## What credit is and how long it lasts

Credit is the virtual currency you pay for sent messages with in BulkGate —
whether you send them [from the portal](https://www.bulkgate.com/en/products/web-portal/), with a
[plugin](https://www.bulkgate.com/en/sms-plugin/), or [through the API](https://www.bulkgate.com/en/developers/sms-api/). Without
enough credit a campaign will not go out.

> [!NOTE]
> **Credit has no expiry date.** It never lapses — it only goes down as you send
> messages.

Before you top up, work out what your campaign will cost from the
[price list](https://www.bulkgate.com/en/helpdesk/general-information/using-price-list/).

## How to get to the top-up page

Several routes lead there, and all of them end on the same `Top up credit` page:

| From | What to click |
|:--|:--|
| Left menu | `Payments` > `Top up credit` |
| Top bar | Hover over your credit balance and click `Top up credit` |
| Price list | The `Top up credit` button in the top right |
| Dashboard | The `Top up credit` button |
| [Wallet](https://www.bulkgate.com/en/helpdesk/payments-and-wallets/creating-wallet/) detail | The `Top up credit` button |

## How topping up works

The page walks you through three steps.

### 1. Enter amount

You enter the amount **excluding VAT** in the currency of your wallet. Next to
the field the portal keeps recalculating how many credits you get for it.

Below the field are **Bonus offers** — preset amounts that come with extra
credit. The higher the amount, the bigger the bonus; one of the offers is marked
`TOP OFFER`. Clicking an offer fills the amount in for you.

### 2. Select payment method

Each method shows its **fee** and **minimum payment** — both differ from method
to method, and what is on offer depends on the currency of your wallet. A bank
transfer usually carries no fee, while a card or PayPal gets you there faster.

### 3. Review

The last step sums up what you pay and what you get: `Credits`, `Bonus credits`,
`Fee`, `VAT` and `Total`. The `Pay` button takes you on to the payment gateway.

> [!NOTE]
> When the credit lands depends on the method you picked. With a card payment it
> is usually immediate, with a bank transfer only once the money reaches our
> account.

> [!TIP]
> If you want tax documents, fill in your
> [billing information](https://www.bulkgate.com/en/helpdesk/payments-and-wallets/billing-information/) first. The documents
> issued are then in `Payments` > `Invoices`.

## Messages waiting for credit

When you run out of credit mid-sending, the messages are not thrown away — they
stay in the queue. In that case a notice appears at the top of the
`Top up credit` page, with the two queues listed separately:
`Transactional queue` and `Promotional queue`, each with the number of waiting
messages.

**Once you top up, the waiting messages are sent automatically.** There is
nothing else you need to do.

![The queue notice with the button for removing the messages](helpdesk:purchasing-credit/outbox-removal)

If you would rather not send them, delete them with the `Remove outbox` button —
separately for each queue. Before you do, keep in mind that this cannot be
undone.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The notice shows up **only when you actually have messages in the queue**. With
> an empty queue the page starts right at the `Enter amount` step.

Individual campaigns and messages can be cancelled instead under
`Scheduled messages`, where each row in `Campaigns` and `Transactions` offers
`Cancel`.