# Out of credits

A MAIA workspace is out of credits when its balance reaches $0. New work stops, running work finishes, and everything already built stays available. New work can start again once credits are added.

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

## What happens at $0

| What | At $0 |
| --- | --- |
| New chat messages | Not sent |
| New enrichments | Do not start |
| Work already running | Finishes, even if it takes the balance below $0. The shortfall comes out of the next credits added |
| Projects, layers, tables, and skills | Stay available. Nothing is removed |

The chat box tells you when you are out of credits. On the Free plan it also shows the date your monthly credits reset. Over MCP, a run refused at $0 returns the same message to your client.

## Three ways back

| Route | Where | How long it takes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Buy credits](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/buy-credits) | Your account, then **Plan & usage** | As soon as the payment is confirmed |
| [Upgrade from Free to Pro](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/manage-your-plan#upgrade-to-pro) | The same tab, or the notice in the chat box | As soon as the payment is confirmed |
| Wait for your monthly credits | The reset date is on the **Plan & usage** tab | Until the reset date |

The balance updates in every open tab once payment is confirmed.

> **Note:** Two cases where buying credits is not the way back. While a Pro plan is past due, unpaid, or ended, MAIA does not sell credits, and the purchased credits you hold wait until paid access resumes. See [Manage your plan](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/manage-your-plan). And if auto-reload was on and you still reached $0, auto-reload has stopped for a reason the **Plan & usage** tab names. See [When auto-reload stops](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/buy-credits#when-auto-reload-stops).

## Stopped work does not restart on its own

MAIA never runs stopped work again on its own. You choose when to continue.

| What stopped | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| A chat message | It is still in the chat box. Send it |
| An enrichment | Start it again. Rows that already hold a value are skipped, and so are rows that came back Unavailable |

## When a run needs more than you have

A balance above $0 can still be too small for a large enrichment. Chat messages are not estimated; any balance above $0 sends one.

| Your balance covers | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| Part of the run | MAIA offers to run the rows you can afford. The other rows are left as they are |
| None of the run | The run does not start. Smaller work can still go ahead |

## When the plan is the problem

Out of credits is about the balance. A plan that has not been paid is a different state, and it also stops new work. See [Manage your plan](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/manage-your-plan).

## Related

- [Credits](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/credits) explains when monthly credits reset.
- [What uses credits](https://maia-analytics.com/docs/billing/usage) explains how to spend less.