> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://references.everstrike.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://references.everstrike.io/ai/credits.md).

# Credits

Credits pay for [strategy](/ai/strategies.md) evaluations on Everstrike. Each event consumes credits.

### Free credits

You receive free credits when you sign up and complete these tasks:

| Task                    | Credit grant |
| ----------------------- | -----------: |
| Sign up                 |        $0.50 |
| Verify your email       |        $0.25 |
| Make your first deposit |        $0.25 |

These grants provide enough credits to run a strategy for 24 hours.

#### Daily replenishment

After you verify your email, your free credit balance replenishes daily at **4:00 PM UTC**. The current replenishment amount is **$0.50**.

### Add credits

You can top up your credit balance by [depositing funds](/account/how-to-deposit-withdraw-and-stake-on-everstrike.md) into your Everstrike account.

When your account holds at least **$5**, or the stablecoin equivalent, Everstrike uses your USD balance for strategy expenses. Your dedicated credit balance then no longer applies.

{% hint style="info" %}
Testnet funds cannot pay strategy expenses. Request $10 in additional testnet credits through [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnHGRHSZt7Dh30svtpsmuVziovshbchD08nJe8G45_eYLEvQ/viewform).
{% endhint %}

### Check usage

View a strategy's expected credit use in the [Strategies Overview](https://app.everstrike.io/app/strategies). The **Preview** tab also shows expected consumption before you submit a new strategy.

Compare models and evaluation frequencies in [strategy costs](/ai/strategies.md#strategy-costs).

### Stop credit consumption

Pause a strategy at any time to stop credit consumption. Paused strategies do not generate events or place trades.

### Insufficient credit

If your balance falls below **$0.01**, the Everstrike UI shows an **Insufficient Credit** warning. This means active strategies cannot continue running.

Add credits to clear the warning. Active strategies resume automatically after your balance is sufficient.