> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shovels.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is My API Credit Limit?

> Learn how Shovels API credit limits work on the Free plan and paid plans, and how to get a larger monthly credit allowance.

**Your credit limit is the number of records you can retrieve each month, and every plan has one.** Each record returned by the API counts as one credit.

<Info>
  **Credit limits vs. rate limits:** Credit limits track how many records you can consume based on your plan (a billing concept). Rate limits restrict how quickly you can make requests to protect system stability (a technical concept). This page covers credit limits. See [API Rate Limits](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/rate-limits) for rate limiting details.
</Info>

## Free Plan

The Free plan provides **500 credits per month** with no time limit or credit card required. Credits are counted the same way on every plan: each record returned counts as one credit, so a search returning 100 permits uses 100 credits.

If you need a larger allowance, see [shovels.ai/pricing](https://www.shovels.ai/pricing).

## Paid Plan Credit Limits

Paid plans include progressively larger monthly credit allowances. See [shovels.ai/pricing](https://www.shovels.ai/pricing) for current allowances, or contact [sales@shovels.ai](mailto:sales@shovels.ai) for Enterprise volumes.

<Info>
  For details on plan limits and pricing, see [shovels.ai/pricing](https://www.shovels.ai/pricing) or contact [sales@shovels.ai](mailto:sales@shovels.ai).
</Info>

## If You Hit Your Credit Limit

When you exceed your credit limit, the API returns a **402 Payment Required** response. Contact [sales@shovels.ai](mailto:sales@shovels.ai) to increase your credit allocation.

For full details on API usage policies, see the [API Introduction](/docs/shovels-api-introduction#acceptable-use-policy).

## Understanding Your Credits

### Records Per Call

Search endpoints return up to **100 records per page** (default: 10) by setting the `size` parameter. Detail endpoints accept up to **50 IDs** per call. Each record returned counts against your credits—so a call returning 100 permits uses 100 credits.

### Efficient Querying

* Use search endpoints to get multiple records at once
* Search responses include full detail payloads—no separate detail call needed
* Use filters to get exactly the data you need

## Tracking Your Usage

Monitor your API usage on the **Manage subscription** tab of your account or via the `GET /v2/usage` endpoint. Credits reset monthly on your subscription or upgrade date.

## Need Higher Credit Limits?

Contact our team to discuss higher-tier plans:

* Email: [sales@shovels.ai](mailto:sales@shovels.ai)
* Phone: [1-800-511-7457](tel:+18005117457)

## Related Articles

* [How do API credits work?](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/request-counts)
* [How to access your API key](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/api-key-access)
* [API Rate Limits](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/rate-limits)