---
id: KB-CD-001
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/credits-and-billing/how-credits-work
idioma: en
categoria: creditos
audiencia: usuario
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-DI-001, KB-PS-001, KB-PR-002]
citadoPor: [KB-CD-003, KB-CD-002, KB-CR-008]
enLaApp: https://app.codecontract.io/credits
---

# How credits work

_What consumes credits and what does not, where to see the balance and what happens when it runs out._

**Responde a:** what consumes credits · how many credits does reading a document use · where do I see my organisation's balance · I have run out of credits what happens · how do I buy more credits

Credits are the unit used to pay for actions with a real cost behind them: reading a document with AI, sending an SMS, sealing a piece of evidence. Almost everything else — creating processes, uploading files, inviting your team — costs nothing.

**En corto**

- Consumed by anything a third party charges for: AI reading, SMS, sealing.
- Not consumed by using the platform: creating, organising, consulting or simple signing.
- The balance belongs to the organisation, not to each user.
- If it runs out, nothing done is lost: only paid actions stop being available.

## What consumes and what does not

| Action | Consumes credits? |
| --- | --- |
| Reading a document with AI | Yes |
| Sending an SMS or WhatsApp | Yes |
| Sealing evidence in SmartCheck | Yes |
| Creating processes, templates and folders | No |
| Uploading or downloading documents | No |
| Sending a notice by email | No |
| Correcting an extracted field by hand | No |
| Inviting users from your team | No |

_The underlying rule: if a third party is charging behind it, it consumes; if it is the platform, it does not._

## Where to see the balance

In the credits section, along with the history of what they went on. That history is what lets you answer "why did we spend so much last month" without guessing: it is broken down by action and date.

> [!WARNING]
> If you are about to launch a large batch — two hundred requests with automatic reading — check the balance first. Running out halfway means redoing the review of whatever was left pending.

## What happens if they run out

Actions that consume credits stop being available until you top up. Nothing already done is lost or reversed: documents remain, cases remain and completed signatures remain valid. What stops is anything new.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do credits expire?**

It depends on your plan. Worth checking before buying a large bundle in one go.

**Does each user have their own balance?**

No, the balance belongs to the organisation. What you can see is which action consumed it and when.

**Can I set an alert when the balance gets low?**

Yes, and it is recommended: finding out there is no balance after launching a batch is the worst moment.

**Does signing consume credits?**

The signature itself does not; what consumes is the SMS for an advanced signature, because the carrier charges for it.

**Can the balance go negative?**

It is a configuration option so an operation in progress is not cut off halfway. It is not on by default.

## Ejemplos

**A company sees its credit spend triple and does not know why.**

- Opens the consumption history by action and date
- Sees the spike matches a 400-request campaign with automatic reading
- Adjusts the low-balance alert for next time

→ An explanation backed by data in five minutes, instead of an argument about who spent what.

**Nobody knows which activities consume and which do not.**

- Checks the consumption breakdown by activity

→ Forecasting rests on what actually spends.

**There is a fear that inviting more people will drive consumption up.**

- Checks what depends on the licence and what on usage

→ The number of users stops being the unknown.

**The balance falls and nobody knows why.**

- Checks the consumption history

→ The spend has an explanation rather than a suspicion.

**A big campaign is planned without knowing what it will cost.**

- Estimates from a previous campaign's consumption

→ The decision is taken with a figure of your own.

**One department spends far more than the rest.**

- Checks consumption by department

→ The conversation happens with the right people.