What counts as a record?
A record is one confirmed weight for one packaging component. Supplier, estimated and declared figures do not count toward your records.
What if I use more records than my plan includes?
Each extra record costs $1.50, or $1.00 on Scale. For example, on Starter, 200 records in a year is 150 included plus 50 extra, which is $75 on top of the plan price. If overage would cost more than the next plan, move up.
Can I switch plans?
Plan choice happens in the app after you start free. If you outgrow a plan, you can move to a larger one. If you are not sure which plan you need, start on Free, measure your first products, and choose with real numbers in front of you.
Do supplier figures or estimates use up my records?
No. Only a confirmed weight for a packaging component counts as a record. You can still collect supplier figures and build documented estimates on any plan. Every figure keeps its data-quality tier: measured, supplier, estimated or declared.
Does Instica file my report for me?
No. You submit it. Instica prepares the report figures, with a regulator file where its format is verified, writes the methodology document, and walks you through the portal step by step. You keep the receipt.
Does the price include the fees I owe?
No. The price on this page is for the software. Packaging fees are set and invoiced by regulators and producer responsibility organizations, and they are separate. Instica gives you tools to estimate them and check the invoice.
What is the difference between monthly and annual billing?
Starter and Growth can be billed monthly or annually. Annual is two months free: Starter is $990 a year instead of $1,188, and Growth is $2,990 instead of $3,588. Scale is billed annually only.
What is an entity, and what is a seat?
An entity is a legal producer you report for, such as a company or a brand owner. A seat is one person with a login. Outside auditors and consultants you invite do not use a seat: give them chosen entities until a date you set, read only or able to edit figures. They cannot sign reports or change billing.
Do I need a paid plan every year?
Only to sign reports and produce regulator files. Every workspace starts on Free, which keeps your scope check, your exemption deadlines and a calendar feed. Starter and Growth can be paid monthly, so a small brand can pay $99 a month for Starter in the year a state bills it.
I am a consultant. How does billing work with several clients?
Add each client as an entity in your workspace and switch between them with search. Billing shows usage by client for each period, with a CSV you can use to re-bill. When a client invites you into their own workspace, you do not use one of their seats.
Is there a free trial, and do I have to talk to anyone?
There is a permanent Free plan instead of a trial: a workspace with 10 measured records and one seat. Everything is self-serve with card checkout. You do not need to talk to anyone to start or to upgrade.