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What Are 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.

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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

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How to Purchase Prepaid Credits

You can purchase prepaid credits directly from your Helius Dashboard:

  1. Log in to your Helius Dashboard
  2. Navigate to your billing section
  3. Click the Buy More Credits button
  4. Select your desired credit amount
  5. Complete the purchase using cryptocurrency

Once purchased, prepaid credits activate immediately and will be visible in your dashboard.

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Pricing

Plan TypePrice per Million Additional Credits
Developer$5 per million
Business$5 per million
Professional$4 per million

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Usage and Management

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Credit Usage Order

The Helius platform automatically manages your credit usage in the following order:

  1. Monthly subscription credits are used first
  2. Once monthly credits are depleted, the system draws from your prepaid credits balance
  3. If autoscaling is enabled, that will activate after both your monthly and prepaid credits are consumed

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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

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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

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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.