> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doc.bettercontact.rocks/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Credits

> When credits are consumed, and what happens when you run out

## When a credit is consumed

Credits are consumed **per valid data point returned**, not per API call and not per provider tried.

* A lead whose email comes back `deliverable` consumes credits.
* A lead whose email comes back `undeliverable`, or for which nothing was found, does not.
* The same rule applies to mobile phone numbers: a number that fails verification is not charged.
* The waterfall may query several providers for a single lead. You are charged once for the result,
  not once per provider.
* A Lead Finder search on its own does not consume enrichment credits. Setting
  `enrich_email_address` or `enrich_phone_number` on the search does.
* [Enrich a company profile](/api-reference/enrich_profile/company) is free and never consumes credits.
* [Enrich a lead profile](/api-reference/enrich_profile/lead) costs 0.1 credit per profile found,
  and nothing when no profile matches.

<Note>
  Catch-all emails are charged when catch-all verification is off. When it is on, only emails that
  come back `catch_all_safe` are charged.
</Note>

Every result payload carries `credits_consumed` for that request and `credits_left` for the account,
so you can reconcile without a second call.

## Checking your balance

```bash theme={null}
curl https://app.bettercontact.rocks/api/v2/account \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```json Response theme={null}
{
  "success": true,
  "credits_left": 32377,
  "email": "you@yourcompany.com"
}
```

The balance is shared across your whole organisation, not per user and not per API key.

## Running out

There are two distinct behaviours, and they are easy to confuse.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The balance is empty when you submit" icon="ban">
    The request is refused with [`402`](/api-reference/errors). Nothing is queued, nothing is
    charged, and there is no `request_id` to poll. Top up, then submit again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The balance hits zero mid-flight" icon="pause">
    The request switches to the `on_hold` status. It is **not** lost: top up and it resumes on its
    own. Do not resubmit, or you will pay twice for the leads already processed. See
    [Request statuses](/api-reference/statuses).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Warning>
  Submissions are not idempotent. A retried `POST` that had actually succeeded creates a second
  request and consumes credits twice.
</Warning>