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

# API Credits

> How API credits are granted each month, how much a call costs, and how top-up credits keep your calls running.

Every plan is granted API credits each month. Each call deducts credits from that balance, and
top-up credits let you keep calling the API without interruption after the monthly grant runs out.

## 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 a
`402 payment_required` response.

There are two kinds of credits.

| Type               | How it's granted                                                | Validity                                                    |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Plan credits**   | Granted automatically every month on all plans, including Basic | Reset monthly, no rollover                                  |
| **Top-up credits** | Purchased on demand                                             | 12 months from your last purchase, renewed on each purchase |

<Note>
  You can check your credit balance in real time on the
  [Settings > API](https://cryptoquant.com/settings/api) page.
</Note>

## 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.

The exact credits deducted for each call appear in the usage history on the
[Settings > API](https://cryptoquant.com/settings/api) page.

## How credits are used

When you call the API, credits are deducted in this order:

1. **Plan credits are always used first.**
2. Once plan credits are fully used up, **top-up credits are used automatically** from the next
   call onward. No manual switch is needed.
3. When both are depleted, API calls fail with a `402 payment_required` response. Top up or wait
   for the monthly plan reset to continue. See [Status & Error Codes](/guides/status-codes).

On the Premium plan you can call the API without any credit limit.

## 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.

| Plan         | Monthly credits |
| ------------ | --------------- |
| Basic (Free) | 10,000          |
| Advanced     | 300,000         |
| Professional | 500,000         |
| Premium      | Unlimited       |

See [CryptoQuant pricing plans](https://cryptoquant.com/pricing) 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.

Each purchase unit is **100,000 credits (US\$5)**.

### How to buy

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the API settings page">
    Go to [Settings > API](https://cryptoquant.com/settings/api).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the purchase">
    Click **Buy credits** to go to the payment page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete payment">
    Once payment is complete, the credits are added to your existing balance.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 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.

You can turn Auto-reload on and off with the toggle on the
[Settings > API](https://cryptoquant.com/settings/api) page.

<Warning>
  If you leave Auto-reload off, API calls may fail once your top-up credits are fully used up.
</Warning>

## Checking your credit balance

The [Settings > API](https://cryptoquant.com/settings/api) page shows the following in real time:

* Plan credits remaining this month
* Top-up credit balance
* Auto-reload setting status