title Page, a click would be counted the first time a Reader interacts with the event in some way (e.g. submits a reader comment, votes in a Poll, scrolls through content) OR if the Reader is engaged with the event page for an extended period (one minute or more). Readers viewing the event on a mobile device and on a Channel Page will also generate a click. Since clicks indicate an individual Reader's interaction and engagement with your event, we felt that was an appropriate statistic to measure account activity against.
Why clicks?
Other solutions charge based on page views or bandwidth which means you pay more the longer people stay in your event, the more media you use and every single time your blog or event is loaded on a page, even if no one reads or interacts with it. Our goal is to price based on the number of people that interact with and are engaged with your event, which is tracked through clicks. Clicks are based on an individual’s initial interaction with the event such as the first time that individual clicks for live updates. Pageviews and bandwidth do not count as clicks and are unlimited.
Do clicks on Replays (Completed Events) count?
Yes, when Readers click to view your completed event (Replay), these clicks are included in your click count for the month. If you wish to avoid Replay clicks, you can remove the event embed code from your webpage, and instead display the event content using the RSS feed or our API. (The event will remain in your Completed Events list under My Account, and you can still review its stats.)
Are clicks unique?
A Reader who stays on your event is only counted for their initial "click" or interaction. However if a Reader clicks into a CiL event, and then leaves the page or browser, and returns and clicks in again, that will be counted as two clicks.
How do I track my clicks?
Your My Account page makes it easy to track your Account’s monthly usage. The summary bar shows your monthly clicks, broken down into clicks that were within your limit, remaining clicks and clicks that were over your limit. It also includes graphs that show monthly click usage for your account, as well as for any other members of your Enterprise Account. Your Account > Invoices page lists all invoices, billing details and click limits. Additional event statistics are available from your Account > Stats page. If you're using an Enterprise Account you can also view detailed stats for all your Account Member's events.
How does API use count?
API calls can count as 10x the number of clicks on your usage plan, regardless of the API call type. If your plan has 500 clicks, you also get up to 5,000 API calls.
What happens when I exceed the click limit of my CiL Trial?
Within five minutes of exceeding your click limit, new readers that attempt to view any of your events will be blocked. This includes live events and completed events (replays). Readers who were already participating in your events will continue to receive content and the console will continue to function normally. Only new readers will be blocked.
How can I unblock my events if I exceed the 200 click limit of my CiL Trial?
Purchasing a Subscription plan will unblock your events. Once the subscription plan has been purchased, all of you events will be unblocked immediately. If you wish to remain in CiL Trial, you can wait until the next month, at which point your click count will be reset.
What happens when I exceed the click limit of my Subscription Plan?
The behavior of the system when you exceed the click limit of your subscription plan depends on whether you have set your Maximum Extra-Click Charge (MEC). If you have not set an MEC, any clicks in excess of the click limit of your subscription plan will incur extra-click charges. These extra-click charges will be billed to you every month. If you have set an MEC, you will only incur extra-click charges up to the MEC. Readers who attempt to view your events after you have reached your maximum will be blocked.
How are Readers blocked?
When a Reader attempts to access the event, they will be shown a message indicating that the event owner has exceeded their click limit. They will not be able to see the event content, or participate in the event.
I want to limit how many extra-click charges I incur. How can I set a maximum charge amount?
You can set a Maximum Extra-Click Charge (MEC) that you would like to incur on the Invoices Page. This is the maximum amount of extra-click charges that you are willing to pay each month. Once you reach the MEC limit, your events will be blocked and subsequent readers will not be able to join any of your events. For example, if you set your MEC to $15 and you belong to the "Flex" plan (1,500 clicks/month with an extra-click charge of $.03/click), then you will be allowed 2,000 clicks per month (1,500 + 15/.030). After 2,000 clicks, further readers will be blocked.
How can I unblock my events if I reach my Maximum Extra-Click Charge threshold?
You are allowed to increase the Maximum Extra-Click Charge (MEC) at any time. Once you increase your MEC, any new readers attempting to join your events will no longer be blocked. Note that you will not be able to decrease the MEC below an amount you've already incurred. For example, if you have $30 in extra-click charges this month, you can set your MEC to any value from $31 upwards. You will not be able to set the MEC to a value lower than $30 until next month, when your extra-click charges reset.
Upgrading, Downgrading and Cancelling
I'm incurring too many extra-click charges. Can I upgrade my plan?
