Urgent PSA: The Hidden Costs of HubSpot's New 'Smart Fields'

The world of SaaS is buzzing with AI innovation, and HubSpot is right at the forefront. Last week, the company officially retired "Breeze Credits" in favor of a new, unified "HubSpot Credits" system. This move introduced a usage-based, pay-as-you-go model for its powerful new AI features. On the surface, it’s a step towards the future. But look closer, and you might find a financial trap waiting for unsuspecting users.

IMPORTANT: I just got some answers (happily) about some nuances on the smart field property. While IT WOULD technically be possible as I've discussed it. IT does require you to "enroll" records in bulk (max of 100 at a time).
This still could cost $, but from the sounds of it, it slows down this process all together. I'll have more details coming.

This isn't fear-mongering; it's a public service announcement. As a HubSpot partner who bleeds orange, my team at Impulse Creative is dedicated to our clients' success. Our motto is "Grow Smarter," and that means we prioritize being the best, not just the first. And right now, being the best means sounding the alarm on a feature that could cost your business thousands of dollars overnight without so much as a warning.

This is a stark reminder of why the guiding principle should never be "AI first"—it must always be "Customer First."

The Promise and the Peril of Smart Fields

Let's talk about one of HubSpot's new AI-powered features: Smart Fields. These properties, currently in beta, offer incredible opportunities for data enrichment. Imagine automatically populating contact records with valuable information, powered by AI. It’s a game-changer.

But every game has rules, and the rules here are written in fine print. Using a Smart Field costs 10 credits per request.

What’s a credit worth? Roughly one cent. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? Let's do the math.

The $5,000 Button Anyone on Your Team Can Press

Here’s where the "pay-as-you-go" model becomes terrifying. HubSpot provides a starting balance of credits for each portal tier (500 for Starter, 3,000 for Pro, 5,000 for Enterprise). This might sound generous, but it can be depleted in an instant.

Consider a common scenario: you have a contact database of 50,000 people. You decide to try out the new AI functionality by creating just one Smart Field.

As I understand it—and after reaching out to numerous contacts at HubSpot, this has not been refuted—the moment you create that field, the system performs a "request" for every single contact in your database.

Here’s the breakdown:

• 50,000 contacts x 10 credits per contact = 500,000 credits
• Since 1000 credits equals $10, that comes out to a $5,000 charge.

Let me repeat that. By adding a single AI-powered property, you could inadvertently incur a $5,000 bill. Even worse, this action can automatically enroll you in a higher usage-based credit plan on a recurring monthly basis, just like marketing contacts.

Now, imagine you get excited and add five Smart Fields. You’re not just multiplying the insights; you’re multiplying the cost. That’s a potential $25,000 charge.

A System Without Guardrails or Confirmations

The most significant issue here is the complete lack of governance or warnings. There is no pop-up that says, "Warning: This action will consume 500,000 credits and may result in an immediate charge of $5,000. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

HubSpot requires you to type in a number or the word "delete" to remove critical assets. Yet, any user with property creation permissions can trigger thousands of dollars in fees without any confirmation.

This danger extends to routine tasks. My team recently imported 125,000 contacts for a client. If that portal had even one Smart Field enabled, that simple import would have cost our client $12,500 (125,000 contacts x 10 cents). We now have to add a new, critical step to our process: auditing portals for Smart Fields before any import.

Does your agency know to do this?

A Call to Action for HubSpot

This is not an attack on a platform I know, like, and love. It’s a plea to protect the ecosystem we all depend on. The Smart Field feature is amazing, but its potential is being clouded by a rollout that could cause serious financial friction and erode customer trust.

My call to action for HubSpot is simple:

1. Implement Governance: Don't allow these properties to be created without strict permissions and clear, unavoidable warnings about the exact cost.
2. Prioritize Transparency: Show users exactly how much an action will cost before they take it.
3. Put Customers First: Don't lock users into a contract or a massive bill without their explicit, informed consent. Live up to the customer-first values you're known for.

For agencies and HubSpot users:

1. Be Vigilant: Check your portals now for Smart Fields.
2. Educate Your Team: Ensure everyone understands the financial implications of these features.
3. Demand Transparency: If your agency is pushing new AI features without discussing the costs, ask the hard questions.

Innovation should empower, not endanger. Let's work together to ensure we’re using these incredible tools responsibly. Let's bring back the "Customer First" mentality and make sure we’re all set up to grow smarter, not poorer.

If I'm wrong about this, I'll be the first to admit it and record a retraction. But based on a week of due diligence, I don't think I am. And that scares me more than being wrong.