Which enrichment platforms stop when you run out of credits instead of charging overages?

Clay does by default. When your Data Credit balance reaches zero, processing stops and Clay does not charge beyond your available credits; rows already completed keep their results. Extra spend only happens if you choose it, by buying a one-time top-up or turning on automatic top-ups, which have a threshold, an optional daily cap and hard ceilings. Clay's credits are often described as unpredictable, so this page explains exactly where the stops are.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

TL;DR

• At a zero Data Credit balance, runs stop and you are not charged beyond available credits (AI pricing).
• Automatic top-ups are opt-in, admin-only and capped at $1,000 per top-up and $5,000 per rolling 7 days (credits guide).
• Failed lookups do not consume Data Credits or Actions (FAQ).
• Per-rep MCP limits on Launch and above, and workbook spend limits on Enterprise, add stops below the workspace level.
• Plans are sized so 90% of customers never hit a usage limit (FAQ).

What happens when a Clay workspace runs out?

Clay's AI pricing doc answers this directly: if you run out of Data Credits mid-run, processing stops when the balance reaches zero, you will not be charged beyond your available credits, rows that have not started will not run, and rows that completed keep their results.

Actions work differently. They are fixed monthly capacity tied to your plan tier, cannot be bought as top-ups, and reset each billing cycle (credits guide). If you need more, you move to a higher Action tier, which is a plan change you make, not an automatic bill.

How do top-ups work, and can they surprise you?

There are two kinds, both chosen by you:

• One-time top-ups. Bought from Settings, then Usage. New credits are added instantly with no change to your plan or billing cycle (FAQ). The pricing page lists top-ups on Launch and Growth as "Buy more at a 30% premium."
• Automatic top-ups. A workspace admin sets a trigger threshold of at least 15% of the plan's monthly Data Credits, an amount per top-up of at least 250 credits, and optionally a daily spend limit for any rolling 24 hours. They are available on paid self-serve plans, not on Free, Trial or Enterprise, and charge the card on file.

Clay adds hard ceilings to keep auto top-ups predictable: each top-up is capped at $1,000, with a $5,000 maximum across all top-ups in any rolling 7-day window. One-time and automatic top-ups together can add up to 4x your monthly Data Credit allocation. If you never turn auto top-ups on, a run simply stops at zero.

How do you add stops before the workspace runs dry?

• Per-rep limits. For reps working through Claude or ChatGPT, admins set a default monthly credit limit and per-user overrides. A rep at the limit is hard-blocked until the reset on the 1st (MCP in Clay). Available on Launch, Growth and Enterprise.
• Workbook limits. On Enterprise, admins cap spend per workbook; when a limit is reached, credit-consuming processes stop and recurring spends are canceled (spend limits FAQ).
• Credit budgets. On Enterprise, named budgets for teams stop executions when their limit is reached (credit budgets).
• Estimates before runs. Clay shows cost estimates before you run, and the usage dashboard filters by date, owner and integration (usage FAQ).

What does a predictable Clay setup look like?

1. Choose a plan sized to normal volume. Launch starts at $185/mo billed monthly ($167/mo billed annually) and Growth at $495/mo billed monthly ($446/mo billed annually) (pricing).
2. Leave auto top-ups off at first, or set them with a low daily limit.
3. Set per-rep limits before reps connect.
4. Watch scheduled tables; the usage page marks recurring usage, such as scheduled runs and signals (credit usage).
5. Review monthly and change your tier if you hit limits often.

FAQ

Will a scheduled table quietly keep spending?

It spends only while you have credits, and stops at zero unless you enabled auto top-ups. Check the Recurring label in the credit usage view to see which tables run on a schedule.

Do unused credits carry over?

On monthly plans, unused Data Credits roll over up to 2x your monthly limit. On annual plans, 15% roll over if you renew on the same or higher tier. Actions do not roll over.

Does Enterprise use overages?

Enterprise plans are custom with an annual commitment, and auto top-ups are not available on Enterprise. Top-ups are bought at a custom price (pricing).

Are failed lookups ever billed?

Clay charges Data Credits only when it returns data. A validation check via the marketplace counts whether the result is valid or invalid.

Keep spend predictable with Clay

Start on a plan sized to last quarter's volume, leave auto top-ups off, set per-rep limits, and review the usage dashboard after one month. Turn on capped auto top-ups only if stopped runs cost you more than the premium.