> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.9pic.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Buy More Credits

> The top-up flow on Pay As You Go, step by step

## Why This Matters

Topping up on Pay As You Go takes about 90 seconds when you know the steps. This page walks through the exact dashboard flow so the first top-up isn't a guessing game and the tenth one is muscle memory.

## Before You Begin

* You're an **admin** of the organisation. Operators can't make payments.
* You have a credit / debit card or your team's payment method ready.
* You know how many credits you want to buy. **Minimum is 1,000 credits per purchase.** See [Photo Processing Costs](/pay-as-you-go-guide/photo-processing-costs#how-to-estimate-before-you-sync) for sizing.

<Tip>
  Top up to cover your **next event plus a 10% buffer**, not your whole year. Credits don't expire, but big top-ups also don't earn discounts — there's no upside to over-buying.
</Tip>

## Open the Top-Up Flow

There are two ways to open the purchase flow — they go to the same place.

<Steps>
  <Step title="From Credits → Purchase Credits">
    Sidebar → **Credits** → **Purchase Credits** button on the Available Credits card.

    <Frame caption="Purchase Credits entry point">
      <img src="https://assets.9pic.ai/docs/pay-as-you-go-guide/buy-more-credits-dashboard.webp" alt="Credits page on a Pay As You Go account showing the Available Credits balance and Purchase Credits button" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="From the sidebar Upgrade button">
    The sidebar **Upgrade** button also lands on the Purchase Credits flow. (It's labelled "Upgrade" because the same flow can also be used to move to Pro — see [Upgrade to Pro](/pay-as-you-go-guide/upgrade-to-pro).)
  </Step>
</Steps>

The Purchase Credits flow is a four-step wizard: **Plan → Credits → Review → Payment**.

## Step 1 — Plan

Pay As You Go customers see four options on the Plan step:

| Option               | What it does                                                                                                                                          |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pro Subscription** | Switches your account to Pro (annual subscription). See [Upgrade to Pro](/pay-as-you-go-guide/upgrade-to-pro).                                        |
| **Pay as you go**    | The Pay As You Go top-up path. The card is marked **Your current plan** for PAYG organisations. **Keep this selected for a routine credit purchase.** |
| **Custom Payment**   | Records a payment without adding credits — used for one-off invoices and manual reconciliation. Skip unless support asked you to use it.              |
| **Enterprise**       | Disabled card; clicking it opens [9pic.ai/contact](https://9pic.ai/contact/) to talk to our team.                                                     |

For a routine top-up, keep **Pay as you go** selected and then click **Next**.

<Frame caption="Top-up plan selection">
  <img src="https://assets.9pic.ai/docs/pay-as-you-go-guide/buy-more-credits-plan-step.webp" alt="Purchase Credits Plan step on a Pay As You Go account showing the Pay as you go current-plan card alongside Pro Subscription" />
</Frame>

## Step 2 — Credits

Enter the **number of credits** you want to buy. Minimum is **1,000**. The order summary on the side updates live as you change the number.

| Event size you expect | Recommended top-up                                                                                                        |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 500–1,000 photos      | 1,000 credits                                                                                                             |
| 1,000–3,000 photos    | 3,000 credits                                                                                                             |
| 3,000–10,000 photos   | 10,000 credits                                                                                                            |
| 10,000+ photos        | Top up for the event size, and read [When to Upgrade](/pay-as-you-go-guide/when-to-upgrade) — Pro may be cheaper for you. |

Click **Next** when the number is right.

## Step 3 — Review

Review the order summary. You'll see:

* The **plan** (the **Pay as you go** top-up path in this flow).
* The **credit quantity** you entered.
* The **currency** — based on your organisation's region.
* Any applicable taxes — shown automatically based on your billing region.
* The **grand total** to be charged.

Before continuing to payment, you must tick the **Refund Policy** acceptance box. This is required for every purchase.

<Warning>
  The refund policy acceptance applies only to this purchase. You'll see it on every subsequent top-up too — that's intentional, not a bug.
</Warning>

Click **Next** to continue to payment.

## Step 4 — Payment

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click the payment button">
    The button label depends on your billing currency and region — for example **Pay with Razorpay** or **Pay with PayGlocal**. Click it to launch the secure gateway window.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete checkout in the gateway window">
    Enter card details in the payment gateway. 9Pic does not see or store your card information — the gateway handles it directly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for verification">
    After payment, 9Pic verifies the transaction. This usually takes a few seconds. The dashboard shows a spinner.
  </Step>

  <Step title="See the success page">
    On success, the dashboard shows the **credits added** and your updated balance. Your organisation's credits balance reflects the top-up immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If you need an invoice, open **Credits → Billing & Transactions** after the purchase. See [Invoices & Transactions](/pay-as-you-go-guide/invoices).
</Note>

## If Payment Fails

| Symptom                                 | What to do                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Card declined**                       | Try a different card or contact your bank. The order is not retried automatically.                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **You closed the window before paying** | The order is marked **Abandoned**. Just start the flow again — no charge.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Charged but credits didn't update**   | Rare but recoverable. Open **Credits → Billing & Transactions**, find the row, and click **Recheck**. The dashboard re-queries the gateway and finalises the transaction. If still stuck, take a screenshot of the gateway confirmation and email [support@9pic.ai](mailto:support@9pic.ai). |
| **Gateway error mid-flow**              | Close the gateway window, refresh the dashboard, and start the flow again. Any partial order will be marked Abandoned.                                                                                                                                                                       |

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why is the minimum 1,000 credits?">
    Per-purchase processing overhead (gateway fees, accounting) makes very small purchases unproductive. 1,000 credits is the minimum the dashboard accepts — anything lower is rejected by the API.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are bigger top-ups discounted?">
    No. Per-credit cost is constant. Buy what your next event needs, plus a small buffer. There's no incentive to stockpile.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do credits expire?">
    No. Pay As You Go credits sit in your balance indefinitely.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I get a refund for unused credits?">
    Refund eligibility is governed by 9Pic's [Refund Policy](https://9pic.ai/refund-policy/), which you accept at every purchase. For specific situations, email [support@9pic.ai](mailto:support@9pic.ai).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The dashboard shows my payment as Pending. What now?">
    Open **Credits → Billing & Transactions**, find the pending row, and click **Recheck**. The dashboard re-queries the payment gateway and finalises (or marks failed) accordingly. If it stays Pending after Recheck, email support with your gateway confirmation screenshot.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does the same flow show a Pro Subscription option?">
    The Purchase Credits flow is shared between Pay As You Go top-ups and the Pro upgrade — same wizard, different first-step pick. **Pay as you go** stays on Pay As You Go. **Pro Subscription** moves the account to Pro. See [Upgrade to Pro](/pay-as-you-go-guide/upgrade-to-pro).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Invoices & Transactions" icon="file-invoice" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/invoices">
    Download invoices and recheck stuck payments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage Credits" icon="chart-line" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/manage-credits">
    The Credits dashboard.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Avoid Credit Foot-Guns" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/avoid-credit-foot-guns">
    Don't burn the credits you just bought.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Upgrade to Pro" icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/upgrade-to-pro">
    Same wizard, switch to the annual plan.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>