# Credits and Usage

Understand credit consumption, top-up behavior, and audit visibility. Read the Billing & Credits guide in Hello Alex documentation.

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Path: [Documentation](/) / [Billing & Credits](/billing)

## Overview

Billing discipline matters because launches and tests are credit-backed, and low balance can interrupt operations unexpectedly.

## How it works

- Wallet balance powers billable actions while analytics and audit views explain where credits were consumed over time.
- Top-ups, payment methods, and alert settings combine to keep balance continuity so production workflows are less likely to stall.

## Use cases

- Pre-campaign budget validation
- Monthly finance reconciliation

## Tips

- Good to know: runway trends are often more informative than raw balance when planning campaign-heavy weeks.

## Account Balance

Balance visibility helps teams decide whether planned launch volume is financially safe.

Compare runway against planned send volume and top up if needed.

- Overview cards display wallet and runway metrics, linking current spend behavior to expected operating horizon.
- Fast navigation to top-up actions shortens recovery time when balance approaches critical thresholds.
- **Wallet balance:** Must be above zero for billable actions.
- **Runway:** Estimated days remaining based on your daily average spend.
- Good to know: checking runway before launches avoids mid-campaign throttling caused by depleted credits.
- Daily balance check
- Pre-launch credit verification

## Usage Analytics

Usage analysis explains cost drivers so optimization decisions are evidence-based.

Identify one high-cost channel and prioritize optimization experiments there first.

- Date windows scope spend and volume metrics to meaningful periods, highlighting channel-specific cost concentration.
- Trend and mix views reveal whether voice, SMS, or web chat changes are driving unexpected spend movement.
- **Period spend:** Total credits consumed in the selected range.
- **Spend mix:** Voice, SMS, and web chat share of usage charges.
- Good to know: comparing weekly periods before and after pathway changes helps quantify ROI of script improvements.
- Monthly usage review
- Channel cost comparison

## Credit Audit

Audit history supports accountability by showing every wallet mutation and associated usage details.

Export the target period and reconcile high-variance entries against campaign and batch histories.

- Ledger entries capture purchases, usage, and refunds with post-transaction balance context for reconciliation.
- Receipts on usage events connect spending to operational actions, simplifying dispute and variance investigation.
- **Usage receipt:** Per-event charge detail without provider costs.
- **Balance after:** Wallet total immediately after each ledger entry.
- Good to know: monthly export workflows are easier when finance teams reconcile from audit entries instead of ad hoc screenshots.
- Finance reconciliation
- Dispute investigation

## Top Up Wallet

Top-ups provide immediate runway extension when planned usage exceeds current balance.

Choose an amount aligned to projected campaign volume for the next operating period.

- Preset packages and custom amounts convert payment into wallet credits that are immediately available for billable actions.
- Keeping top-up and subscription contexts separate helps teams understand which charges affect recurring plans versus usage runway.
- **Catalog package:** Preset wallet amounts with estimated minutes at your plan rate.
- **Custom amount:** Flexible top-up between $10 and $1,000.
- Good to know: topping up before launch windows avoids emergency payment actions during active campaigns.
- Pre-campaign top-up
- Low-balance recovery

## Invoices

Invoice access supports accounting controls for recurring subscription charges.

Download the period invoices and pair them with usage exports for full ledger closure.

- Paid invoices are listed for retrieval, giving finance teams standardized artifacts for month-end processing.
- Downloadable PDFs preserve reference consistency across bookkeeping and tax workflows.
- **Invoice number:** Reference for accounting exports.
- Good to know: invoice records and wallet top-up receipts belong to different billing streams and should be reconciled separately.
- Subscription accounting
- Audit preparation

## Payments

Payment method health directly affects subscription continuity and auto top-up reliability.

Confirm the default method is current and test any recent payment profile updates.

- Default method settings determine where recurring and configured auto-top-up charges are attempted.
- Updating stale cards proactively reduces failed charge events that can degrade launch readiness.
- **Default payment method:** Used for subscriptions and auto top-up.
- Good to know: keeping a valid default method is often the fastest prevention against avoidable subscription interruptions.
- Card expiration recovery
- Auto top-up continuity

## Billing Settings

Settings automate balance protection so teams are warned before operational impact occurs.

Set alert thresholds and optional auto top-up values that match your observed weekly burn rate.

- Low-balance alerts notify responsible owners ahead of hard stops, improving response time.
- Auto top-up rules can restore runway without manual intervention, reducing downtime during high-volume periods.
- **Auto top-up:** Charge default card when balance is low.
- Good to know: threshold values above average daily spend provide useful buffer against sudden campaign spikes.
- Runway protection
- Hands-off balance management

## Next step

Review runway, configure low-balance safeguards, and verify payment readiness before major launches.

## Related documentation

- [More Billing & Credits guides](/billing)