How credit returns work
Each month we return part of your API spend as bonus credits. Subscribe and stay subscribed; we do the math.
The monthly cycle
- 11st of the monthWe computeAverage your last 12 months of API spend, multiply by your tier's return %, queue it as pending.
- 22nd of the monthWe releaseSubscription active → the pending entry releases to your bonus balance. Not subscribed yet → it stays pending all month.
- 3Any time this monthSubscribe = instant settleIf you subscribe mid-month, the pending entry releases right then. No waiting until next month.
- 41st of next monthForfeit or carry-overAnything still pending forfeits. Released bonus credits keep their 31-day expiry clock.
Two parallel programs
Every active subscriber. The math: past 12-month total ÷ 12 × tier %.
One-time program for customers who paid ≥ $10 before 2026-06-01. Historical total ÷ 12, released monthly while subscribed.
Return rate by tier
| Tier | Top-up bonus | Monthly return |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 8% | 5% |
| Builder | 14% | 8% |
| Pro | 26% | 15% |
| Scale | 40% | 25% |
| Business | 50% | 40% |
| Enterprise | 50% | 50% |
| Legacy $99 (grandfathered) | 14% | 8% |
| No subscription | 0% | 0% |
Without an active subscription the return rate is 0%; pending credits still exist but settle only after you subscribe.
Bonus balance rules
- Spend bonus credits before regular credits
- Apply your current tier's rate at calculation time
- Release the pending entry immediately when you subscribe mid-month
- Pay out bonus credits as cash
- Transfer bonus credits between accounts
- Retroactively grant a higher rate to past months — the rate at release time is final
The 31-day clock starts the moment a release lands. The dashboard banner surfaces the countdown so you never lose track.
- /dashboard — current bonus balance + this month's pending or released amount.
- /dashboard/credit-return/history — every monthly release with the formula behind it.
Frequently asked questions
If I subscribe today, when do I see my first return?›
On the 2nd of next month. The 1st-of-month cron computes the slice you're owed; the 2nd-of-month cron releases it once it sees your subscription is active. If you subscribe between the 1st and 2nd, you get it on the 2nd; if you subscribe later in the month, it releases the moment your payment goes through.
What happens to my bonus credits if I cancel?›
Bonus credits you've already received stay in your account and you can spend them through to their 31-day expiry. But future monthly returns stop the moment your subscription lapses — months without an active subscription don't contribute anything, and we don't back-fill them later.
Do I lose my pending credit if I downgrade?›
No. The pending amount was computed against your spend at calculation time. Downgrading mid-month means the next release applies the new tier's rate, but the slice currently pending isn't recalculated downward.
Can I withdraw bonus credits as cash?›
No. Bonus credits only pay for API calls on the account they were issued to. They aren't transferable, refundable, or convertible to cash.
The dashboard shows pending but it's past the 2nd. What gives?›
That means we computed your slice but your subscription wasn't active when the release cron ran. The credit sits in pending until you subscribe; subscribe any time before the end of the month and the release fires right away. Otherwise the slice forfeits on the 1st of next month.
If I recharge after subscribing, does that count?›
Yes. Recharges after subscribing get your tier's top-up bonus % the moment they hit. They also count toward your past-12-month spend, so next month's monthly return is higher than it would have been.
What if I never paid before — am I eligible?›
The rolling-12-month return applies to every active subscriber from day one, based on whatever spend you accumulate while subscribed. The one-time historical recall is only for customers who paid ≥ $10 before 2026-06-01.