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How to Track Usage Credits

Platform OverviewUpdated 14 min read

Usage credits are the unit eCourtDate uses to measure your agency's messaging. Every text message, voice call, email, push notification, portal reply, and chat message your agency sends or receives draws from your credit balance, so knowing how credits are counted helps you plan and avoid surprises.

Overview​

  • What: A guide to how usage credits are counted, where to check your balance, your credit grants, your usage history, and the credits on a single message, and how to track credits with a report and text segments with a Data Dashboard
  • Why: Tracking credits lets you see which messages use the most, buy more before your balance runs low, and use grants before they expire
  • Who: Billing contacts who manage your agency's credit balance, staff who build messages and templates, and analysts who report on messaging
  • Expected outcomes: A clear picture of your available credits, what consumed them, and which messages cost more than one credit

Prerequisites​

  • An active eCourtDate user account
  • Your email address listed as a contact on your agency's customer profile, to use the Billing Portal steps
  • Access to Dashboard > Messages in your eCourtDate agency, to check the credits on a single message
  • The create_reports and update_reports permissions, to build a credit report under Analytics > Reports
  • Access to Analytics > Dashboards, and an admin, analyst, or researcher role on the dashboard site, to track text segments on a Data Dashboard

How-To Steps​

Step 1: Check Your Credit Balance​

  1. Sign in to the Billing Portal with your eCourtDate login.
  2. Review the Credits Overview card at the top of the Dashboard.

The card shows three figures:

  • Available Credits is your activated credits minus the credits you have used. The figure turns red when the balance is negative.
  • Activated Credits is the total credited to your account.
  • Remaining Balance is a gauge of the percentage still available. It turns orange below 50 percent and red below 20 percent.

An orange warning appears on the card when a credit grant expires within 90 days.

Step 2: See How Your Credits Were Used​

  1. Scroll to the Usage Credits section of the Dashboard.
  2. Read Usage Credits Used, which is the figure taken from your balance.
  3. Read the two counts under it: text & voice and email & push.

The email & push count is the raw number of messages. It includes emails, push notifications, portal replies, and chat messages. Every 10 of them count as one usage credit, so this count is larger than the credits it uses.

Step 3: Check Your Credit Grants and Expiry Dates​

  1. Click Credits in the top navigation bar.
  2. Review Total Activated at the top of the screen.
  3. Review the Quantity, Status, Activated, and Expires columns for each grant.
  4. Look for orange dates in the Expires column. These grants expire within 90 days.

A grant marked with an expired badge has passed its expiry date. Click PDF or the CSV button to export your credit history.

Step 4: Run a Usage Report​

  1. Click Usage Reports on the Dashboard.
  2. Set the From Date and To Date.
  3. Select an Interval of month or year.
  4. Filter by Region, Send Mode, or Agencies if you need a narrower view.
  5. Review the Usage Credits column in the totals table and in the Usage by Agency table.
  6. Click Download PDF or the CSV button to export the report.

Step 5: Check the Credits on a Single Message​

  1. Log in to your eCourtDate agency.
  2. Go to Dashboard > Messages.
  3. Click a message to open it.
  4. Read the Credits line in the message details.

A High badge appears next to any message that uses 3 or more credits. A scheduled message shows Estimated next to its credits until it is sent, because the final count depends on delivery.

Step 6: Create a Credit Report​

A credit report lists your messages with the credits each one used, and emails the file to your billing contacts on a schedule. It uses the Message Credits column of the messages table.

  1. Go to Analytics > Reports.
  2. Enter a name such as "Monthly Usage Credits" in the Report Name field of the Create Report card.
  3. Click Create.
  4. Enter a description in the Report Description field, such as "Credits used by every message last month".
  5. Confirm the From Date and To Date cover last month. A new report starts on a monthly schedule covering last month.
  6. Select messages.scheduled_at in the Date Field list, so each message counts in the month it was sent.
  7. Select your billing contacts or their role in Export Recipients.
  8. Click Save.
  9. Enter a name such as "Credits by Message" in the Dataset Name field of the Create Dataset card.
  10. Click Create Dataset.
  11. Click Edit on the dataset.
  12. Choose these columns in the Dataset Fields list:
    • Message Scheduled
    • Message Channel
    • Message Direction
    • Message To
    • Message Segments
    • Message Credits
  13. Click Save.
  14. Click Export Now in the Exported Reports card to create the first file.

The report already holds message datapoints such as text, email, and voice message counts, so the tiles at the top show what drove your credits. Open an export and click the CSV button, then total the Message Credits column in your spreadsheet to get the credits for the period.

