Rollover Credits
What happens to the credits you don't use this month?
Most email verification services have a simple answer: you lose them. Your monthly credits expire, and you start fresh. Tough luck.
We think that's unfair.
Valid Email Checker does things differently. Your unused subscription credits roll over to the next billing cycle. But here's what makes it interesting-how much rolls over depends on how actively you've been using the service.
The Big Idea
Rollover credits reward you for being an active user.
Instead of a use-it-or-lose-it model, we calculate your rollover based on your usage percentage. The more you use, the higher percentage of unused credits you keep.
Think of it as a loyalty bonus. Active users who happen to have some credits left over get to keep more of them.
How Rollover Works
When your subscription renews, here's what happens:
- We look at how many credits you used during the billing period
- We calculate your usage percentage
- Based on your usage, we determine your rollover percentage
- Your unused credits are multiplied by that percentage
- The result goes into your Rollover bucket
Simple formula:
Usage % = Credits Used ÷ Credits Allocated
Rollover = Unused Credits x Rollover Percentage
The Rollover Tiers
Your rollover percentage is based on how much of your plan you used:
| Your Usage | Rollover You Get | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 75% or more | 100% | You're a power user-keep everything |
| 30% to 74% | 50% | Solid usage-keep half |
| Under 30% | 25% | Light usage-still protected |
Even if you barely touched your credits, you still get 25% rollover. We call this your Credit Protection Guarantee-you'll never lose everything.
Real Examples
Let's make this concrete with some scenarios.
Example 1: The Power User (85% usage)
Sarah has a 10,000 credit monthly plan.
- Credits allocated: 10,000
- Credits used: 8,500 (85% usage)
- Credits unused: 1,500
- Rollover tier: ≥75% -> 100% rollover
Calculation:
Rollover = 1,500 x 100% = 1,500 credits
Result: Sarah keeps all 1,500 unused credits.
After renewal:
- Monthly bucket: 10,000 (fresh credits)
- Rollover bucket: 1,500 (carried over)
- Total available: 11,500 credits ✨
Example 2: The Steady User (50% usage)
Mike has a 10,000 credit monthly plan.
- Credits allocated: 10,000
- Credits used: 5,000 (50% usage)
- Credits unused: 5,000
- Rollover tier: 30-74% -> 50% rollover
Calculation:
Rollover = 5,000 x 50% = 2,500 credits
Result: Mike keeps 2,500 of his 5,000 unused credits.
After renewal:
- Monthly bucket: 10,000 (fresh credits)
- Rollover bucket: 2,500 (carried over)
- Total available: 12,500 credits
Example 3: The Light User (15% usage)
Emma has a 10,000 credit monthly plan.
- Credits allocated: 10,000
- Credits used: 1,500 (15% usage)
- Credits unused: 8,500
- Rollover tier: Under 30% -> 25% rollover
Calculation:
Rollover = 8,500 x 25% = 2,125 credits
Result: Emma keeps 2,125 credits despite low usage.
After renewal:
- Monthly bucket: 10,000 (fresh credits)
- Rollover bucket: 2,125 (carried over)
- Total available: 12,125 credits
If you're consistently using less than 30% of your plan, you might be on a plan that's too large for your needs. The 25% rollover still protects you, but consider whether a smaller plan might be a better fit.
Example 4: The All-In User (100% usage)
David has a 10,000 credit monthly plan.
- Credits allocated: 10,000
- Credits used: 10,000 (100% usage)
- Credits unused: 0
- Rollover tier: Doesn't matter-nothing to roll over!
Result: David used everything. No rollover, but no waste either.
After renewal:
- Monthly bucket: 10,000 (fresh credits)
- Rollover bucket: 0
- Total available: 10,000 credits
The Rollover Cap
There's one important limit: Rollover credits are capped at your plan size.
Even with the most generous rollover calculation, you can never roll over more credits than your plan includes.
Why This Matters
Example: Large unused balance
- Plan: 25,000 credits
- Used: 2,000 (8% usage)
- Unused: 23,000
- Rollover tier: Under 30% -> 25%
- Calculated rollover: 23,000 x 25% = 5,750
Since 5,750 is less than the 25,000 cap, the full 5,750 rolls over. ✅
Example: Rollover exceeds cap
- Plan: 10,000 credits
- Used: 1,000 (10% usage)
- Unused: 9,000
- Rollover tier: Under 30% -> 25%
- Calculated rollover: 9,000 x 25% = 2,250
- Cap: 10,000
Since 2,250 is less than 10,000, the full 2,250 rolls over. ✅
The cap rarely comes into play unless you have a very small plan with accumulated credits from previous periods.
What Happens When You Downgrade
If you switch to a smaller plan, the cap adjusts to your new plan size.
