One message quota in Messenger, Instagram

A shared message quota means you buy one group of messages and spend it on all the channels your bot runs on, instead of paying a separate fee for each platform. aiSTAFF works this way: one subscription, one quota, used by Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, website widget and API together.

TL;DR: aiSTAFF charges per subscription per shared message quota across all channels and APIs. Adding a channel extends your existing volume instead of multiplying the fee, and the number of bots is also a closed pool with one plan.

It sounds like a billing detail, but it changes how you plan to launch. With most stacks, each channel is its own line item, so going from one channel to three triples the cost before one additional user arrives. With shared quota, you rate the plan once on your actual conversation volume, and where those conversations take place is no longer relevant for invoicing. To make this set up with one plan rather than four, our pricing page outlines the steps and our team takes the plan to your actual traffic.

This article discusses how shared quota works, why per-channel pricing is punishing growth, how a bot count pool fits, and how to determine a plan for a Georgian SMB.

How Shared Quota Works

Your plan determines the monthly messages. Every response that the bot sends out comes from this one allowance, no matter which channel it's running on. A WhatsApp reply, an Instagram DM reply, a Telegram message and a website widget reply are all the same number. When you get close to the edge, you see it in one place and zoom in once and for all.

This is the opposite of the usual model where you have four subscriptions and four separate meters, one channel pushing the cap and the other half worn. With one pool, an unusually busy week on Instagram borrows the headroom your quiet Telegram feed wasn't using. Power flows where the demand is.

The public Bot API maps to the same pool. If you include the bot in a custom app or internal tool, these notifications will be against the same plan, so you'll never run on a separate developer account. The Bot API Guide covers how this connection works.

Why does per-channel pricing punish growth

Cost-per-channel has a quiet pitfall: it charges you for the exact step you want your business to take. Expanding from Messenger to reach WhatsApp and Instagram is also good for sales, but with a per-platform fee, it increases your fixed cost before either channel proves to pay. Owners hesitate, delay expansion, and lose leads they would have captured.

A common quota removes this hesitation. Including a new channel does not cost much; This gives your existing message pool another place to spend. If your customers switch from Instagram to WhatsApp within a season, your account won't care. You react every time where there are people without a re-budget.

Here, too, there are consistent benefits associated with a single brain behind all channels. Because one brain serves all surfaces, adding a channel doesn't mean building or paying for another bot. The One Brain, Five Channels article explains how the shared core makes shared quota possible in the first place.

Bot Count Pool

Quota applies to messages; Bot count is about how many different bots you run. aiSTAFF treats the number of bots as a single pool across all platforms on your plan, rather than a per-platform allowance. So if your plan allows for, say, multiple bots, you decide how to distribute them, whether it's one bot across five channels or multiple bots for different business units.

For most single-location Georgian SMBs, one bot on all channels is the entire setup, and the pool never becomes a limitation. Flexibility is more important for an operator running two brands or clinic groups with separate locations, where you may need a different bot per site while still living under one subscription and one quota.

The point is that both buttons, notifications and bots, live in the same place. You don't agree with WhatsApp bot limit with Instagram bot limit. You see the pool, you separate from it, and the platform carries the ceiling of the plan.

Sizing a plan for Georgian SMB

Size starts with a single number: About how many user messages do you handle per month across all your channels combined? Not in app, combo. This total is what the overall quota is built around and is usually easier to estimate than the four individual figures per channel.

A small shop with several dozen conversations per day stands at a modest level. A busier operation in the evening with a spike in Instagram and steady WhatsApp traffic measures. Because the quota is shared, you don't have to predict the split between channels, which part owners always guess wrong. You only need a rough total and you can move on to increasing the average level, if the traffic increases, the change will be applied to the next cycle.

An activity heatmap can help you read this. Once the bot is live, it shows when your messages arrive throughout the week, so your next plan decision is based on your actual curve, not guesswork. The Activity Heatmap article shows how to read this template, and customizing the bot to speak on all channels is covered by Make Chatbot Speak Fluent Georgian.

For a broader picture of how billing, trial and grace periods work on the platform, the aiSTAFF Platform Guide is a place to start, while the Chatbot Complete Guide for Business sets the cost context for Georgia.

FAQ

Is message quota shared across channels?

Yes. One subscription carries one monthly message allowance, and Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, website widgets and APIs all benefit from it. There is no per-platform counter management.

Does adding a channel cost extra?

Adding a new channel does not add a separate fee. It gives your existing message pool another surface to use, so your volume spreads rather than your bill multiplies.

How is the number of bots processed?

The number of bots is one pool across all platforms, depending on your plan. You allocate bots from this pool as it suits your business, whether it's one bot in five channels or multiple bots in different locations.

How do I know which plan size I need?

Estimate your total monthly message volume across all channels combined, not within the app. This one number measures the plan and you can upgrade later, the change will apply to the next billing cycle.