Understanding Credits and Billing

This guide explains the credit system used by Taxonomy Matcher, how free matches work, and how to purchase additional credits.

1. How Credits Work

2 Credits = 1 Product Match: Each product you submit for matching (either through the UI or the Public API) consumes two credits.
Free Initial Matches: New users receive 100 free matches upon signing up. These are automatically applied to your first product matches.
Credit Balance: You can view your current credit balance and free matches used on your Dashboard.

Every new account starts with 100 Free Credits.
These free matches are consumed before any purchased credits are used.
Free matches reset daily (the exact reset time is based on UTC, typically early morning). Your dashboard will show how many free matches you've used out of the daily limit.
Note: Free matches currently apply to matching done via the user interface (Matcher page). Matches made via the Public API will always consume purchased credits if available, or fail if credits are insufficient (they do not use the daily free match allowance).

When you run out of free matches or need more credits for larger tasks, you can purchase them through our secure payment system powered by Stripe.

Navigate to your Dashboard.
In the "Credits & Usage" section, you'll see your current balance.
Enter the number of credits you wish to purchase in the input field.
- The current price is €0.10 per credit (€0.20 per match since each match requires 2 credits).
- There is a minimum purchase of 100 credits (€10.00).
Click the "Buy X Credits" button.
You will be redirected to a secure Stripe Checkout page to complete your payment.
- We accept various payment methods supported by Stripe.
After successful payment, you will be redirected back to your Dashboard.
- Your new credit balance should update shortly. If it doesn't immediately, try refreshing your profile data using the link provided in the success message.

Stripe handles all payment processing and will typically send you a receipt or invoice for your purchase via email.
Your transaction history with Stripe can be managed through your Stripe account if you have one, or by referring to the emails Stripe sends.

Dashboard: Your primary source for checking:
- Remaining purchased credits.
- Free matches used for the current day.
Match History: The "Match History" section on your Dashboard lists all your past matching jobs, including:
- Number of products processed.
- Credits charged for that specific job.
- This helps you track how your credits are being consumed.

If you encounter any issues with payment processing or have questions about your billing:
- First, check any communications from Stripe regarding the transaction.
- If the issue persists or is related to credit application in your Taxonomy Matcher account, please contact our support team through the Help page or by emailing support@example.com (replace with actual support email).

We aim to make the credit and billing system transparent and easy to use. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to reach out!