Credits — pay-as-you-go API usage
Flexible API access with no monthly API commitment. Buy a pack, spend per call, and never expire — credits stack with any subscription tier.
Why credits?
Subscription tiers (Free, Silver, Gold, Platinum) determine which datasets you can access — each tier gates specific dataset categories.
Credits determine how much you call within those datasets. You can stack credits with any subscription tier — even Free — enabling pay-as-you-go access to Free and Silver datasets without a paid subscription.
How they work
- A data pull costs 2–5 credits by dataset tier (2 standard · 3 Gold · 5 Platinum)
- Gold datasets cost 3 credits per call
- Platinum datasets cost 5 credits per call
- New accounts receive 200 free credits on sign-up
- Credits never expire — use them whenever you need
- Top up anytime via the portal Credits section
Credit packs
| Pack | Credits | Price | Per credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 100 | $10 | $0.10 |
| Builder Best value | 600 | $50 | $0.083 |
| Pro | 1,300 | $100 | $0.077 |
| Scale | 7,500 | $500 | $0.067 |
Check your balance
Query your credit balance at any time via the API:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
https://api.alpinedataworks.com/v1/account/creditsExpected response:
{
"balance": 985,
"tier": "silver",
"low_balance_threshold": 100,
"grace_period_hours": 24
}What happens when you run out
When your credit balance reaches zero, calls to paid datasets return a 402 Payment Required response.
A 24-hour grace period applies to active sessions — you won't be cut off mid-workflow.
Free-tier rate-limited datasets remain accessible regardless of credit balance. To avoid interruption, top up via the portal or set a low-balance alert in your account settings.
Refund policy
Unused credit packs are refundable within 7 days of purchase. If you've consumed some credits from a pack, refunds are prorated to the unused portion. Email [email protected] with your account email and purchase reference.
Ready to get started?
Buy a credit pack or start on the Free tier — no card required.