GamiPress + Better Messages: Charge Points to Send a Message

September 10, 2023 · 4 min read

Creator of Better Messages

GamiPress turns WordPress into a points / achievements engine — used by community sites, paid-membership programs, and gamified marketplaces. Better Messages integrates with GamiPress so you can charge points for messaging actions: per-message, per-new-thread, per-call, per-role, and per-conversation-type. The user's current point balance can be displayed inline in the messenger, with a configurable URL where they can manage or top up their points.

Why charge points to message#

A few common scenarios where pay-to-message is the right model:

Premium directories — visitors get free profile views but pay a small amount to send a message to a listing owner (anti-spam + revenue).
Coaching platforms — clients spend points per message to a coach, with different rates for one-off DMs vs scheduled sessions.
Paid communities — points are awarded for engagement (posts, comments) and spent on messaging the popular members.
Marketplaces — buyers spend points to message vendors, with the point top-up being a separate monetization channel.

What you can charge for#

Better Messages exposes three charge types and three categories:

Charge types

New message
New thread
Call (one-on-one and group)

Categories

Private threads (one-on-one)
Groups (group conversations)
Chat rooms (chat-room messages)

These combine: you can set "10 points per message in private threads, 0 points in groups, 5 points to start a new thread, 50 points per call" — and adjust each line per WordPress user role.

Better Messages GamiPress integration settings

Per-role pricing#

The most common shape: paying members get a discount or zero rate, free members get charged. Configure pricing per WordPress role for messages, new threads, and calls separately.

Balance display#

The user's current point balance can be shown in the messenger in up to six places:

Chat header
Threads list (top)
Threads list (bottom)
User menu
User menu popup
Reply form area

Pick the placements that match your UX — most sites use Chat header + Reply form area.

Balance URL#

A configurable external URL where users top up their points (a WooCommerce product, a custom page, a Stripe checkout). The balance display links to that URL so a user who hits zero can refill without leaving the messenger.

AI bot charging#

If you also run the Better Messages AI add-on, GamiPress can charge points for AI bot responses. Configure per-bot in the AI Bots settings — a useful guard against runaway AI costs on a public site.

Installing Better Messages with GamiPress#

Install GamiPress and configure at least one point type.
Install Better Messages from WordPress.org and activate it.
Open WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Integrations → Points Systems.
Select GamiPress as the provider, pick the point type to charge against, and configure charge types / categories / per-role pricing.

Frequently asked questions#

Does this work with MyCred too?#

Yes — Better Messages has a unified Points System with a provider abstraction. GamiPress and MyCred share the same UI; pick whichever is your existing points stack. See MyCred pay-to-message for the MyCred variant.

What happens when a user runs out of points?#

The send action is blocked with a friendly error linking to your configured Balance URL. The user tops up and can send.

Can I charge for receiving as well as sending?#

The default model charges senders. For receive-side charges (e.g. an instructor earns points when students message them), the relevant code path is open via filters — set a custom logic in your theme's functions.php.

Will free messages still work?#

Set a 0-point rate for the relevant role / category and messages are free for that scope. The integration is opt-in per charge type.

Does it count messages that fail to send (validation errors)?#

No — points are only charged when the message actually goes through. A blocked / moderated message does not consume points.