DocuSign envelope allowances are the usage limits that sit beside the seat count in most Docusign eSignature and API subscriptions. The eSignature Service Schedule defines the Envelope Allowance as “the cumulative number of Envelopes that may be sent by Authorized Users”.[1] The price page describes the envelope as “the unit by which usage allowances with Docusign eSignature plans are measured”.[2] IAM plans replace most envelope counting with Automation Sends.[5] Docusign’s API (developer) plans are priced on “the volume of envelopes that can be sent through API calls”.[4] For software asset managers, the envelope is the consumption unit to reconcile each month or year against the Order Form, because usage above it is billed as overage. See subscription and consumption licensing.
Editions
Allowances by plan, as published:
| Plan | Default allowance | Source |
|---|---|---|
| eSignature Personal | 5 Envelopes per month | Price page FAQ[2] |
| eSignature Standard, Business Pro | 100 Envelopes per user per year (annual); 10 per user per month (monthly) | Price page FAQ[2] |
| eSignature seat plans on an Order Form | Seats x 100 Envelopes per 12-month period, unless the Order Form says otherwise | Service Schedule s.4.3[1] |
| Enhanced plans | Custom envelope limit | Price page[2] |
| IAM Starter | 100 envelope sends per user per year, all sending methods | IAM FAQ[6] |
| IAM Standard, Professional, Enterprise | Unlimited web application envelopes; 100 Automation Sends per user per year | Allowances page[5] |
| API Starter | Starting amount of 40 envelopes per month | Developer price page[4] |
| API Intermediate | Starting amount of 100 envelopes per month | Developer price page[4] |
| API Enhanced | Higher send volumes, 5-user minimum | Developer price page[4] |
API plans. The developer price page lists Starter (USD 50 per month, USD 600 billed annually), Intermediate (USD 300 per month, USD 3,600 annually) and Advanced (USD 480 per month, USD 5,760 annually). Higher tiers add features such as collaborative commenting and branding (Intermediate) and PowerForms for API, Recipient Connect, signer attachments and Bulk Send (Advanced).[4] Catalog: Developer API Starter plan, Intermediate, Advanced.
Metrics
The Envelope is “an electronic record containing one or more eDocuments consisting of a single page or a group of pages of data uploaded to the System”.[1] The price page FAQ adds that an Envelope “can have one or many signers”. “Regardless of how many documents, fields and signers a given envelope contains, it still counts only once towards your eSignature plan’s Envelope allowance once it is sent out for signature.”[2] Catalog: An envelope counts once regardless of documents and signers.
The Automation Send is the IAM-era unit. It covers sending for signature through an API call or a customer-built integration, starting a Workflow Builder workflow that way, each envelope sent by Bulk Send, and a Web Form or PowerForm that results in a send for signature. In IAM Standard and IAM Professional, sends from third-party integrations also count.[5]
Counting / floors
The eSignature Service Schedule sets three counting rules.[1]
- Consumption at send. “An Envelope is consumed when sent by an Authorized User, regardless of whether the Envelope has been received by any recipient or any recipient has performed any action upon any eDocument in the Envelope.” Envelopes that are later voided, declined or never signed have still been consumed. The price page says the same for web plans.[2] Catalog: An Envelope is consumed when sent.
- PowerForms at access. “A Powerform will be deemed consumed at the time it is accessed by any user regardless of whether any actions are subsequently performed upon such Envelope.” A public PowerForm link can therefore consume allowance each time it is opened. Catalog: PowerForms are consumed when accessed.
- Bulk and API sends. “An Envelope sent via bulk send or automated batch sending, including through a Docusign API, will be applied against the Envelope Allowance.” Catalog: Bulk send and API envelopes count against the allowance.
