Tools & Lookup
Which Credit Pack or License to Buy for Your Shop
Credit packs are priced non-linearly and licenses renew on different cycles. This guide explains how to size a purchase and what happens at renewal.
Last reviewed 2026-10-26
Two purchases confuse first-time buyers more than any other: credits and licenses. They are not the same thing, and a wrong choice means the balance sits unused while the tool still refuses the operation.
Credits vs licenses
- Credits: consumed per operation. Do not normally expire; the pack price per credit drops with size.
- Licenses: time-limited access to the tool. Renewable and usually tied to a machine or account.
- Activations: a one-time action that enables a tool on a dongle or account, on top of which credits may still apply.
- New account vs existing account: some SKUs create an account with activation included, others top up an existing one. Buying the wrong variant is the most common wasted order.
Important
Check whether a SKU says new account or existing account before paying. The two are not interchangeable and are usually non-refundable after activation.Sizing a purchase
- Estimate monthly operations, not monthly devices — retries consume additional credits.
- For steady shops, a larger pack amortises better than repeated small top-ups.
- For occasional use, a small pack avoids stranded balance.
- For seasonal demand, buy the pack size that matches the busy month and top up after.
Renewals
- 1Note the expiry date when you buy — reminders are not automatic.
- 2Renew before expiry if the tool drops access at the end of the period.
- 3Have the account or dongle ID ready; renewals cannot be applied to an unregistered device.
- 4Keep the order reference; it is what support asks for first.
Services used in this guide
These are the exact catalogue entries this guide refers to. Prices and turnaround are live.
Open the catalogueFrequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Do credits expire?
On most tools they stay on the account until consumed. A few vendors apply inactivity expiry — check the terms of the specific tool.
What happens if I let a license expire?
The tool stops performing the covered operations until renewed. Credits already purchased are generally kept.
Can I share one license between two PCs?
Usually within a limited number of machine registrations per period. Sharing beyond that risks a ban.
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