Overview
This article explains how Fieldwire subscriptions work when inviting users to projects, and whether you can mix Basic and paid users within the same account.
Why this matters: Understanding how subscriptions are billed helps you avoid unexpected charges and choose the most cost-effective plan for your team.
- Subscriptions: Pro, Business, Business Plus
- Permissions: Account Owners, Managers, and Project Admins
- Platforms: Web / iOS / Android
Why does this happen?
Fieldwire subscriptions are priced on a per-user basis.
Once your account is upgraded to a paid plan, all users invited to projects under that account must be covered by a paid license (unless they already have their own paid subscription).
Example
This example shows how billing applies when inviting users to a paid project:
- In Fieldwire: Inviting a Basic (free) user to a paid project automatically converts them into a paid user under your account.
- Billing impact: Your account is charged for that user at the applicable subscription rate.
Key billing scenarios
1. Monthly subscriptions
- Any user invited to your paid projects will be billed at the monthly rate.
- This includes Basic users or users without an existing account.
2. Annual subscriptions
- You must have enough licenses to cover all users on your account.
- If you exceed your license count, additional users are billed as monthly overages.
- Learn more: Fieldwire Pricing and Overages
3. Users with their own paid subscription
- If a user already has a paid Fieldwire subscription, you will not be charged for them.
- If they are on a Basic plan, your account will be charged.
How to check which users are billed under your account
- Open your project.
- Click the People tab.
- Review the billing indicators next to each user.
- Green dollar icon ($): The user is billed under your account.
- Grey dollar icon ($): The user has their own paid subscription (you are not charged).
Cost-saving tips
Choose annual billing when possible
- Annual plans are typically more cost-effective than monthly billing.
- You can reuse licenses by removing one user and inviting another as projects change.
Only upgrade when needed
- Basic plans may be sufficient for:
- Uploading photos
- Completing tasks
- Light collaboration
- Upgrade temporarily when you need advanced features like:
- Reports
- Forms
- Plan exports
- If needed, you can upgrade for a short period or transfer projects between accounts: How to consolidate paid accounts or transfer project ownership
Best Practices
- Regularly review your user list to avoid unnecessary charges.
- Remove inactive users to free up licenses.
- Confirm whether collaborators already have a paid subscription before inviting them.