# Documents and plans

> Sending is metered in documents, one for every three signers. They come from your plan's monthly allowance first, then from packs that never expire.

Sending a pact uses **documents**. Creating drafts, uploading templates, reading anything and resending links are all free.

## What sending costs

One document covers up to three signers. CC recipients are free.

| Signers | Documents |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 1 |
| 4 to 6 | 2 |
| 7 to 9 | 3 |

In general: the number of signers divided by 3, rounded up. A draft shows what sending it will cost in `documents_cost`; once sent, `documents_charged` shows what it used.

## When documents are used

Documents are taken once, at the moment a pact is sent, and they are **not returned** if the pact is later voided, declined or lapses. Resending a signing link costs nothing.

If you do not have enough, sending answers `409` and nothing is charged: a draft stays a draft, and a create call with `"send": true` creates nothing.

```json title="409"
{ "error": "Sending this pact uses 1 document (one for every 3 signers) and none are left. Buy a document pack or upgrade on the Billing page." }
```

## Where they come from

1. **This month's allowance.** Your plan includes a number of documents each calendar month (UTC). It resets on the 1st, and unused documents do not roll over.
2. **Document packs.** Bought on the Billing page when you need more. Pack documents never expire, and they are only used once the month's allowance is gone.

The current plans and their allowances are on the [pricing page](https://www.signwithsigil.com/pricing). API and MCP access is part of **Pro** and **Business**.

## Checking your balance

[Get account](/api-reference/account/get-account) (or the `get_account` MCP tool) answers with the full picture:

```json
"documents": {
  "available": 97,
  "unmetered": false,
  "monthly": { "granted": 100, "used": 7, "remaining": 93, "period_start": "2026-10-01T00:00:00Z", "resets": "2026-11-01T00:00:00Z" },
  "packs": 4,
  "signers_per_document": 3
}
```

`available` is what you can spend right now: the month's `remaining` plus `packs`. Compare it with a draft's `documents_cost` before sending a batch.