> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.advinservers.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Adding Account Credit

> How to add funds to your account credit balance in the Ascienth console and use it to pay invoices and renewals.

## Overview

Account credit is a prepaid balance on your account. New servers are paid from it, you can use it to pay invoices, and your services can renew from it automatically. You add funds and manage credit in the [Ascienth console](https://console.advinservers.com).

Credit reaches your account either by adding funds yourself, or by being issued to you by us, most commonly as a pro-rata refund when you cancel a service. See our [Refund Policy](/policies/refund) for details.

<Note>
  To order a new server, add funds first. See [Ordering a Server](/guides/ordering-a-server).
</Note>

Account credit belongs to your own account. If you work in someone else's team, adding funds adds to your balance, not to the team owner's.

## Adding Funds

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Add Funds">
    In the console, open "Add Funds" under "Billing" in the sidebar. The page lists your recent top-ups and their status.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose an amount">
    Click `Add Funds` and pick one of the preset amounts or enter your own. The dialog shows the smallest and largest top-up you can make, and how much more your balance can hold before it reaches your account's credit limit.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a payment method and pay">
    Choose how to pay and press pay. Any method from [Payment Methods](/guides/payment-methods) that is available to you can be used, including the legacy Stripe and PayPal options if your account has them. Account credit cannot be used to pay for a top-up.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Your balance is credited once the payment has cleared. Card and PayPal payments usually apply within a few minutes, and cryptocurrency applies once the transaction confirms.

You can only have one unpaid top-up at a time. An unpaid top-up can be paid or cancelled from the "Add Funds" page with `Pay` or `Cancel`, and cancelling it charges nothing. A top-up that is not paid in time expires, and you can start a new one.

## Using Account Credit

### Renewals

Each service has a `Pay this from account credit` switch on its billing tab, and it is on by default. While it is on, a renewal is paid from your credit when your balance covers it. Turn it off if you want an invoice to pay yourself each time the service renews, even when you have credit.

### Existing Invoices

<Danger>
  Adding funds does not settle an invoice that is already open. That invoice stays unpaid and continues toward suspension until you pay it or apply credit to it.
</Danger>

To pay an open invoice with credit, open it from "Invoices" and click `Apply credit`. Enter how much credit to use. It can be the full balance due or only part of it, in which case you pay the rest with another method. If you change your mind before the invoice is paid, click `Remove credit` to return the credit to your balance.

Credit can only be applied to an unpaid or overdue invoice that still has a balance due. Check for open invoices right after you add funds.

## Refunding Account Credit

Refunds are returned to the payment method used for the order, so a service paid for with account credit is refunded back to your credit balance under our [Refund Policy](/policies/refund).

A balance you deposited directly is intended to be spent on services with us. Returning an unspent balance to your original payment method is handled case by case, so open a ticket if you need this. We recommend only depositing what you expect to spend over the course of your billing cycles.

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The Add Funds button is greyed out.">
    You already have an unpaid top-up. Pay or cancel it from the "Add Funds" page before you start another one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I pay for a new server?">
    New servers are paid from your account credit. Add funds with any [payment method](/guides/payment-methods), then place the order.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I added funds but my invoice is still unpaid.">
    Credit is not applied to invoices that were already open. Open the invoice and click `Apply credit`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can credit be transferred to another account?">
    No. Account credit is tied to the account it was deposited on.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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