BillionVerify Help center
Straight answers about verification results, billing, and how BillionVerify works.
Common questions about BillionVerify
Learn what each result means, when credits are charged, and what to expect from mailbox verification.
13 answers
What do the verification statuses mean? (valid, invalid, catch-all, unknown, disposable, role)
Verification statuses: valid confirms a mailbox, invalid a confirmed failure, catch-all is unconfirmed, unknown has no signal; disposable and role are flagged.
Provider limitationsWhy are iCloud (icloud.com / me.com / mac.com) addresses not marked "valid"?
iCloud addresses return unknown, not invalid, because Apple hides mailbox existence and blocks probes; BillionVerify skips live checks and charges nothing.
Provider limitationsWhy are Outlook / Hotmail / Live addresses not marked "valid"?
Outlook, Hotmail, and Live addresses return unknown because Microsoft hides consumer mailboxes; Microsoft 365 domains are checked live and can be catch-all.
Verification resultsWhat does an "unknown" result mean, and what should I do with it?
An unknown result means no signal came back, not that the address is bad; iCloud, Outlook, greylisting, and rate limits cause it, and it is never charged.
Verification resultsWhy is an address marked catch-all instead of valid?
Marked catch-all means the domain accepts mail to any address without confirming the mailbox; it is deliverable but riskier than valid, and the check is billed.
Verification resultsWhy was an address I believe is active marked "invalid"?
Marked invalid reflects a concrete rejection from the receiving server, such as a missing mailbox, disabled account, full inbox, or no MX records, not a guess.
Verification resultsWhat does the "score" in the result mean?
The score in the result runs from 0.0 to 1.0 and shows deliverability confidence: near 1.0 for valid, near 0 for invalid, and moderate for catch-all or unknown.
Verification resultsWhy did my result change when I re-verified the same address?
A result change on re-check can come from cached answers within 24 hours or temporary greylisting, rate limits, and timeouts; force_refresh runs a live check.
Billing and creditsWhich results consume credits?
Results consume credits for outcomes BillionVerify confirms: valid, server-rejected invalid, catch-all, and role are billed; unknown and syntax errors are not.
Billing and creditsDo you charge for disposable / temporary email addresses?
Disposable email addresses are free to detect: BillionVerify recognizes the provider without a live SMTP probe, while an explicit full SMTP check is billed.
Billing and creditsAm I charged again if I verify the same address twice?
Verify the same address twice within 24 hours and the second check is not billed; after that, a fresh check is billed again unless the result was already free.
Billing and creditsDo my credits expire?
Do my credits expire? No: purchased and bonus credits stay in your account until used, with no monthly reset, and unused balances do not lapse over time.
Trust and privacyDoes verification send a real email to the address?
Send a real email? No: verification opens an SMTP connection, asks if the mailbox accepts mail, then closes before the DATA command, so recipients see nothing.
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