> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.itellico.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Account Operating Model
> Decide when to use one account, team members, subaccounts, parent billing, or agency access
This guide helps you choose the right account structure before you start inviting users, creating subaccounts, centralizing billing, or managing client-owned accounts.
Use it when you are deciding between:
* one shared account
* multiple team members in one account
* parent/subaccount structure for centralized billing and customer isolation
* agency access inside a client-owned account
* hybrid models that combine both approaches
## Start With The Simplest Model That Fits
Use the simplest structure that matches your real operating needs.
| Model | Best when | Usually not needed when |
| ------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **One standard account** | One company, one shared team, one billing owner | You need separate customers, clients, brands, or departments isolated from each other |
| **One account with multiple team members** | Several people collaborate in the same shared account | Teams should not see each other's contacts, agents, or conversations |
| **Parent/subaccount model** | You resell, rebill, integrate by API, or operate many isolated customer accounts under one parent account | Each customer should own billing and the direct platform relationship |
| **Agency access model** | You manage setup or operations inside a client-owned account | You need centralized billing, resale, or API-driven account provisioning |
| **Hybrid model** | You use parent-billed subaccounts for some customers and agency access for others | One model cleanly fits every customer relationship |
## Team Members vs Subaccounts
This is the most important distinction.
### Add a team member when:
* they should work inside the same account
* they should see the same agents, contacts, and conversations
* they share the same operational surface
### Create a subaccount when:
* data should stay isolated
* billing or governance differs
* one customer, client, brand, or department should not see another
* defaults, branding, or access policies should differ by account
* a parent account should pay itellicoAI centrally and handle its own downstream customer billing
* your API integration needs a separate account context per customer
If the question is "should this person collaborate on the same operation?" use team members.
If the question is "should this operation be isolated from another one?" use a subaccount.
## Parent/Subaccount Model vs Agency Access Model
Use the **parent/subaccount model** when your company owns the itellicoAI relationship, gets one central invoice, and handles its own downstream customer billing. Use **agency access** when the client owns and pays for their own itellicoAI account and your team needs elevated access to manage it. Hybrid setups are common.
For billing decisions, workflows, and a full side-by-side comparison, see [Client Service Models](/accounts/agency-playbook).
## Who Controls What
| Area | Standard account | Account with agency access | Parent-billed subaccount |
| --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Members and roles** | Managed inside the account | Managed inside the same account, with agency-admin permissions where granted | Managed within the subaccount according to the allowed model |
| **Billing relationship** | Account owns its own billing | Account remains independently billed unless separately changed | Parent account is billed by itellicoAI and may rebill the customer separately |
| **Agents, contacts, and conversations** | Shared within the account | Shared within the same account | Isolated within the subaccount |
| **Branding and account settings** | Managed in the account | Managed in the account by users with sufficient permissions | Managed inside the subaccount where allowed |
## Recommended Operating Patterns
Start with one account and multiple team members.
Add subaccounts only if you later need strict separation between brands, regions, or departments.
Use subaccounts when each brand needs its own conversations, contacts, or public-facing settings.
Use parent-billed subaccounts when your company owns the central itellicoAI relationship, wants one parent invoice, and handles downstream customer billing itself.
Use agency access when each client owns its itellicoAI account and invites your team to help manage setup, maintenance, or optimization.
Use subaccounts instead when the agency prefers to own the parent account relationship and rebill clients directly.
Use parent-billed subaccounts for customers you package or rebill, and agency access for customers who prefer direct platform billing.
## Common Mistakes
If people are meant to collaborate on the same agents and conversations, add members and roles first. Do not create extra accounts unless you need isolation.
If customers or clients should not see each other's data or internal operations, give them separate accounts instead of shared member access.
Subaccounts are operational boundaries, not just organization labels. Use them when the boundary actually matters.
## Next Steps
Learn the core hierarchy and access model
Invite members and assign roles in a shared account
Create isolated child accounts
Compare parent billing, agency access, and hybrid setups