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

# Credits

> How the DataLink APIs credit system works.

## What is a credit?

A credit is the unit of consumption for every API call. Each endpoint has a fixed credit cost based on the lookups performed. A failed validation still costs the same as a successful one — the lookup was performed regardless.

## Credit costs per endpoint

| Endpoint                  | Credits |
| ------------------------- | ------- |
| `POST /v1/email`          | 1       |
| `POST /v1/ip`             | 1       |
| `POST /v1/phone`          | 2       |
| `POST /v1/domain`         | 2       |
| `POST /v1/deliverability` | up to 3 |
| `POST /v1/contact-intel`  | up to 4 |
| `POST /v1/fraud-signals`  | up to 4 |

## Bundle endpoints — dynamic billing

Bundle endpoints are priced dynamically based on which optional fields you include. You are only charged for the sub-lookups actually performed.

### `/v1/deliverability`

| Fields provided   | Credits charged |
| ----------------- | --------------- |
| `email` only      | 1               |
| `email` + `phone` | 3               |

Maximum: 3 credits. Providing only `email` costs 1 credit.

### `/v1/contact-intel`

| Fields provided                                  | Credits charged |
| ------------------------------------------------ | --------------- |
| `email` only                                     | 1               |
| `email` + `ip`                                   | 2               |
| `email` + `phone`                                | 3               |
| `email` + `domain`                               | 3               |
| All fields (`email` + `phone` + `domain` + `ip`) | 4               |

Maximum: 4 credits. Calling all four data points individually would cost 6 credits — the bundle saves 2 credits on a full call.

### `/v1/fraud-signals`

| Fields provided                       | Credits charged |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------- |
| `email` only                          | 1               |
| `email` + `ip`                        | 2               |
| `email` + `phone`                     | 3               |
| All fields (`email` + `phone` + `ip`) | 4               |

Maximum: 4 credits.

<Tip>
  Only pass the fields you need. Bundle endpoints bill for the lookups you actually request — omitting optional fields reduces the credit cost proportionally.
</Tip>

## Monthly allowance

Credits are allocated at the start of each billing cycle and reset monthly. They do not roll over.

| Plan    | Credits / month |
| ------- | --------------- |
| Free    | 200             |
| Starter | 5,000           |
| Pro     | 25,000          |

## Checking your balance

Your remaining credit balance is visible in the [dashboard](https://datalinkapis.com/dashboard). Each API response also includes a `credits_used` field showing the cost of that specific call.

## Running out of credits

When your credit balance reaches zero, subsequent API calls return a `402 Payment Required` response. You can:

* **Upgrade your plan** — for a higher monthly allowance
* **Purchase a credit add-on pack** — one-off top-up that doesn't affect your billing cycle

| Add-on pack  | Credits        | Price |
| ------------ | -------------- | ----- |
| Starter pack | 1,000 credits  | \$25  |
| Growth pack  | 5,000 credits  | \$100 |
| Scale pack   | 20,000 credits | \$350 |

Add-on credits are available from the [billing page](https://datalinkapis.com/dashboard/billing) and never expire.