Credits & Billing

ROUND0 uses a time-based credit system that provides flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing for candidate screening interviews.

How Credits Work

Credit Calculation

ROUND0 uses a simple formula:

1 credit = 15 minutes of interview time

Credits are calculated based on the total estimated duration of all questions in an interview:

Credits Required = ceil(Total Duration in Minutes / 15)
Minimum: 1 credit per interview

Example Calculations

Credit Lifecycle

1. Creating an Interview

When you create an interview:

• The system calculates estimated credits based on question time limits
• Credits are reserved (deducted from your available balance)
• Your "available credits" decreases, but the credits aren't consumed yet
• The interview status is set to invited

2. Interview Starts

When a candidate begins the interview:

• Credits are consumed (deducted from your credit balance)
• This happens when the interview status changes from invited to in_progress
• Credits cannot be refunded after this point

3. Interview Completes or Expires

• Completed: Interview finishes normally, credits already consumed
• Abandoned: Candidate started but didn't finish - credits are consumed (no refund)
• Expired: Interview link expired before candidate started - credits are released back to available balance

Credit Expiration

Credits never expire. Once purchased, your credits remain in your account until:

• Used for interviews
• Account is closed

Your credits are always available when you need them.

Checking Your Balance

Dashboard

View your credit balance on the main dashboard:

• Total Balance: All credits you currently own
• Available Credits: Credits not reserved for pending interviews
• Reserved Credits: Credits allocated to pending interviews
• Lifetime Stats: Total purchased and consumed since account creation

Credit Balance Formula

Available Credits = Total Balance - Reserved Credits

You can only create new interviews if you have sufficient available credits.

In Settings

Navigate to Settings → Billing to see:

• Current credit balance
• Transaction history
• Upcoming expirations
• Purchase history

Purchasing Credits

Purchase Flow

1. Navigate to Settings → Billing
2. Click Purchase Credits
3. Select a credit bundle
4. Click Checkout
5. Complete payment via Stripe
6. Credits are added to your account immediately
7. Receive confirmation email

Payment Methods

We accept all major payment methods through Stripe:

• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.)
• Debit cards
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Other local payment methods depending on your region

Invoices

After each purchase:

• An invoice is automatically generated
• Sent to your account email
• Available in Settings → Billing → Invoices
• Can be downloaded as PDF

Trial Credits

Free Trial

New users receive 1 free credit upon signup:

• Valid for 14 days
• Can be used for one standard interview (5 questions × 3 minutes = 15 minutes)
• Subject to trial restrictions (see below)

Trial Restrictions

Trial users cannot access:

1. Voice cloning - Custom voice creation requires credit purchase
2. Company documents - Custom knowledge base
3. Custom branding - Logo, custom intro/outro
4. API access - Requires Connectivity Package subscription

Trial Status

Trial status transitions:

• Not Started: User hasn't received trial credit yet
• Active: Trial credit available and valid
• Expired: 14-day trial period ended
• Converted: User purchased credits (now a paid user)

Once you purchase your first credit bundle, your trial converts to a paid account and restrictions are lifted.

Subscriptions

In addition to credits, ROUND0 offers two optional subscription plans:

Employer Branding

Customize your candidate experience:

• Custom voice cloning - Clone your voice or team member's voice
• Company logo - Display your logo during interviews
• Custom intro/outro - Personalized welcome and closing messages
• No watermark - Remove ROUND0 branding

Connectivity Package

Integrate ROUND0 into your workflow:

• Full API access - Create interviews programmatically
• Webhook notifications - Real-time interview status updates
• Higher rate limits - More API requests per minute
• Priority support - Faster response times

Managing Subscriptions

• Subscribe: Navigate to Settings → Billing → Subscriptions
• Cancel: Visit the Stripe Customer Portal via Settings → Billing → Manage Subscription
• Update payment: Use the Customer Portal to update payment methods
• View invoices: All subscription invoices appear in your invoice history

Subscription Billing

• Billed monthly on the day you subscribed
• Automatically renewed unless cancelled
• Pro-rated refunds not available
• Access continues until end of current billing period after cancellation

Understanding Your Balance

Available vs Total Balance

Total Balance: All credits you own

Total Balance = Purchased Credits - Consumed Credits

Available Balance: Credits you can use for new interviews

Available Balance = Total Balance - Reserved Credits

Reserved Credits: Credits allocated to pending interviews

• Interview created but not started
• Released back if interview expires before starting
• Consumed when interview starts

Example Scenario

1. You purchase 10 credits → Total: 10, Available: 10
2. Create 3 interviews (2 credits each) → Total: 10, Available: 4, Reserved: 6
3. Candidate completes 1 interview → Total: 8, Available: 4, Reserved: 4
4. 1 interview expires → Total: 8, Available: 6, Reserved: 2
5. Candidate starts 1 interview → Total: 6, Available: 4, Reserved: 0

Transaction History

Every credit movement is tracked in your transaction history:

Transaction Types

• Purchase - Credits added from bundle purchase
• Trial Grant - Free trial credit
• Consumption - Credits used for interview
• Refund - Credits returned (interview expired before starting)

Viewing Transactions

Navigate to Settings → Billing → Transactions to see:

• Date and time
• Transaction type
• Amount (positive or negative)
• Description
• Related interview (if applicable)
• Remaining balance after transaction

Fraud Prevention

To prevent abuse of the trial system:

Rate Limits

• 1 trial per email domain per 30 days
• 3 signups per IP address per 24 hours
• Free email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) subject to stricter limits

Domain Blocking

Domains with abuse patterns may be blocked from trial eligibility.

Best Practices

Optimize Credit Usage

1. Use default time limits - 3 minutes per question is usually sufficient
2. Exclude unnecessary questions - Remove questions that aren't critical
3. Bundle purchases - Buy larger bundles for better value
4. Set interview expiration appropriately - Give candidates enough time but not too much
5. Monitor reserved credits - Review pending interviews regularly

Managing Costs

1. Track pending interviews - Don't create interviews too far in advance
2. Purchase as needed - Buy credits when you need them (they never expire)
3. Use webhooks - Get notified immediately when interviews complete
4. API integration - Automate interview creation only when candidates are ready

Troubleshooting

"Insufficient credits" Error

This means your available balance is too low:

Solution:

1. Check how many credits are reserved for pending interviews
2. Wait for pending interviews to complete or expire
3. Purchase additional credits

Credits Not Appearing After Purchase

Solution:

1. Check your email for purchase confirmation
2. Refresh your dashboard
3. Check Settings → Billing → Transactions
4. If still missing after 5 minutes, contact support with your payment confirmation

Interview Expired But Credits Not Returned

If an interview expired before starting, credits should be released:

Solution:

1. Check transaction history for a refund entry
2. Verify the interview status is "Expired"
3. Allow up to 1 hour for processing
4. Contact support if credits not returned

Check your email spam folder if not receiving notifications.

Support

For billing questions or issues:

• Email: info@round0.io
• Include: Account email, transaction ID (if applicable), description of issue
• Response time: Within 24-48 hours on business days