> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hologram.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Breakdown of billing and SIM charges
> Learn about the three types of charges for Hologram SIMs: monthly recurring charges, data usage rates, and outbound SMS costs — including why an active SIM is charged even when it isn't using data.
Charges to a Hologram SIM usually come from one of three different areas: the **monthly recurring charge** (or "MRC," our monthly active SIM charge), **data usage**, and the **outbound SMS** rate.
## Monthly per SIM recurring charge
The **monthly recurring charge**, or MRC, includes the monthly active per SIM charge required by our global carriers to maintain the network and access your devices, and your access to Hologram's services. This per SIM charge is billed on a 30-day cycle beginning on the day the SIM is activated. For **Included data** plans that included prepaid data usage per SIM, the MRC includes the plan's data cost. Only overage above the included data amount are charged at the specified data rate.
MRC is charged to **all active SIMs**, regardless of whether they are using data or not. A SIM becomes "active" when it is activated and registered on the Hologram network. "Paused" SIMs are roughly equivalent to "suspended" SIMs, but Hologram's multi-core SIMs operate across carriers and do not stop incurring a MRC when paused. With an active contract, paused SIMs can qualify for lower zero-data rates if they use 0 B of data in a billing period.
**Note:** **Paused SIMs still pay a monthly recurring charge** to maintain access to Hologram's network so that they can resume data usage in the future. A SIM must be [permanently deactivated](/dashboard/sim-actions/deactivate-sims) in order to stop monthly recurring charges.
## Data usage
The **data usage rate** is what you pay for data usage on the network. Data is billed at a per megabyte rate by the kilobyte. This data rate applies to all data usage on a pay as you go basis for our **Pay as you go** data plans, and only to overages on **Included data** plans and **Data pools**.
Charges for data usage are aggregated to a minimum charge threshold of \$0.25 per SIM, which means that smaller data sesssions are combined until they reach the minimum charge threshold. If a SIM uses more than \$0.00 worth of data but less than \$0.25 in a billing period, it will be charged for usage at the end of the billing period.
Data usage is charged at the end of a closed session. If a session extends beyond a SIM's billing period, charges will carry over to the next billing period when the session closes.
Data usage can also be limited by [setting data limits](/dashboard/sim-actions/set-usage-limits) on a SIM.
**Note:** Network-level billing is available to organizations with an annual contract for the best rates on the networks you use most often. Reach out to our [sales team](https://www.hologram.io/contact-sales?utm_source=docs\&utm_medium=website\&utm_content=billing_and_sim_charges) today to learn more.
## Outbound SMS
We only charge for **outbound SMS** messages originating from a device, at a flat rate per outbound SMS message. Please visit [https://www.hologram.io/pricing/](https://www.hologram.io/pricing/) for our current prices.
Inbound SMS messages and messages sent via our Hologram Cloud API are always free.
## All SIM charges
The breakdown of charge types that appear in transaction reports and invoices can be seen below:
| Charge type | Description | Timing |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SIM renewal | The MRC, or monthly recurring charge, for a SIM. This charge includes the base monthly active SIM cost to reserve access for a SIM on the network and provide platform access. | Every 30 days at the start of the SIM's billing period. |
| Data usage | Cost to send internet data on our network from your device, billed per KB at session close.
For **Included data** and **Data pool** plans this is the *data overage* for any usage over data included in the SIM's data plan. | Real-time at the end of a closed data session, aggregated to a minimum charge threshold of \$0.25 per SIM for most organizations. |
| Outbound SMS | Device-originated outbound SMS messages are charged. Inbound SMS and SMS via our Cloud API are free. | Time the message was sent. |
| Plan change | Charges for changing a SIM's data plan to a more expensive plan. | Time the plan change occurred. |
| Phone number activation | The first month's charge for activating a new phone number. | Time the phone number was first purchased. |
| Phone number renewal | The monthly recurring charge for a phone number. | Time the renewal occurs. |
| Order | Any charges made to your credit card. Receipts for these charges display in the **Credit card receipts** page. | Time the order was placed. |
You can view specific plan information on our [pricing](https://www.hologram.io/pricing/) page and change plans [here](/dashboard/sim-actions/change-data-plans).
## Frequently asked questions
The monthly recurring charge (MRC) applies to every **active SIM** — any SIM in a **Ready**, **Connected**, or **paused** state — regardless of whether it had any data sessions in the billing period. The MRC pays for your SIM's reserved access to the carrier network and the Hologram platform, not for data. Data usage is billed separately, on top of the MRC (or as overage on Included data plans).
A SIM keeps incurring the MRC even while [paused](/dashboard/sim-actions/pause-resume-sims), because pausing preserves its network access so you can resume later. To stop the MRC entirely, [permanently deactivate the SIM](/dashboard/sim-actions/deactivate-sims). See [SIM states and statuses](/dashboard/sims/sim-states-and-statuses) for what counts as an active SIM.
An **active SIM** is registered on the Hologram network and able to use data — this includes paused SIMs. It does *not* mean "a SIM that recently had a data session." A SIM that is idle but active still incurs the MRC. SIMs in a pre-deployment or Test Mode state are not active SIMs for MRC purposes.
**Note:** SIMs that [subscribe to a phone number](/guides/communication/purchase-a-phone-number-to-send-sms-messages-to-a-sim) may incur separate charges for those services.