Pay-As-You-Go: Automatic Per-Document Billing on PDFMonkey
Last updated March 23, 2026
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is an automatic billing mode that charges you for each document generated after your monthly quota is depleted. Instead of being blocked when your quota runs out, you keep generating documents and pay a small per-document fee.
Quick summary
Per-document rates
| Plan | Rate per document |
|---|---|
| Starter | 0.008 EUR |
| Pro | 0.007 EUR |
| Pro+ | 0.006 EUR |
| Premium | 0.005 EUR |
These rates apply to every document generated beyond your monthly plan quota, whether it produces a PDF or an image.
Visit pdfmonkey.io/pricing for the latest pricing details.
Availability
Pay-as-you-go is available on all paid plans: Starter, Pro, Pro+, and Premium. It is not available on the Free plan. See Our Plans for a full feature comparison.
How it works
- Your monthly plan quota is consumed first.
- Once your quota is depleted, each additional document is billed at the per-document rate for your plan.
- Overage charges are calculated at the end of the billing period and added to your next invoice.
PAYG applies to all Workspaces you own. It does not apply to Workspaces owned by other accounts that you have been invited to.
If you are on an annual plan, PAYG overage is still billed monthly for the extra usage.
Enabling pay-as-you-go
To enable or disable PAYG on your account, open the Billing section of your Dashboard and look for the pay-as-you-go toggle. If you do not see it, contact support through the in-app chat for assistance.
Once enabled, PAYG activates automatically whenever your monthly quota runs out. You do not need to take any manual action each time your quota is depleted.
Pay-as-you-go vs. Boost Packs
PDFMonkey offers two ways to handle overage beyond your monthly quota. They are mutually exclusive: you must choose one or the other, not both.
| Pay-as-you-go | Boost Packs | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Automatic, per-document charge | One-time, upfront charge |
| Pricing | 0.005–0.008 EUR per document (varies by plan) | 5 EUR per 1,000 documents (0.005 EUR/doc) |
| Minimum purchase | None (billed per document used) | 1,000 documents (1 pack) |
| Availability | All paid plans | All paid plans |
| Action needed | None (automatic once enabled) | Manual purchase in Dashboard |
| Expiry | N/A (billed per use) | End of current billing cycle |
| Best for | Unpredictable volume with no upfront commitment | Predictable overage with a fixed budget |
You cannot have both PAYG and Boost Packs active at the same time. If you want to switch from one overage method to the other, disable the current one first.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum number of documents for PAYG?
No. PAYG has no minimum purchase. You are billed only for the documents you actually generate beyond your quota, even if that is a single document.
Does PAYG apply to all my Workspaces?
PAYG applies to Workspaces you own. If you have been invited to Workspaces owned by other accounts, your PAYG setting does not cover those Workspaces.
What happens if I downgrade to the Free plan?
PAYG is automatically disabled because it is not available on the Free plan. Any overage accrued before the downgrade is still billed. See Changing My Plan for details on how plan changes work.
Can I set a spending cap?
There is currently no built-in spending cap for PAYG. If you want to limit overage costs, consider using Boost Packs instead, which give you a fixed, known cost.
Does PAYG count image generation as well as PDFs?
Yes. Every document generated counts against your quota and toward PAYG billing, regardless of whether the output is a PDF or an image.
Related pages
- Our Plans – compare plan tiers and monthly quotas
- Boost Packs – one-time extra document credits (mutually exclusive with PAYG)
- Changing My Plan – how upgrades, downgrades, and proration work
- Document Statuses – understand what happens when your quota is exhausted
- Generate Images Instead of PDFs – image output counts toward your quota
Frequently asked questions
- What is PDFMonkey pay-as-you-go?
- Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is an automatic billing mode that charges you for each document generated after your monthly quota is depleted. Instead of being blocked when your quota runs out, you keep generating documents and pay a small per-document fee.
- Is there a minimum number of documents for pay-as-you-go?
- No. PAYG has no minimum purchase. You are billed only for the documents you actually generate beyond your quota, even if that is a single document.
- Can I set a spending cap on pay-as-you-go?
- There is currently no built-in spending cap for PAYG. If you want to limit overage costs, consider using Boost Packs instead, which give you a fixed, known cost.
- What is the per-document rate for pay-as-you-go?
- The per-document rate depends on your plan: Starter at 0.008 EUR, Pro at 0.007 EUR, Pro+ at 0.006 EUR, and Premium at 0.005 EUR. These rates apply to every document generated beyond your monthly plan quota.