To list only the messages that cost the most, filter the dataset:

  1. Click Edit on the dataset.
  2. Select Message Credits in the Field list.
  3. Select Greater Than Equal in the Operator list.
  4. Enter 3 in the Condition field.
  5. Click Add Filter.
  6. Click Save.

These are the same messages that show a High badge under Dashboard > Messages. See How to Create Reports for every report setting.

Step 7: Track Text Credits on a Data Dashboard​

Data Dashboards track message segments rather than credits. A text message uses 1 credit per segment, so the segments of your text messages show the credits they used. The count of 1 segment texts is the number of texts that cost 1 credit, 2 segment texts cost 2 credits each, and so on.

Chart Your Text Segments​

  1. Go to Analytics > Dashboards.
  2. Enter a name such as "Text Usage" in the Name field of the Create Data Dashboard card.
  3. Select messages in the Data Source list.
  4. Select private in the Status list.
  5. Click Create.
  6. Enter a Subdomain in the Edit Data Dashboard card.
  7. Check Allow Downloads, so staff can download segments from the Datasets page.
  8. Click Save.
  9. Enter "Text Segments" in Component Name in the Create Component card.
  10. Click Create.
  11. Click Edit next to the component.
  12. Select count in the Type list.
  13. Select scheduled_at in the Date Filter list.
  14. Select segments in the Group By list.
  15. Click Add Custom under Data Groups, enter 1, then click Add Custom Group. Repeat for 2 and 3.
  16. Click Add Filter in the Filters list.
  17. Enter channel in Filter Field, select = in Filter Operator, and enter text in Filter Value.
  18. Enter "Text messages" in the Y axis Title field.
  19. Click Save.

The chart shows how many text messages used 1, 2, or 3 segments. See How to Create Data Dashboards for every dashboard and component setting.

Group Text Messages by Segment​

  1. Click Data Dashboard Link on the dashboard page to open the dashboard.
  2. Open the Messages dashboard.
  3. Click Segment under Group By.
  4. Click Add filter under Filters.
  5. Click Channel.
  6. Check text.
  7. Click Apply.

Segments match credits for texts sent to phone numbers in the United States and Canada. A picture message (MMS) adds 1 credit for its attachment, and a text to another country is multiplied by that country's rate, so those messages use more credits than segments. Voice calls, emails, and push notifications are not counted in segments, so keep the Channel filter on text. Use a credit report (Step 6) when you need the exact credits for every message.

Download Segments from Datasets​

  1. Click Data Dashboard Link on the dashboard page to open the dashboard.
  2. Click Sign in and enter the one-time passcode sent to your email.
  3. Click Datasets under Data in the navigation.
  4. Select Messages in the Dataset list.
  5. Set the From and To dates, or click a Quick range such as This month.
  6. Click Add filter under Filters.
  7. Click Channel.
  8. Check text.
  9. Click Apply in the filter panel.
  10. Click Download CSV.

The CSV holds every text message in the date range with its Segments column. Total that column in a spreadsheet to get the credits your text messages used.

How Usage Credits Are Counted​

Messages your agency receives count the same way as messages you send.

MessageCredits used
Text message (SMS)1 credit per segment. A long message splits into several segments, and each segment counts.
Picture message (MMS)1 credit per segment, plus 1 extra credit for the attachment.
Voice call1 credit per minute. A partial minute counts as a full minute, so a 61-second call uses 2 credits.
EmailEvery 10 emails count as 1 credit.
Push notificationEvery 10 push notifications count as 1 credit.
Portal reply or chat messageEvery 10 portal replies or chat messages count as 1 credit.
Message not sent because the client opted outNo credits.

Texts and calls to phone numbers outside the United States and Canada use more credits. eCourtDate multiplies the credits for the message by a rate for the destination country, then rounds up to a whole number.

Emails, push notifications, portal replies, and chat messages are added together and converted once per calendar month, and the result is rounded up. For example, 25 emails in one month use 3 credits. Because each month rounds on its own, a report row that covers only part of a month can make the rows add up to slightly more than the total.

How Expiry Works​

  • Purchased credit grants expire 24 months after activation.
  • Bonus credits, such as the credits you earn through referrals, expire 1 year after activation, not 2 years like purchased credits.
  • Credits billed as invoice line items expire 24 months after the invoice issue date.
  • Your usage draws from your oldest grant first.
  • Only credits that are still unused on the expiry date are forfeited. Credits you used before that date stay used.
  • A grant with a dash in the Expires column has no expiry date.

What to Expect​

Your balance updates as messages are sent and as invoices are paid. The credits on a scheduled message are an estimate until the message goes out, and the final figure appears on the message after delivery. eCourtDate emails a Monthly Usage Report to your billing contacts at the start of each month.

