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

# Monetize your product using recurring credits

## Overview

This guide explains how to monetize your product using **credit-based pricing**, similar to [Clay](https://www.clay.com), [Lusha](https://www.lusha.com), [Apollo.io](https://www.apollo.io), and [Webflow](https://www.webflow.com). Credit-based pricing lets you sell prepaid usage that renews on a monthly or annual basis, while keeping upgrades and usage tracking simple.

You’ll learn how to model recurring credits, configure plans, grant credits, and track consumption using Stigg.

## Use case

Credit-based pricing is ideal for products where usage varies over time and can be quantified, such as API calls, enrichments, automations, or data lookups.

Credits act as a prepaid balance that customers consume as they use metered features, giving flexibility without introducing complex billing logic.

## Example pricing structure

This guide uses the following example pricing.

### Annual plans (credits granted upfront)

Credits are granted once at the beginning of the billing year.

**Free**\
\$0 / year\
All credits granted upfront

**Starter**\
\$150 / month (billed yearly)

* 24,000 credits / year **or**
* 36,000 credits / year

**Pro**\
\$800 / month (billed yearly)

* 600,000 credits / year **or**
* 840,000 credits / year **or**
* 1,200,000 credits / year

### Monthly plans (credits granted monthly)

Credits are granted at the start of each monthly billing period.

**Starter**\
\$149 / month

* 2,000 credits / month **or**
* 3,000 credits / month

**Pro**\
\$800 / month

* 50,000 credits / month **or**
* 70,000 credits / month **or**
* 100,000 credits / month

## Step 1: Create a product

The product represents the main commercial offering that will contain all your credit-based plans.

1. Go to **Product catalog → Products**.
2. Click **+ New product**.
3. Select **Single active subscription**.
4. Give the product a name.
5. Click **Create**.

## Step 2: Create meter-based features

Credits are consumed by [metered features](../../documentation/modeling-your-pricing-in-stigg/features/creating-features/metered-features). Each metered feature represents a unit of usage in your product.

1. Go to **Product catalog → Features**.
2. Click **+ New feature**.
3. Configure the feature:
   * **Name**: Display name shown in the UI
   * **Description (optional)**: What the feature enables
   * **ID**: Auto-generated by Stigg (can be overridden)
   * **Feature type**: Select **Meter**
   * **Meter type**: Select **Calculated usage**
   * **Unit names**: For example, *request* / *requests*
4. (Optional) Enable **Feature is sold in different units** if you report usage in one unit (for example, bytes) but want to present it in another (for example, GB).

This feature will later be linked to credits.

## Step 3: Create credit-based plans

Plans define how many credits customers receive and how often they are billed.

1. Go to **Product catalog → Plans**.
2. Click **+ New plan**.
3. Select the product you created.
4. Give the plan a name (for example, *Pro - Monthly*).
5. Click **Create**.

## Step 4: Configure pricing

This step defines how the plan is billed and how credits are granted.

1. Go to **Product catalog → Plans**.
2. Select the plan you created earlier.
3. In the **Price** section, click **+ Set**.
4. Select **Paid**.
5. Choose **Recurring** as the billing model.
6. Select the billing period:
   * **Monthly**
   * **Yearly**
7. Click **Continue**.

## Step 5: Configure credits

Credits determine how much usage the customer receives per billing period.

Under **Charges**:

1. Select **Credits**.
2. In **Credit type**, select **Credits (Credits)**.
3. Choose a pricing model (for example, **Stairstep**).
4. Define the credit tiers:
   * Tier 1: 50,000 credits / month
   * Tier 2: 70,000 credits / month
   * Tier 3: 100,000 credits / month
5. Set the total price for each tier.

For annual plans, repeat the same setup using yearly credit quantities.

## Step 6: Configure grant cadence

Grant cadence controls when credits are issued to the customer.

* For **monthly plans**, credits are granted automatically each billing period.
* For **annual plans**, set **Grant cadence** to **At the beginning of the billing period**.

Click **Add** to save the credit charge.

## Step 7: Publish the plan

Once pricing and credits are fully configured, publish the plan so it can be assigned to customers.

## Step 8: Subscribe a Customer

This step assigns the plan and credit tier to a specific customer.

1. Go to **Customers → Customer accounts**.
2. Select the customer.
3. In the **Subscriptions** section, click **+ Add**.
4. Select the product.
5. Select the plan.
6. In **Plan configuration**, choose the credit tier (for example, 50k / 70k / 100k).
7. Add a billing method.
8. Click **Create**.

## Step 9: View Credit Consumption

You can monitor how customers consume credits over time.

1. Go to **Customers → Customer accounts**.
2. Select the customer.
3. Open the **Credits** tab.

This view shows granted credits, consumed credits, and remaining balance.

## Step 10: Upgrade or downgrade a customer

Upgrades and downgrades are handled by assigning a new plan.

1. Create a new plan if required.
2. Go to **Customers → Customer accounts**.
3. Select the customer.
4. Under **Subscriptions**, click **+ Add**.
5. Select the product and the new plan.
6. Choose the desired credit tier.
7. Add or confirm billing.
8. Click **Create**.

<Note>
  When a plan is changed, the previous credit grant is voided and replaced by the new grant.
</Note>