How do agencies bill clients for Clay credits?
Three workable models, from the client's own account to a capped retainer, and the top-up premium that decides which one you choose.
The short answer
- Agencies bill clients for Clay credits in three ways. The client holds its own Clay account, the agency passes usage through with a markup, or a capped allowance sits inside a retainer.
- Clay charges a 30% premium for extra credits on its Launch and Growth plans, per clay.com/pricing in September 2026. An uncapped client can push the agency's cost up mid-month.
- Clay actions reset every billing cycle and don't roll over, while data credits roll over up to a cap.
- SalesCrew bills each client instance on its own, from $299 a month, with an AI allowance that stops at 100% and a $10 top-up.
Clay's two meters make client billing tricky
Clay bills two things. Data credits pay for the data itself, and actions pay for the work Clay does to fetch it, per its pricing page in September 2026. Paid plans start at $167 a month on monthly billing for Launch.
Each meter behaves differently. Actions reset every billing cycle and never roll over. Data credits roll over up to a cap. When you run out, Launch and Growth let you buy more at a 30% premium. That premium is what an agency has to plan around, because one busy client can trigger it for everyone on a shared account.
Three ways agencies bill Clay usage
How each model handles cost, risk and the exit.
| Model | Who pays Clay | Agency risk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client-owned account | The client, directly | None on credits; you bill for your time | Clients who enrich thousands of records a month |
| Pass-through with markup | The agency, then rebills | Top-ups at a 30% premium if the plan runs out | Several small clients on one agency plan |
| Capped retainer allowance | The agency, inside a fixed fee | Usage above the cap, unless the contract prices it | Clients who want one predictable invoice |
Clay plan terms checked on clay.com/pricing, September 2026: Launch $167 a month billed monthly, extra credits at a 30% premium, actions reset each cycle.
Pick the model by how much the client enriches
Big spenders should own their account. You join as a user, build the tables, and bill for your time. The client sees Clay's invoice, so there's no argument about markup, and the tables stay with them if the contract ends.
Small clients fit a shared agency account better. Track records enriched per client, and rebill at a rate per 1,000 records that covers the top-up premium. If a client wants one flat invoice, bundle a capped allowance into the retainer and price the overage in writing. Our guide on how to price a retainer shows where that cap goes.
How SalesCrew keeps each client's usage separate
SalesCrew gives every client its own instance, with its own database and its own bill, from $299 a month with unlimited seats. Usage never mixes between clients, because the records and the meters live in separate projects.
Clay output lands in the client's data bank by CSV import. You map the columns and tag the batch, and existing contacts are filled in, never overwritten. AI drafts and scoring run on an allowance with an alert at 80% and a hard stop at 100% for AI only. Read BYOK vs managed AI credits to decide who pays for the model, or see the agency setup on SalesCrew for agencies.
Write the overage rule before the first table runs
Questions
- Should the agency or the client own the Clay account?
- Put any client who spends heavily on enrichment on their own Clay account, and add your team to it. Clay lists unlimited seats on every plan, as of September 2026, so adding your people costs nothing. The client pays Clay directly and keeps the tables if you part ways.
- What happens when a Clay account runs out of credits mid-month?
- On Launch and Growth you can buy more at a 30% premium, per clay.com/pricing in September 2026. Actions reset each billing cycle and don't roll over. Data credits roll over up to a cap, so a quiet month cushions the next one.
- How much should an agency mark up Clay credits?
- Set the markup to cover the 30% top-up premium plus your time spent building tables. A markup below that loses money whenever a client's list runs past the plan. Put the rate per 1,000 records in the contract, not a percentage of an invoice the client can't see.
- How does SalesCrew bill AI and data use per client?
- SalesCrew bills each client instance separately, from $299 a month with unlimited seats. AI use runs on an allowance with an alert at 80% and a hard stop at 100% for AI only. A top-up is $10 for 1,000 credits, or the client brings their own Anthropic key for $99 a month.