Pooling. The allowance belongs to the account, not to each user. There is “no individual limit” per Authorized User as long as the total does not exceed the Envelope Allowance.[1] The IAM allowances page uses the same principle. Usage is “pooled together for all user seats purchased with the Docusign subscription”. For subscriptions longer than one year, “the entire plan allowance is available for use during the entire subscription term”. The page’s example is 10 users on a three-year term holding 3,000 Automation Sends usable at any time.[5] The eSignature Service Schedule instead calculates the Envelope Allowance “for each twelve (12)-month period”. Contracts should therefore be read for whether an eSignature allowance resets yearly or is pooled over the whole term.[1] Docusign Support advises that when a plan’s limit is reached, users can “Wait for your next billing/renewal period when your sends reset”, upgrade, or add seats.[8] Catalog: Envelope Allowance is pooled across all users; IAM allowances are pooled and available for the whole term.
IAM sending methods. On IAM Standard and Professional, envelopes sent from the web or mobile application are unlimited. Bulk Send “is counted towards Automation sends, not Web application envelopes”.[5] Annual IAM Standard and Professional web plans include “a total of 100 automation sends per user per year across Web Forms, PowerForms, Bulk Send, and envelopes sent with custom and partner API integrations”.[6] For IAM Enterprise, IAM for Sales and IAM for CX, third-party integration sends do not count against Automation Sends. From Order Start Dates on or after 2026-02-20 they have their own allowance of 200 per user per year, pooled at account level.[5] Catalog: Bulk Send counts as Automation Sends in IAM; Third-party integration sends allowance from 2026-02-20.
History of the IAM allowance. Customers with an Order Start Date on or after 2024-08-28 received an Automation Sends allowance of 100 per user per year, up from 50.[5] Older Order Forms may therefore carry the lower figure.
Overage
Order Form subscriptions. “Envelopes sent in excess of the Envelope Allowance during the Term will incur a per-Envelope overage charge at the amount specified on the then-current Order Form or at the then-current list price for the applicable subscription type if the amount is not included on the Order Form.”[1] Exceeding an IAM Feature Count, such as Automation Sends or Workflows, incurs “a per Feature overage fee for each unit in excess of the permitted Feature Count”.[9] Catalog: Envelope overage is charged per Envelope; IAM Feature Count overage.
Web plans. Excess envelopes are “additional” envelopes billed “Pay-As-You-Go” at a set per-envelope rate. Customers can pre-purchase envelopes on the Plans and Billing page instead.[2] The Sites and Services Terms invoice overage monthly for the preceding month at the per-unit fee in the Subscription Plan. The charge goes automatically to the payment method on file.[3] Catalog: Web plan overage is billed pay-as-you-go per envelope; Online overages are invoiced monthly in arrears.
Overage is the closest Docusign comes to a true-up. There is no annual reconciliation clause. Instead, usage is measured in the service and charged as it occurs. A buyer who expects to exceed the allowance can usually buy additional Seats (each adding 100 Envelopes on seat plans) or batches of Envelopes on an Order Form at an agreed rate. This avoids paying overage at list price.[1]
Virtualization & partitioning
Not applicable. Envelope consumption is measured per Docusign account. Allowances are pooled across all user seats in a subscription, not per user or per server.[5]
Cloud / BYOL
API use is the main licensing boundary. eSignature web plans “may not be used in conjunction with Docusign APIs”.[7] The developer FAQ says eSignature plans are “designed for use with and through the Docusign web app, Docusign- built integrations, and partner-built integrations”, whereas developer plans “come with API access”.[4] Integrations can be built free of charge in a developer account. Developer accounts run in a non-production (demo) environment, have most enterprise features enabled and do not expire. However, “Envelopes sent through your developer account are not valid for legal purposes”. Going live requires a plan with API access and promotion of the app through the go-live process.[4] Catalog: Free Developer Account; Developer account envelopes have no legal validity; Developer plans are priced on API features and envelope volume.
Programs
API plans follow the same online terms as other web plans when bought on docusign.com, including the once-per-customer 30-day refund option.[4] Enhanced API plans are sold by quotation with a 5-user minimum.[4] See DocuSign licensing for the Web Subscription Plans and Enhanced plans programs.
Out of scope
API rate limits and polling rules in the Docusign developer documentation are technical limits, not licence entitlements, and are not covered here. Per-use features (SMS delivery, ID Verification, data verification and document generation) have their own allowances; see DocuSign IAM and CLM licensing.