What happens when your credits expire
Anyone who buys a pack of credits has the right to know what happens to the ones they don't use. In pay-as-you-go services it's a question that often stays buried in the terms of use. Here we tell the whole story, with the reasons behind the choices, because some rules look odd until you see why they exist.
Each top-up has its own expiry date
Credits don't share one expiry date for the whole balance: each top-up is a separate batch, valid for 12 months from the day you bought it. If you top up in March and again in November, you'll have two batches with two different expiry dates.
The expiry date is always shown in your Account area, with a notice as it approaches: you don't find out after the fact.
The ones expiring first are used first
When you use the writing assistant, credits aren't taken at random: the batch closest to expiry is always consumed first. It's the rule that makes writers lose the fewest credits, because the ones at risk get used first and the freshly bought ones are kept for later.
Why you can't top up while you still have credits
Another rule that looks like a limitation at first glance: you can't buy a new pack while your balance still has enough credits to work with. The threshold equals the cost of the most expensive action on the price list, so anyone with only a few credits left can still top up.
The reason is expiry itself. Without this rule it would be easy to pile up packs bought at different times, with different expiry dates, and end up with credits expiring before you can use them. You top up when you need to, not before.
The 6-month extension
Writing a novel doesn't follow a calendar: you might stop for months and find yourself with credits about to expire. So, when a top-up expires, you can request a 6-month extension on its unused credits, once per top-up.
Why "at expiry" and not at any time? Because of the consumption rule: extending a batch early could move it behind a more recent one, which would then be used up first in its place. That more recent batch might be exactly the one still eligible for a refund. Requesting the extension at the moment of expiry avoids this effect.
What happens if credits expire
At expiry, the remaining credits of a batch that wasn't extended lapse and can no longer be used. But the only thing that stops is the writing assistant. Your books, chapters, versions and structure all remain accessible, editable and downloadable at any time, with or without credits.
The editor, book structure, dictation, spell checker, version history and downloads are free and don't depend on your balance.
And refunds?
Expiry shouldn't be confused with refunds: they're two separate rules. The unused credits of a top-up can be refunded proportionally within 30 days of purchase, with no deduction in the first 20. The details are on the Refunds page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do credits expire?
Because a balance with no expiry would remain an open debt to the buyer forever, and the price of credits would have to account for it. Twelve months, with the option of an extension, covers the writing time of the vast majority of projects.
Can I request the extension more than once?
Once per top-up. If you have several top-ups, each has its own extension available at its own expiry date.
If my credits expire, do I lose the text written with the assistant?
No. Text you accepted into your manuscript is yours and stays in your book. Expiry only affects your ability to make new requests to the writing assistant.