What are API credits?
API credits are the unit consumed when you call the CryptoQuant data API. Every call deducts credits, and once your balance is fully depleted, further API calls fail with a402 payment_required response.
There are two kinds of credits.
You can check your credit balance in real time on the
Settings > API page.
How much a call costs
The credits deducted per API call are not a fixed amount — they depend on how much and what kind of data you receive.- The more data you receive, the more credits are deducted. The more data rows returned in the response, the higher the deduction.
- Different data types deduct different amounts. Some data uses more credits than others.
- Failed calls are not charged. Credits are deducted only when you successfully receive data.
How credits are used
When you call the API, credits are deducted in this order:- Plan credits are always used first.
- Once plan credits are fully used up, top-up credits are used automatically from the next call onward. No manual switch is needed.
- When both are depleted, API calls fail with a
402 payment_requiredresponse. Top up or wait for the monthly plan reset to continue. See Status & Error Codes.
Plan credits
Plan credits are granted automatically every month. They are given on all plans, including the free Basic plan.- The amount granted depends on your subscribed plan.
- Credits reset monthly on your billing date. (Basic plan credits reset based on your signup date.)
- Unused credits are cleared at reset and do not roll over to the next month.
See CryptoQuant pricing plans for what else each plan includes.
Top-up credits
To keep using the API after your plan credits run out, purchase top-up credits. Top-up credits can only be purchased on the Advanced and Professional plans. The Basic plan cannot purchase them — upgrade to continue using the API — and the Premium plan has unlimited credits, so no purchase is needed.- Used automatically once plan credits are fully depleted.
- Valid for 12 months from your last purchase. Each additional purchase renews the validity of your entire remaining top-up balance to 12 months from that point.
- Retained regardless of plan credit resets.
- Cumulative — each purchase is added to your existing balance.
- If you downgrade your plan, your remaining top-up credits can still be used within their validity period. However, additional purchases are only available on the higher plans — you cannot purchase on the Basic plan.
How to buy
1
Open the API settings page
Go to Settings > API.
2
Start the purchase
Click Buy credits to go to the payment page.
3
Complete payment
Once payment is complete, the credits are added to your existing balance.
Auto-reload
When your remaining credits fall below a value you set, top-up credits are purchased automatically. This is useful when you want to keep your balance topped up so API calls are never interrupted.- When your remaining credits (plan and top-up combined) fall below your trigger value, 100,000 credits (US$5) are purchased automatically.
- Purchased credits are added to your existing balance and charged to the card registered for your plan subscription.
- Auto-purchases are limited to a maximum of 3 times per day. Once the cap is reached, no further auto-purchases occur that day, and API calls may fail if credits run out.
Checking your credit balance
The Settings > API page shows the following in real time:- Plan credits remaining this month
- Top-up credit balance
- Auto-reload setting status