Balance, credit, and consumption order
Last updated September 15, 2026
The difference between paid, promotional, and subscription credit, the order in which charges consume them, how credit expires, and how to read the transaction ledger.
Account balance is denominated in credits, one credit to one US dollar. Credits can only offset call charges and cannot be withdrawn.
Balance is made up of independent credit lots, each recording its own amount, type, and expiry. That structure determines the consumption order, expiry behavior, and refund scope.
Three kinds of credit
| Type | Source | Refundable | Can expire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid credit | Online top-ups, bank transfers, manual top-ups | Yes | No |
| Promotional credit | Signup grants, top-up bonuses, gift cards, campaigns and referral rewards | No | Yes |
| Subscription allowance | Included with a subscription plan (not yet shipped) | No | Yes |
The console's billing page splits the balance into "paid credit" and "promotional credit".
Consumption order
Promotional credit → subscription allowance → paid credit
Within a type, lots expiring sooner are consumed first; lots that never expire come after those that do.
This order serves two purposes:
- Preserving refundable paid credit. If paid credit were consumed first, a user's topped-up money would run out leaving only non-refundable promotional credit, and a refund request at that point could not be honored.
- Avoiding credit expiring unused. Without ordering by expiry, a lot about to expire would queue behind one that never does, and would lapse while the account still showed a balance.
Expiry
Promotional credit can carry an expiry, set when it is granted. The billing page shows the amount expiring soon and the date.
Expired credit appears in the transaction ledger as "credit expired". Paid credit does not expire.
Insufficient balance
Further calls are rejected when the balance is insufficient. A task already running may drive the balance negative — a task's final usage is only known when it completes.
When there is a shortfall, the next top-up settles it first.
Configure a balance alert or auto top-up to avoid calls being interrupted; see top-ups and auto top-up.
The transaction ledger
The ledger on the billing page lists every credit movement on the account, newest first.
Credit added
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Online top-up | A top-up completed through the payment provider |
| Manual top-up | Entered by us, including bank transfers credited by hand |
| Signup grant | Granted automatically when a new user registers |
| Top-up bonus | Promotional credit granted alongside a top-up |
| Gift card | Gift card redemption |
| Manual grant | Other credit entered by us |
| Refund returned | Credit returned to the account after a refund failed to reach the original method |
Credit removed
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Usage charge | Charges from calls |
| Credit expired | A lot reaching its expiry |
| Refund deduction | Credit removed from the corresponding lot once a refund is accepted |
| Manual deduction | A deduction entered by us |
| Chargeback recovery | Credit recovered after a chargeback at the payment provider |
How the totals are defined
The three summary figures above the ledger are cumulative since the account opened, not the current remainder:
- Paid credit — total paid credit ever added
- Promotional credit — total promotional credit ever received
- Credit removed — total credit that has ever left the account
The current balance is shown at the top of the page and equals total added minus total removed.
When there are too many entries, the ledger shows only part of them. Narrow the time range to see the full record.
Related
- Billing overview — how charges arise
- Top-ups and auto top-up
- Refunds — which credit is refundable and how it is calculated