# Not enough credits: causes and fixes Slaide Help · Troubleshooting · Last checked: 2026-10-11 · 6 min read URL: https://help.slaide.de/not-enough-credits > Slaide stops a request when your credit balance is empty. On a paid plan your monthly credits come back at the reset date the window shows. To continue sooner, switch to a higher plan, turn on pay-as-you-go or earn credits by inviting friends. A free account includes one free document, and the next one needs credits or a plan. Your progress stays saved either way. ## Which message am I seeing? When a request cannot continue, Slaide opens a window headed with what you were doing, such as “Finish building this document” or “Finish this edit”. The sentence below the heading names the cause. | The window says | Meaning and next step | | --- | --- | | “Your free document is built.” | The free plan includes one free document, and it is used. Choose a plan or earn credits. | | “Your … credits are used up for this month.” | Your plan's monthly credits are used up. The next sentence names the date they return. | | “Your monthly limit of … € is reached.” | Pay-as-you-go has reached the limit you set. Click **Raise limit** or wait for the next reset. [Pay-as-you-go](https://help.slaide.de/pay-as-you-go-billing) explains the limit. | | “Verify your email to start” | Your email address is not confirmed yet. Click the link in the confirmation mail or use **Resend the email**. | | “Your payment didn't go through” | The last subscription payment failed, and your monthly credits do not renew until it is fixed. Update your payment method. | | “Add page 4” or “Build all 8 pages” | A page limit of your plan, not a credit limit. [Plans and pricing](https://help.slaide.de/plans-and-pricing) lists the limits. | | In the chat: “Your progress is saved. Finishing this document needs credits.” | A long build stopped between two steps because the balance is empty. Your progress stays saved. | ## I am on the free plan. Why does it stop? A free account includes 1 free document and no credits. Planning, building and later changes to that document do not use credits. The next document needs credits or a plan. - **Choose a plan.** The button in the window starts the recommended plan, and [Plans and pricing](https://help.slaide.de/plans-and-pricing) compares them. - **Earn credits.** Invitations add credits that never expire, and codes can add more. [Invite friends](https://help.slaide.de/invite-friends-and-earn-credits) explains how. - **Go back to your free document.** From another document, the window links to it, and changes there stay free. - **Pupils and students** plan for free, but building needs a plan or **Just this document**, a one-time purchase for that one document. AI changes afterwards need a plan. ## My plan's credits are used up. What can I do? Plan credits come back at your monthly reset, and the window shows the date. To continue now, you have three ways. - **Switch to a higher plan.** The switch applies immediately, you receive the difference to the credits you already got this month right away, and unused time on your current plan is credited pro rata. - **Turn on pay-as-you-go.** It bills only the usage beyond your balance, up to the monthly limit you set. You find it under **Plan** in Settings, and on Max the window offers **Enable pay-as-you-go** itself. [Pay-as-you-go](https://help.slaide.de/pay-as-you-go-billing) explains it. - **Earn or redeem credits.** Credits from invitations never expire, and credits from redeemed codes are added on top. Slaide uses them after your plan credits. ![The Pay-as-you-go card in settings: the switch “Enable pay-as-you-go” and below it the Monthly limit field with an amount in euros.](https://help.slaide.de/images/help/settings-payg-en.webp) Marked in the screenshot: 1. You find it under **Plan** in Settings. 2. Switch on **Enable pay-as-you-go**. 3. Set your **Monthly limit**: the most Slaide may bill beyond your balance. ## I paid or still have credits, but Slaide stops. Why? Check these causes, the most common first. - **The payment is still being confirmed.** After checkout this can take a moment. Reload the page, then send your request again. - **A running task holds your credits.** Slaide reserves part of your balance when a run starts, at least 10 credits and never more than you have. With a small balance one task can reserve all of it, so a task on another document is refused until the first one ends. - **A subscription payment failed.** Your monthly refill is paused until the payment works. Use **Update payment method** in the window or **Manage subscription** under **Plan**. - **A page limit, not credits.** Free builds the first 3 pages of a document and Plus up to 12. Pro and Max have no plan limit on pages. - **An assistant or the add-in is asking.** The PowerPoint add-in and connected AI assistants use the same credits and stop at the same limits. ## Is my work lost when credits run out? No. Slaide keeps what is already built and the request you typed, so you can send it again once credits are available. - The window shows your request under **Your request is waiting**. If you start a plan from there, the request continues right away. - If you close the window, a banner says the run did not finish and your progress is saved. **Try again** sends your request. - A long document is built in several automatic steps. If the balance runs out between two steps, Slaide stops there. Add credits, then continue the document. - [Build stopped or failed](https://help.slaide.de/build-stopped-or-failed) helps when a build stops for another reason. ## What should I send to support if it does not add up? Write to info@slaide.de and include: - your plan and the balance shown under Settings, Plan - the exact wording of the window, or a screenshot of it - the document title and roughly when it happened - whether a payment failed or a payment page was open - the email address of your account, and never your password [Contact Slaide support](https://help.slaide.de/contact-slaide-support) has more. We usually reply within one business day. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why does Slaide say my credits are used up? Your credit balance is zero. On a paid plan the monthly credits are used up and return at the next reset, and unused ones do not roll over. A free account has no credits, only one free document. ### When do my credits come back? On a paid plan at your monthly reset. The window shows the date, and so does the Plan page in Settings. Yearly billing changes nothing, and a failed subscription payment pauses the refill. ### How do I get more credits right now? Switch to a higher plan, turn on pay-as-you-go, or earn credits by inviting friends or redeeming a code under Settings, Plan. Slaide has no credit packs to buy in advance. ### Can I start a request with only a few credits left? Yes, as long as your balance is above zero. A typical document uses about 23 credits, so a run can cost more than you have left. Your balance never goes below zero, and without pay-as-you-go you are not charged beyond it. ### I paid, but the window is still there. What now? Confirmation of a payment can take a moment. Reload the page and send your request again. If the window is still there after a few minutes, write to info@slaide.de with the date of the payment.