If you’re seeing a low balance alert or your credit has reached zero, this guide explains what it means, how to restore calling quickly, and how to prevent it from happening again.
User level: Admin
What the alerts mean
When your credit balance is low or reaches zero, CloudTalk displays a notification in the dashboard to inform you.
You may see messages such as:
"Your credit is running low"
Your balance is getting close to zero. If it runs out, calling will be interrupted.
"Your credit has run out"
Your balance is 0. Outbound calls are blocked, and inbound calls to toll-free numbers will not connect. Inbound calls to standard (non-toll-free) numbers still work.
These alerts appear near your credit balance and help you take action before service is affected.
Restore calling quickly
If your team needs to make calls immediately, add credit with a one-time top-up:
Go to Dashboard > Billing
Click Add credit
Select an amount and confirm the payment
Credit is applied as soon as the payment is processed. Calling should resume within a few minutes.
Prevent it from happening again
Enable auto top-up
Auto top-up automatically adds credit when your balance drops below a set threshold.
To enable it:
Go to Dashboard > Billing
Click Set up auto top-up
Set a threshold (recommended: enough to cover ~14 days of usage)
Set a top-up amount (higher amounts reduce frequent charges)
Save your settings
If auto top-up is already enabled but your credit still ran out:
Your threshold may be too low, or
A payment may have failed
Check your credit balance and auto top-up settings in the Billing page and adjust them if needed.
Check what used your credit
To understand what caused the drop, go to Dashboard > Billing and click Export credit movements.
Common causes include:
Fair Usage Policy (FUP) exceeded
If a user exceeds their included minutes, additional usage is charged from credit. A single user can significantly impact the account balance.
Calls outside your package
International, premium, or unsupported destinations are charged separately.
To learn more about calling packages and what they include, see Understanding Pricing Plans & What They Include.
Calls forwarded to external numbers (such as mobile phones) are charged from credit, even if the original call was included in your plan.
SMS or WhatsApp messages
Messaging is always billed separately from credit.
Advanced features usage
Usage from features such as Conversation Intelligence or Voice Agents may consume credit if limits are exceeded.
For a full overview of all scenarios where credit is used, see our guide on What uses credit.
When to contact support
Most credit issues can be resolved from the Billing page.
Contact Support if:
You see charges you cannot explain in the Export credit movement file
You believe a charge is incorrect
You need help reviewing unusual usage
You want to discuss usage limits or plan adjustments
Need help or have a question? Just reach out through our Support portal — we’re here for you.