Best Practices​

  • Preview each template before it goes live, so you know how many segments it uses. See How to Preview Messages.
  • Open a sample of messages from each template under Dashboard > Messages and check for the High badge, so a template that uses more credits than you planned does not go unnoticed.
  • Review your usage report each month and compare it with your Available Credits, so you can buy more credits before your balance runs low.
  • Check the Expires column on the Credits screen each quarter, so no grant reaches its expiry date with credits you planned to use.
  • Plan for inbound messages. Client replies and incoming calls use credits the same way as the messages you send.
  • Schedule a monthly credit report to your billing contacts, so the credits behind each invoice arrive without anyone running an export.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do messages my agency receives use credits?

Yes. Inbound text messages and calls count the same way as outbound ones, by segment for texts and by minute for calls.

Why did one text message use more than 1 credit?

The message split into more than one segment, it included a picture, or it went to a phone number outside the United States and Canada. Open the message under Dashboard > Messages and read its Credits line.

What happens if my agency runs out of credits?

Your messaging is not shut off. Your Available Credits figure goes negative, and eCourtDate bills the overage according to your contract.

Do I lose credits I already used when a grant expires?

No. Only the unused part of a grant is forfeited on its expiry date. Your usage draws from the oldest grant first, so prompt use protects your credits.

Do referral credits expire at the same time as purchased credits?

No. Bonus credits, such as referral credits, expire 1 year after activation. Purchased credits expire after 2 years. Check the Expires column on the Credits screen of the Billing Portal for each grant's date.

Why does the email & push count look so high compared to my credits?

The email & push figure counts messages, not credits. It includes emails, push notifications, portal replies, and chat messages, and every 10 of them count as 1 usage credit.

Do test messages in the staging region use credits?

No. Outbound credits in the staging region are simulated, and the message details mark them Simulated.

Can a report show my total credits for the month?

A report dataset lists each message with its Message Credits value. Click the CSV button on an export and total that column in your spreadsheet.

Why does my Data Dashboard show segments instead of credits?

Data Dashboards track segments, not credits. For texts to the United States and Canada, segments and credits are the same number. Use a credit report under Analytics > Reports for picture messages, international texts, calls, and emails.

Who can download segments from a Data Dashboard?

Anyone with an admin, analyst, or researcher role on the dashboard site, and only when Allow Downloads is checked on the dashboard. Visitors without one of those roles see the charts but not the Datasets page.

Will my credit report match the Billing Portal?

Texts and calls match. Emails and push notifications do not, because each one shows 1 credit on its own message, while the Billing Portal counts every 10 of them as 1 credit. To compare with your bill, total the credits for text and voice messages, then add your email and push messages divided by 10.

Troubleshooting​

Credits used are higher than the number of messages sent.

Symptoms: The Usage Credits Used figure is larger than your count of text messages.

Solution:

  1. Go to Dashboard > Messages in your eCourtDate agency.
  2. Open messages with a High badge and read their Credits line.
  3. Check those templates for length, attachments, and non-GSM characters.
  4. Check whether your agency sends to phone numbers outside the United States and Canada.
  5. Remember that inbound texts and calls also use credits.
A usage report total does not match the sum of its rows.

Symptoms: Adding the rows of a report gives a slightly larger number than the total.

Solution:

  1. Check the From Date and To Date of the report.
  2. Set the From Date to the first day of a month.
  3. Set the To Date to the last day of a month.
  4. Run the report again. When every row covers whole months, the rows add up to the total.
Available Credits dropped without new usage.

Symptoms: Your balance went down but your messaging did not change.

Solution:

  1. Click Credits in the Billing Portal.
  2. Look for a grant with an expired badge. Its unused credits were forfeited on the expiry date.
  3. Email billing@ecourtdate.com with your agency name if no grant expired.
The Download CSV button is missing on the Datasets page.

Symptoms: You can browse messages on the Datasets page, but there is no way to download them.

Solution:

  1. Go to Analytics > Dashboards and open the dashboard.
  2. Check Allow Downloads.
  3. Click Save.
  4. Reload the Datasets page.
The Datasets page shows no messages.

Symptoms: The table reads "No records match the selected dataset, date range, and filters." for a period when your agency sent messages.

Solution:

  1. Go to Analytics > Dashboards and open the dashboard.
  2. Uncheck Simulate Data, because a simulated dashboard has no real rows to list.
  3. Confirm every agency you report on is selected under Choose Agencies.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Widen the From and To dates on the Datasets page and click Apply.