In this article, you will learn what CloudTalk credit is used for, which activities consume it, and how to track your usage.
User level: Admin
What is credit?
Credit is CloudTalk’s pay-as-you-go balance. It pays for any call or message that falls outside your plan’s included minutes and calling package. Think of it as a prepaid wallet. When you make a call that your package does not cover, the charge is deducted from your credit balance in real time.
To understand what is included in your plan and calling package, see Understanding Pricing Plans & What They Include.
What uses credit?
Even if you have a calling package, not all usage is included. The following types of calls and messages are always charged from credit.
Calls to destinations not covered by your package
If your calling package includes only specific countries, calls to destinations outside that package are charged from credit.
For example, if your package covers EU destinations, calls to the US or other regions are billed from credit.
Calls made from a number outside your package region
Calling packages apply only when the call is made from a number that matches the package region.
For example:
you have an EU Domestic package
you call Germany (which is included)
but you use a US number
This call is charged from credit because the number used does not match the package region.
Calls to premium and special numbers
Calls to premium-rate numbers, short codes, and other special service numbers are always charged from credit.
These calls are not included in any standard calling package.
Inbound calls to toll-free numbers
Inbound calls to toll-free numbers are always charged from credit.
These calls are not included in standard calling packages.
Forwarded and redirected calls
If a call is forwarded or redirected to an external number (for example, a mobile or landline outside CloudTalk), the forwarded portion of the call is charged from credit.
This applies even if the original call was included in your plan.
The forwarding leg is always billed separately.
For details, see Understanding forwarded and redirected call charges.
SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp messages
All messaging is charged from credit, including:
SMS
MMS
WhatsApp messages
Charges are applied per message and vary by country and message type.
Minutes above the Fair Usage Policy limit
If a user exceeds the Fair Usage Policy (FUP) limit, additional minutes are charged from credit.
The standard limit is:
3,000 minutes per user per month
If this limit is exceeded, extra usage is billed from credit based on destination rates.
If you believe this limit is unreasonable given your call profile, please contact our support.
Conversation Intelligence usage above included limits
If Conversation Intelligence is enabled, your plan includes a limited amount of usage.
Any usage beyond this included amount is charged from credit.
VoiceAgent usage above prepaid package
If you use AI VoiceAgents, your subscription may include a prepaid usage package.
Any usage beyond this prepaid amount is charged from credit.
Speech-to-Text usage
Speech-to-Text (call transcription) is charged separately.
Whenever transcription is used, the cost is deducted from your credit balance.
How call charges are calculated
Calls charged from credit are billed per started minute, not per second.
For example:
a call lasting 1 minute and 5 seconds is billed as 2 minutes
Rates vary depending on the destination and call type.
You can find current pricing on the CloudTalk pricing page.
What happens when your credit reaches zero?
When your credit balance reaches zero:
Outbound calls stop immediately for your entire team, regardless of whether individual users have remaining package minutes
Inbound calls to toll-free numbers stop, as toll-free numbers require a positive credit balance to receive calls
Inbound calls to standard (non-toll-free) numbers are not affected and continue to work normally
This applies to all users on your account, not just the user whose activity consumed the last of the credit.
How to check what used your credit
To review detailed credit usage:
In your Dashboard, go to Account > Billing
Click Export credit movements
For more details, see the guide on Credit Movement export.
You can also review Usage & overages details in the Billing page.
How to avoid running out of credit
The most reliable way to prevent service interruptions is to enable auto top-up.
When enabled, CloudTalk automatically charges your card and adds credit to your balance whenever it falls below a threshold you set.
We recommend setting your threshold high enough to cover at least 14 days of your team’s typical usage. This gives you time to resolve any payment issues before your balance reaches zero.
Need help or have a question? Just reach out through our Support portal — we’re here for you.