In this article, you will learn how auto top-up works, how to choose the right settings, and how to prevent service interruptions.
User level: Admin
Auto top-up automatically adds credit to your account whenever your balance falls below a threshold you set.
It is the most reliable way to prevent your team from losing the ability to make calls due to an empty credit balance.
How auto top-up works
Auto top-up has two main settings:
Threshold
The balance level that triggers a top-up. When your credit drops below this amount, CloudTalk charges your card.
Top-up amount
The amount of credit added each time the threshold is triggered.
For example, if your threshold is $500 and your top-up amount is $300, CloudTalk charges your card $300 every time your balance drops below $500.
Recommended settings
Threshold: cover at least 14 days of usage
Your threshold should be high enough to cover about two weeks of your team’s typical usage.
The idea is simple: if a payment fails, you still have enough credit left to notice and fix the issue before your calls are affected.
A good way to estimate it is to take your average daily usage and multiply it by 14.
For example, if your team uses around $100 per day, your threshold should be at least $1,400.
Top-up amount: reduce the number of charges
The more often your card is charged, the more likely something is to go wrong, like an expired card, a bank block, or a delay in processing.
A higher top-up amount helps reduce how often charges happen.
As a general rule, it’s best to aim for around one charge per month.
For example:
if you use about $3,000 per month, a $3,000 top-up means roughly one charge
a $500 top-up would result in multiple charges per month
New account defaults
If you enabled auto top-up during the upgrade flow, CloudTalk sets default values:
$100 threshold
$50 top-up amount
These work well for accounts with low usage at the start, but it’s a good idea to review and adjust them once your usage grows.
Important things to know about auto top-up
No spending limit on auto top-up
Auto top-up does not have a monthly limit.
Every time your balance drops below the threshold, your card is charged.
If your usage increases, your charges will increase accordingly.
To stay in control:
Enable auto top-up to maintain a positive credit balance
Regularly review your Credit Movement export
See Does auto top-up have a spending limit? for more details.
No grace period when credit reaches zero
When your credit balance reaches zero, calls stop immediately.
There is no buffer period or temporary credit.
This is why setting a proper threshold is important.
How to set up auto top-up
Go to Billing in the CloudTalk dashboard
In the Credit section, turn on Automatically tops up credit when your balance falls below.
Set your threshold amount (when the top-up should trigger)
Set your top-up amount
Confirm your payment method (if required)
Your changes are saved automatically.
To disable auto top-up, return to the same section and turn the toggle off.
Need help or have a question? Just reach out through our Support portal — we’re here for you.