If your contact count exceeds your chosen tier, your team locks immediately. You can still access your data, but email sending is disabled until you resolve the issue.
When you'll need this
Read this article if you've received a notification about exceeding your tier, your team has been locked, or you want to understand how SendX handles overages before planning a large import.
What triggers a team lock
Your team locks the moment your contact count exceeds your tier limit. This can happen when:
You import a contact list that pushes you over your limit
Contacts subscribe through forms or popups
Contacts are added via integrations or API
You merge duplicate contacts and the unique count recalculates
The lock happens immediately. There's no grace period or buffer.
What you can and cannot do when locked
You can still:
Log in to your account
Access all your contacts, lists, and segments
View campaign history and analytics
Edit drafts and templates
Delete contacts
You cannot:
Send any email campaigns
Have scheduled campaigns go out
Send test emails
Your data is completely safe. Nothing gets deleted when your team locks.
How to unlock your team
You have two options to get your team back to normal.
Option 1: Upgrade your tier
This is the fastest solution if you need those contacts.
Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
2. Select a tier that covers your current contact count
3. Click Update Plan to confirm your selection
4. Review your payment details. You can click View details to see the prorated breakdown.
5. The expanded view shows exactly how your prorated charge is calculated
6. Click Confirm to complete the upgrade
Your team unlocks immediately after payment.
Option 2: Delete contacts
If you accidentally imported the wrong list or have contacts you no longer need, you can delete them instead of upgrading.
Go to your contact lists
Delete contacts until your count is within your current tier's limit
Your team unlocks automatically once you're back within the limit
This option makes sense when you genuinely don't need the extra contacts. If you do need them, upgrading is faster and simpler.
Warning notifications before you hit the limit
SendX sends you alerts as you approach your tier limit so you can plan ahead:
80% of tier: Gentle reminder to consider your options
90% of tier: Stronger nudge to plan ahead
95% of tier: Urgent warning that you're close to the limit
These appear as in-app notifications and emails. Paying attention to them lets you upgrade proactively instead of dealing with a locked team mid-campaign.
Imports never fail, but they can trigger a lock
SendX doesn't block or partially complete imports. If you import 5,000 contacts and that pushes you over your tier, all 5,000 contacts are added to your account. Then your team locks.
This design ensures you never lose data during an import. But it means you should check your contact count before large imports and upgrade first if needed.
Checking your current contact usage
Before importing a large list, check how much room you have:
Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
Select Team Billing from the dropdown
3. View your current plan and contact usage
If your planned import would push you over your tier limit, upgrade first to avoid interruption.
Important notes
Lock is immediate. The moment you cross the threshold, sending stops.
Data is safe. Nothing is deleted when your team locks.
Scheduled campaigns fail silently. If your team is locked when a campaign is scheduled to send, it simply won't go out.
Both unlock methods are instant. Whether you upgrade or delete contacts, your team unlocks right away.
Common questions
I was in the middle of a campaign when my team locked. What happened to it?
If the campaign was actively sending, it stopped. Contacts who hadn't received the email yet won't receive it until you unlock and either resend or create a new campaign.
Can I upgrade just for this month and downgrade later?
Yes. You can upgrade now, complete your sending, then downgrade next month if your contact count allows. When you downgrade, you receive credit for the unused portion toward future invoices.
I didn't get any warning. Why did my team lock suddenly?
Check your email spam folder and in-app notification center. If you imported a large list that jumped you past 80%, 90%, 95%, 99%, and 100% all at once, you may have hit the lock without intermediate warnings.
Why can't I just have a small buffer before locking?
SendX's prepaid model means you pay for a specific capacity upfront. Exceeding that capacity without payment wouldn't be fair to customers who upgrade proactively. The warning notifications at 80%, 90%, 95%, 99%, and 100% serve as your buffer.
My scheduled campaign didn't send. Is it lost?
The campaign draft still exists. Once you unlock your team, you can reschedule it or send it manually. Check the campaign status in your dashboard.