Credits and billing
Licence and credits: how they differ
Two different things that get confused, and one of them can block the other.
There are two concepts and they are paid for separately. Confusing them causes most of the surprises: someone checks the balance, sees it full, and cannot understand why the platform will not let them do something.
What each one is
| Concept | The licence | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| What it enables | Being able to use the platform | Executing specific actions |
| How it is paid | Per period | By consumption, bought and spent |
| When it runs out | When the period ends | When they are used up |
| If missing | No actions can be executed | No actions can be executed |
Important
The last row is the key one and the one that surprises: **credits do not expire with time, but they cannot be spent if the licence is not current.** Having a balance is not enough; you need both.
What happens when the licence lapses
In other words, you lose nothing: it pauses. On renewal, whatever balance you had is still available and you carry on where you were.
Watch out
This matters a lot when planning. Buying credits for two years only makes sense if the licence will cover those two years; otherwise you are prepaying for something you cannot use until you renew.
How to tell which of the two is blocking you
- 1
Check the balance first
If it is zero, that is it, and topping up solves it.
- 2
If there is balance and it still refuses, check the licence status
This is the confusing case, because the balance seems to say all is well.
- 3
And check permissions
Sometimes it is neither: that user simply cannot perform that action.
Worth knowing
All three are checked in a minute, in that order. Starting with the third is what turns a trivial incident into an afternoon.
›Do credits expire?
Not with time. What expires is the licence, and without it they cannot be spent.
›Are they refunded if unused?
They are not lost: they stay in your name for when the licence is current.
›Can I consult old material without a licence?
What was already generated and is verifiable stays verifiable; what stops is doing new things.
A real case
The situation
A company sees plenty of balance and cannot understand why sending for signature fails.
What you do
- Checks the licence status and finds it lapsed the week before
- Renews
What you get
Work resumes with the same balance, with no credits lost.
The situation
Balance is bought and the problem was the licence.
What you do
- Checks what is actually blocking
What you get
The real problem gets solved.
The situation
It is assumed more users consume more balance.
What you do
- Checks what depends on each concept
What you get
The team grows without surprises.
The situation
The licence expires with balance available.
What you do
- Records its expiry with a warning
What you get
Work does not stop with balance to spare.
The situation
The year is planned counting only balance.
What you do
- Includes both concepts in the forecast
What you get
The estimate is complete.
The situation
Nobody knows what the licence covers.
What you do
- Checks what each one includes
What you get
Decisions are taken knowingly.
This article answers
- difference between licence and credits
- i have credits but it will not let me
- licence expired what happens to my credits
- what is the annual fee and what is pay per use