> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one Social Fetch marketing page (markdown export). For API orientation start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for auth and crawl rules use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for every operation use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt). ## This page - **On-site (HTML):** - **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** --- # What are API credits? Credits are Social Fetch's billing unit for metered lookups: each documented route has a fixed cost, deducted when a lookup attempt completes. New accounts get 100 free credits, no card required; at zero balance, metered routes return HTTP 402. ## What a credit actually buys A credit is metered usage, not a pre-allocated budget per call. Each endpoint has a fixed cost (most typed lookups are 1 credit; lists and transcripts can cost more). Every response reports the charge in meta.creditsCharged. One balance and one API key cover every platform — TikTok through web extraction — with no per-platform sub-balance. ## A concrete example A TikTok profile lookup with a found result: meta.creditsCharged: 1. A not_found on the same route: still HTTP 200, still creditsCharged: 1 — the attempt completed. POST /v1/ask routes for 0 credits; the nested lookup bills exactly as a direct typed call would. ## When credits are charged, and when they're not Charged when a lookup completes as documented — including private or not_found on HTTP 200 via data.lookupStatus. Not charged on lookup_failed or 503 temporarily_unavailable. GET /v1/whoami and GET /v1/balance are always free. ## Packs, plans, and how the price scales Default is pay-as-you-go: Starter $14/1,000, Growth $59/25,000 (~$2.36/1k), Scale $379/230,000 (~$1.64/1k). PAYG credits never expire. No subscription required. Optional monthly plans exist for predictable spend. Details on /pricing and /docs/credits. ## How this compares to subscription-tier billing Many APIs bundle monthly quotas that reset or charge overage. Credits decouple spend from a billing cycle — unused PAYG credits don't expire, and scaling up is buying a pack, not migrating plans. ## Common mistakes and what credits are not Assuming not_found or private was free because "nothing returned." Check data.lookupStatus — 200 with not_found is billed. Retrying won't change the outcome. Credits aren't a rate limit — low balance doesn't throttle RPS; see /glossary/rate-limits. Reconcile via meta.creditsCharged or GET /v1/balance. ## FAQ ### How do API credits work? Fixed cost per route, deducted on completed lookups, reported in meta.creditsCharged. Zero balance → HTTP 402 on metered routes. ### Do unused credits expire? PAYG packs never expire. Optional subscription included credits reset monthly (annual plans carry unused credits forward one month) — but PAYG balance has no expiry. ### What counts as a completed lookup for billing? Any attempt that finishes as documented, including private or not_found on HTTP 200. ### Does a not_found result cost credits? Yes. lookup_failed and 503 temporarily_unavailable don't charge. ### What happens when I run out of credits? HTTP 402 insufficient_credits on metered routes. whoami and balance stay free. ### Do I need a subscription to use Social Fetch? No. PAYG packs are the default; subscriptions are optional. ### How much do API credits cost? Starter $14/1k, Growth $59/25k, Scale $379/230k. 100 free credits on signup. See /pricing. ### Does routing a request through /v1/ask cost extra credits? No. Routing is 0 credits; the nested lookup bills normally. ## Related - [Credits docs](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/credits) - [Pricing](https://www.socialfetch.dev/pricing) - [Errors docs](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors) - [Platforms](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms) - [Lookup status](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/lookup-status) - [Rate limits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/rate-limits) - [requestId](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/request-id)