Credits and Prepaid Credits
Understanding how credits work across different RPC calls and APIs.
What Are Credits?
Credits are the measurement unit for API usage on Helius. Each API call consumes a specific number of credits based on its complexity and resource requirements. Your subscription plan includes a set number of credits per month, and you can add more if needed.
Credit Costs By Service
Standard RPC Calls
Most standard RPC calls cost 1 credit per call, with these exceptions:
-
Higher Complexity Calls
getProgramAccounts
: 10 credits
-
Archival Calls (10 credits each)
-
Transaction Submission
- Via https://mainnet.helius-rpc.com: 1 credit
- Via https://staked.helius-rpc.com: 50 credits
-
Priority Fee API: 1 credit
Digital Asset Standard (DAS) API
All DAS calls cost 10 credits each:
getAsset
getAssetProof
getAssetsByOwner
getAssetsByAuthority
getAssetsByCreator
getAssetsByGroup
searchAssets
getSignaturesForAsset
getTokenAccounts
getNFTEditions
ZK Compression API
- Standard ZK Compression Calls: 10 credits
getValidityProofs
: 100 credits (due to higher computation)
Webhooks
- Webhook Event Delivery: 1 credit per event push
- Webhook Management via API: 100 credits
Enhanced Transactions API
- Enhanced Transactions API: 100 credits per call
Adding More Credits
If you run out of credits during your billing cycle, you have two options:
Crypto Payment Plans
Purchase prepaid credits directly from your Helius Dashboard:
- Credits activate immediately and never expire
- Available by clicking the Buy More Credits button
Card Payment Plans
Enable autoscaling in your Project Settings:
- Automatically adds credits as needed
- Set limits to control spending
Prepaid Credits
Prepaid credits are a flexible way to manage your Helius API usage beyond your monthly subscription limits. Unlike monthly subscription credits that refresh each billing cycle, prepaid credits never expire and can be used at any time.
Key Benefits
- No Expiration: Prepaid credits never expire, giving you complete flexibility in how and when you use them
- Immediate Availability: Credits are available for use immediately after purchase
- Cost Effective: Purchase in bulk for the best rates
- Usage Priority: The system automatically uses your monthly subscription credits before drawing from prepaid credits
- Rollover: Maintain unused prepaid credits across billing cycles
- Budget Control: Perfect for projects with variable usage patterns or one-time high-volume needs
How to Purchase Prepaid Credits
You can purchase prepaid credits directly from your Helius Dashboard:
- Log in to your Helius Dashboard
- Navigate to your billing section
- Click the Buy More Credits button
- Select your desired credit amount
- Complete the purchase using cryptocurrency
Once purchased, prepaid credits activate immediately and will be visible in your dashboard.
Pricing
Plan Type | Price per Million Additional Credits |
---|---|
Developer | $5 per million |
Business | $5 per million |
Professional | $4 per million |
Usage and Management
Credit Usage Order
The Helius platform automatically manages your credit usage in the following order:
- Monthly subscription credits are used first
- Once monthly credits are depleted, the system draws from your prepaid credits balance
- If autoscaling is enabled, that will activate after both your monthly and prepaid credits are consumed
Monitoring Your Balance
You can monitor your prepaid credit balance at any time in the Helius Dashboard:
- View your current prepaid credit balance
- Track historical usage patterns
- Receive notifications when your balance falls below a certain threshold
When to Consider Prepaid Credits
Prepaid credits are ideal for:
- Projects with unpredictable or variable API usage
- Handling occasional traffic spikes without enabling autoscaling
- One-time high-volume processing needs
- Testing new features before committing to a higher subscription tier
- Cost optimization for projects with fluctuating usage patterns
Prepaid Credits vs. Autoscaling
While both options provide flexibility beyond your monthly credit limits, they serve different purposes:
Prepaid Credits:
- Pay upfront for credits that never expire
- Better for planned usage increases or projects with predictable patterns
- One-time purchase with no recurring charges
Autoscaling:
- Credits are automatically added as needed
- Better for handling unexpected traffic spikes
- Billed to your card payment method
- Can set limits to control spending
Many users find that a combination of both strategies offers the most flexibility and cost control.