# Credits

Credits are a dollar balance that a MAIA workspace spends on research. A workspace can hold three kinds: monthly credits from its plan, promotional credits from MAIA, and credits it purchased.

Updated: 2026-09-30. Source: https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/credits

## Credits are dollars

A credit balance is an amount of money, written with a dollar sign: $500 in credits. There is no other unit, and nothing to convert.

## Three kinds of credits

| Kind | Where it comes from | When it expires |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly credits, on Pro | Your plan grants them each month | At the reset date. What is left does not roll over |
| Monthly credits, on Free | Refilled to $5 each month | They do not expire. What is above $5 at the reset date stays |
| Promotional credits | MAIA adds them to a Pro workspace's period | They do not expire. Cancelling the plan removes them |
| Purchased credits | You buy them | Never |

The amounts are on [Plans](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/plans).

## The order credits are spent

MAIA spends them in this order:

1. Monthly credits
2. Promotional credits
3. Purchased credits

The credits that reset are used first, so the credits you paid for keep their value longest.

> **Note:** A workspace holds $120 in monthly credits and $200 purchased. A run that spends $200 takes all $120, then $80 of the purchased credits, leaving $120.

## One balance for the workspace

Every member spends from the same balance, and so do chat and enrichments. A workspace has no separate balance for a person, a project, or a kind of work. Credits stay with the workspace that holds them and cannot be moved to another.

## When your plan changes

| Event | What happens to your credits |
| --- | --- |
| You upgrade from Free to Pro | Pro's monthly credits replace what remained of Free's. Purchased credits are kept. See [Plans](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/plans) |
| You cancel Pro | Purchased credits can be spent until the paid period ends. After that they are kept, and wait until paid access resumes. See [Manage your plan](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/manage-your-plan) |
| You run out | New work stops until credits are added. See [Out of credits](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/out-of-credits) |

## Where to see your balance

Open your account and choose **Plan & usage**. Every member of the workspace can read it.

| What you see | How it is shown |
| --- | --- |
| Monthly credits | The share remaining, as a percentage, with the date they reset. Promotional credits are counted in |
| Purchased credits | A dollar amount |
| Plan | Its price, its status, and the date it renews |

The account menu shows the same balance, so you can check it without leaving your project. When less than a fifth is left, the meter turns amber and says so.

## Related

- [What uses credits](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/usage) explains what spends the balance.
- [Buy credits and auto-reload](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/buy-credits) explains how to add to it.