Example:
- Old plan: 50,000 credits
- Used: 5,000 (10% usage)
- Unused: 45,000
- Rollover calculation: 45,000 x 25% = 11,250
- New plan: 10,000 credits (downgrade)
- Cap applied: min(11,250, 10,000) = 10,000
Your rollover is capped at the new plan's credit amount, not the old one.
If you're planning to downgrade, try to use up more credits before your renewal. This maximizes what you keep and ensures you're getting full value.
Rollover Expiration
Rollover credits expire on your next renewal date.
Both your Monthly credits and Rollover credits are synced-they reset together when your subscription renews.
Timeline example:
| Date | Event | Monthly | Rollover | PAYG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Subscription starts | 10,000 | 0 | 500 |
| Jan 15 | Verified 6,000 emails | 4,000 | 0 | 500 |
| Jan 31 | Renewal (60% usage) | 10,000 | 2,000 | 500 |
| Feb 15 | Verified 8,000 emails | 4,000 | 0 | 500 |
| Feb 28 | Renewal (67% usage) | 10,000 | 2,000 | 500 |
Notice how the Rollover bucket resets on each renewal. It doesn't accumulate month over month-each period is calculated fresh.
Rollover Doesn't Stack
This is important: new rollover replaces old rollover.
If you had 2,000 rollover credits from January and earned 3,000 rollover credits at the February renewal, you don't get 5,000. You get 3,000.
Each renewal calculates rollover based on that period's usage only.
Why?
This prevents credit hoarding and encourages regular usage. The rollover system is designed to help you through occasional slow months, not to accumulate massive credit reserves indefinitely.
Who Gets Rollover Credits?
Subscription users only.
| User Type | Gets Rollover? |
|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | ✅ Yes |
| PAYG (pay-as-you-go) only | ❌ No |
| Free tier | ❌ No |
PAYG credits don't need rollover-they never expire anyway. Rollover specifically addresses the challenge of expiring subscription credits.
What Happens If You Cancel?
When you cancel your subscription:
During the billing period:
- Your credits remain available until the period ends
- Both Monthly and Rollover can still be used
After the period ends:
- Monthly credits expire
- Rollover credits expire
- Only PAYG credits remain (they never expire)
If you resubscribe later:
- You start fresh with no rollover
- Previous rollover doesn't come back
Use your remaining credits before your subscription period ends. Verify any email lists you've been putting off. Once you cancel and the period ends, those credits are gone.
How Credits Are Used (Consumption Order)
Remember, the system always uses credits in this order:
1st -> Monthly (expires on renewal)
2nd -> Rollover (expires on renewal)
3rd -> PAYG (never expires)
This means your Rollover credits get used before your permanent PAYG credits, which is good-expiring credits are prioritized over permanent ones.
Viewing Your Rollover Credits
Check your rollover balance anytime:
- Look at the credit display in the top-right corner
- Hover or click to see the breakdown
- Your Rollover bucket shows separately with its expiration
Total: 12,500 Credits
├── Monthly: 10,000 (renews Feb 28)
├── Rollover: 2,500 (expires on renewal)
└── Pay-as-you-go: 500
Rollover Credits in Your Transaction History
When rollover credits are added, you'll see a transaction in your Credits History:
| Date | Type | Change | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 31, 2024 | Rollover Addition | +2,500 | Rollover from previous period |
This keeps a clear record of credits added through the rollover system.
Quick Reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who gets rollover? | Monthly subscription users only |
| When is it calculated? | At each renewal |
| How much do I get? | 25%, 50%, or 100% based on usage |
| What's the 75%+ tier? | 100% of unused credits |
| What's the 30-74% tier? | 50% of unused credits |
| What's the Under 30% tier? | 25% of unused credits |
| Is there a cap? | Yes-your plan's credit amount |
| Do rollover credits stack? | No-each renewal replaces previous |
| When do they expire? | On your next renewal date |
| What if I cancel? | Rollover expires when period ends |
Common Questions
What if I use exactly 30% or 75%?
You get the higher tier. Using exactly 75% qualifies for 100% rollover. Using exactly 30% qualifies for 50% rollover.
Can I see my current usage percentage?
Yes! Check your account dashboard. Your usage for the current period is tracked in real-time.
Does upgrading affect my rollover?
Upgrading mid-cycle doesn't trigger a rollover calculation. Your rollover is calculated at the natural renewal date based on your usage during that period.
What if I have PAYG credits too?
PAYG credits are completely separate. They don't affect rollover calculations and aren't included in rollover-they already never expire.
Summary
Rollover credits are our way of saying: we don't think you should lose credits just because you didn't use them all.
The usage-based tier system rewards active users while still protecting everyone with at least 25% rollover. It's designed to be fair, transparent, and genuinely useful.
Use your credits, enjoy the rollover bonus, and never worry about losing what you've paid for.
Next Steps
-> Pricing & Bonus Credits - See all plan options and bonus structures
-> Auto-Refill Setup - Never run out of credits
-> Credit System Overview - How the 3-bucket system works