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Understanding Captain Data’s Credit System: Complete Guide

Everything you need to know about credits (ex-tasks) using Captain Data.

Guillaume O. avatar
Written by Guillaume O.
Updated over 3 months ago

We’ve updated our terminology to better align with industry standards.

🚀 What’s changed?
Before: We referred to each action as a "task."
Now: We call them "credits."

Everything else remains exactly the same—how actions are counted, how they are consumed, and how you can manage them.

Once you reach your credit limit, you will need to purchase additional credits or upgrade your plan.

🔗 Watch Romane explain credits 👉 Loom Video

What is a Credit?

A credit represents a single automated action in Captain Data.

From a technical perspective:

  • Each request made by Captain Data consumes one or more credits.

  • If a request fails, the credit is not deducted.

  • If a request returns no results, the credit is still deducted since resources were used.

🔗 Example: Credits Breakdown

Example Job Breakdown

How Are Credits Calculated?

Each credit corresponds to an action, such as:

  1. Searching for a profile on LinkedIn.

  2. Extracting details from that profile.

➡️ Example: LinkedIn Search & Extraction Job Calculation

Example Job Breakdown
  • 20 search results

  • 20 profile extractions

  • 19 company extractions

  • Total credits used: 59

Why Call Them Credits?

The change in terminology makes it:

  • More intuitive: Credits are commonly used across automation and SaaS pricing models.

  • Easier to track: It clarifies how usage is measured.

  • Consistent across features: The term "tasks" no longer fits as we expand Captain Data's capabilities.

Everything else remains the same—just a name change.

Although everything remains the same, we did introduce Bunble Credits!

Managing Your Credit Usage

What Happens if I Reach My Credit Limit?

  • Before reaching the limit: You will receive an error notification inside Captain Data.

  • Once you hit the limit: Any new jobs will be shut down until credits reset or additional credits are purchased.

🔗 Solution: Buy More Credits

What Happens if a Job Exceeds My Credit Limit?

  • The job will run until credits run out.

  • Remaining steps will be paused and can be retried later.

Can I Roll Over Unused Credits?

No, unused credits do not roll over. They reset at the start of each billing cycle.

Avoiding Unnecessary Credit Consumption

1. Unexpected Job Size

  • Check the "Configure Parameters" section before launching a job to limit results.

  • Use Captain Data’s Credit Estimator to predict maximum consumption.

🔗 Example

Credit Estimation

Estimating Credits Before Running a Job

2. Discrepancy Between Credits Used & Results

  • Some jobs consume more credits than expected due to process steps.

  • You can check credit distribution in job details.

🔗 Example:

Credit Breakdown

Understanding Credit Distribution

Each plan has a monthly credit limit, which cannot be exceeded unless you purchase extra credits.

🔗 Example Pricing Plans

Pricing Table

Buying Extra Credits

  • Since October 2021, users can buy additional credits without upgrading plans.

  • Pricing: Starts at €24.95 for 5,000 credits (volume discounts apply).

  • The add-on is a recurring subscription, so remember to cancel if no longer needed.

Sometimes, you may run out of credits before the end of the month or realize that you need more credits to complete your workflows over the next few months.

In this case, you can purchase additional credits using our credit add-ons.

How to Activate Credit Add-Ons?

To activate an add-on, simply:

  1. Click the "Contact Sales" button

  2. Or reach out directly to our Sales team.

How to Use Credit Add-Ons?

Once activated, your additional credits will automatically be available in your account. For example, €79 per 4,999 credits. Note that prices decrease based on the volume you choose.

🚨 Add-ons are a recurring subscription, so if you no longer need additional credits, make sure to cancel before the next billing cycle.

Upgrading Credit Add-Ons

To increase your credits, move the slider to the right—the "Upgrade" button will appear.

Upgrade Add-Ons

📌 Upgrades take effect immediately, so your workspace gets more credits right away.

Downgrade

To reduce your credits, move the slider to the left—the "Downgrade" button will appear.

Downgrade Add-Ons

📌 Downgrades only take effect at the end of your current billing cycle.

Canceling a Credit Add-On Subscription

If you no longer need extra credits, you can cancel the subscription by clicking on the grey banner in your settings.

🔗 Example:

Cancel Add-Ons

📌 Once canceled, the add-on will stop renewing after the current billing cycle.

Wrap-Up

Now that you understand that "credits" are just a new name for "tasks", you can continue using Captain Data as usual, without any changes to your workflow.

🔗 Final Summary Video 👉 Watch Here

Key Takeaways

Credits = Tasks (same concept, different name)
Monitor credit usage to avoid unexpected costs
Use the credit estimator before running jobs
Purchase additional credits if needed

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