What Is Seat-Based Billing?

This article explains how seat-based billing works in Shipper TMS and how to manage your available user seats. You'll also learn how to invite, deactivate, or reactivate users, and what invited users will see on their end.

How Seat-Based Billing Works

Seat-based billing means you're charged based on the number of active user accounts ("seats") in your Shipper TMS account. Every account starts with 2 free seats. Each active user takes up one seat. If all seats are in use and you attempt to invite another user, you’ll be prompted to purchase additional seats.

How to Invite a User

Follow the steps below to invite a new user to your Shipper TMS account. If your seat limit is reached during this process, you’ll be given the option to purchase more seats before completing the invite.

Step 1: Log into Shipper TMS

Start by logging into your Shipper TMS account with your admin credentials.

Step 2: Open the Manage Users Page

Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner, then select Company Profile and choose Manage Users.

Step 3: Click “Invite”

Click the Invite button to begin creating a new user invitation. This will open the Invite User panel.

Step 4: Fill Out User Details

Enter the new user’s email (used as their username), select a role, and optionally click “Add More” to invite multiple users. Each user must have a unique and valid email address not already in use or invited.

Step 5: Purchase Additional Seats (if needed)

If your current seat limit has been reached, you’ll be prompted to purchase additional seats. A prorated amount for the current billing cycle will be shown, along with taxes and future charges. Once the purchase is complete, you can proceed with sending the invitations.

Step 6: Send the Invite

Click Send Invite to invite the user(s). A confirmation message will appear, and the new invite will display in the user list with a status of “Invited.”

What Invited Users See

Once an invite is sent, the invited user receives an email with a link to join your company in Shipper TMS. Clicking “Join Shipper” opens a form where they must enter their first name, last name, phone number, and password. Once submitted, their account is created, and they are redirected to the login page.

Note: Once they have accepted the invitation you will receive a notification letting you know that they have been accepted. 

How to Resend or Cancel an Invite

If a user hasn't accepted their invite, you can resend or cancel it at any time. This is useful if the user didn't receive the email or if you want to revoke the invite entirely.

To Resend an Invite

Locate the invited user in the Manage Users list and click the Resend button. A confirmation message will appear, and a new email will be sent to the user.

If seat is available: 

If not available: 

To Cancel an Invite

Click the Cancel Invite button next to the user’s name. You’ll be asked to confirm your decision. Once canceled, the invite becomes inactive, and the user will no longer be able to accept it.

Expired User Invites

Invites are valid for 14 days. If an invite isn’t accepted within that window, it will automatically expire. 48 hours before expiration, a reminder email is sent to the user.

Handling Expired Invites

Expired invites still appear in your user list with a status of “Expired.” You can either:

• Click Resend to send a fresh invite and reset the 14-day window.
• Click Remove to delete the expired invite from your list.

How to Deactivate or Reactivate a User

You can deactivate users to free up a seat or reactivate them later when needed. These actions are available in the user’s action menu.

Deactivating a User

Find the user you wish to deactivate and click the ••• menu. Select Deactivate. A confirmation message will appear, and once confirmed, the user will be deactivated and their seat will be freed.

Reactivating a User

To reactivate a deactivated user, click Reactivate in their user menu. You’ll be prompted to confirm their new email (username). If no seats are available, you’ll need to purchase more before completing reactivation.

If User Name is Free: 

Seats need to be added: 

Manage Existing Users

You can manage existing users by following the steps below: 

Step 1: 3 Dots

Select a user from the list to view their details. Use the ••• button to:

• Edit their contact info or role
• Send Password Reset Link
• Deactivate or Reactivate a user

Deactivated users can be reactivated with a new username. If seats are unavailable, you may be prompted to purchase more.

How Billing and Proration Work

This section explains how billing adjusts when you add or remove seats in the middle of your billing cycle.

Adding Seats Mid-Cycle

You’ll be charged immediately for any new seats, prorated for the remaining days in your billing period.

Removing Seats Mid-Cycle

Removing seats does not provide a refund for unused days, but your seat count will automatically adjust at the start of your next billing cycle.

Unused Seats

If you buy extra seats and don’t assign users to them, the system will reduce your seat count automatically at the start of the next billing cycle.

Payment Issues

If your payment for new seats fails, the seats will not be added and you’ll need to resolve the issue before trying again.

Need Help?

Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to contact our support team at any time. You can reach us via email at support@superdispatch.com, or simply click on the chat icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen to start a conversation with us. We’re here to help and look forward to assisting you!