Yes. If your current plan doesn't fit your needs and you find that you are incurring too many extra-click charges, you can upgrade at any time by going to My Account > Change Plan. When Upgrading your plan you can select for the upgrade to begin either "Immediately" or "Next Month". Setting the plan to begin next month is helpful if you know your organization is covering a major event and you don't want to forget to upgrade your plan in advance. When you upgrade any extra-clicks for the month will be calculated based on your new plan. For example, consider a situation where you are in the "Flex" plan. The Flex plan includes 1,500 clicks/month and has a $.03/click extra-click rate. If you have accumulated 2,500 clicks this month, you will be required to pay $30.00 in extra-click charges (1,000 x $.03). If you decide to upgrade to the "Lite" plan, you won't be required to pay any extra-click charges, as the 2,500 clicks you have accumulated are under the 3,000 clicks/month of the Lite plan.
Note: When you select to Upgrade your plan from CiL Trial to a paid Pricing plan, you are now able to specify if you want "full" or "pro-rated" clicks for the 1st month. If you select "full" then you will have access to the full number of clicks available in your plan, and will pay the full monthly price. If you select "Pro-Rated" then for the first month the number of clicks and the price of the plan will be pro-rated based on the number of days left in the month. (Note: You must select "immediately" as your start date to access the pro-rated option).
I upgraded my plan, but it still shows users that are locked out, why?
Those users were locked out once you exceeded the click limit for your original plan before you upgraded. Now that you’ve upgraded, new users will not be locked out unless you reach your new click limit, but users that were previously locked out will still show on the report.
What if I require more clicks then the top tier plan allows?
If you are don’t think the monthly self-service plans will be sufficient for your large audience then it sounds like a Custom plan may be the best option for you. If you fill out the application for the Custom account, an Account Rep will contact you to discuss your custom needs.
To submit a Custom Application: Log into your current account and click the Change Plan button (located on your My Account page). From the list of plans select “Custom” and then click “Next Step”. Fill out the form as directed. Once you submit that form, an Account Rep will contact you to work out the details. If you don't have an account simply fill in the form presented when choosing the custom plan option from our pricing page
My plan has a higher monthly clicks threshold than I need. Can I downgrade my plan (monthly subscribers)?
CoveritLive monthly subscribers can downgrade their plans. If your current plan doesn't fit your needs you can downgrade your Subscription plan to any lower level or even the free CiL Trial level at any time by going to My Account > Change Plan. You can select for the downgrade start date to begin either the next month, or any of the following 11 months. This is helpful if your event coverage is seasonal and you don't want to forget to downgrade to a lower plan (or to CiL Trial) at the end of the season. Downgrading is free, as the new plan will have a lower monthly fee than your current plan.
Please note that since you pay for monthly use in advance, when you downgrade your current account plan will continue until the end of the current month (or until the start date of your downgrade if you specified a later date). Your new plan won't come into effect until the next month (or any of the following 11 months; depending on the start date you specified). Therefore if you decide to downgrade, be sure to do it in advance before the beginning of the next month, so your next bill will reflect your desired level. (For example if you wanted to downgrade for the month of July you would need to do so by June 30th at the latest. The new downgraded plan would then go into effect on July 1st and remain in effect each month until you decide to upgrade again.)
My plan has a higher monthly clicks threshold than I need. Can I downgrade my plan (annual subscribers)?
CoveritLive annual subscribers are not able to downgrade their plans.
I have Upcoming Plan Changes pending. How do I change this?
If you have set Upcoming Changes for your plan (such as an upcoming downgrade for the following month) you can now easily cancel this yourself, without contacting Customer Service. This is helpful if your CoveritLive usage plans change. To cancel an upcoming plan change simply click "Cancel Changes" from your upcoming plan notification. (Notifications for upcoming changes will appear on the My Account and Invoices page for Enterprise Account Administrators). Please note that you must cancel the upcoming change before the new plan comes into effect (preset plan changes begin on the 1st of the month, so you must cancel at least the day before the 1st of the month).
I no longer need the service. How can I cancel or unsubscribe?
Monthly plan subscribers can unsubscribe at any time by navigating to the Plan Selection page and selecting "CiL Trial". CiL Trial is our free 200 click plan. However please be aware that cancelling your plan will only affect the next month’s billing and pricing plan. Since you pay for monthly use in advance, your current account level will continue until the end of the current month, at which point you will be moved into the free CiL Trial account. At the end of the month you will receive a final invoice which will include any extra-click charges incurred during the month. (Note: You can now select for the downgrade / cancellation to begin either the next month, or any of the following 11 months. This is helpful if your event coverage is seasonal and you don't want to forget to downgrade to a lower plan or to CiL Trial at the end of the season.)
Annual plan subscribers are automatically unsubscribed at the conclusion of their annual commitment.
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