# Which results consume credits? | BillionVerify Help

> See which verification outcomes cost one credit and which results are always returned free of charge.

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# Which results consume credits?

See which verification outcomes cost one credit and which results are always returned free of charge.

[All help topics](https://billionverify.com/help.md)

**Short answer:** You are charged only for results we can actually determine. Results we could not confirm (`unknown`) are **never charged**.

## Billing by result

| Result | Charged? | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `valid` | Yes | The mailbox was confirmed to exist and accept mail. |
| `invalid` (server rejection) | Yes | The server confirmed the mailbox does not exist or cannot receive mail. |
| `invalid` (bad syntax / typo) | **No** | The address isn't a valid format, so there's nothing to verify. |
| `catch-all` | Yes | The domain accepts all mail; deliverable to the domain, mailbox unconfirmed. |
| `role` | Yes | A confirmed role address (e.g. `info@`, `support@`). |
| `unknown` | **No** | We could not obtain a reliable signal. Not billed. |
| `disposable` | No\* | A throwaway / temporary address. Detection is free (\*unless you run a full SMTP check on it — see note). |

The principle is simple: if we gave you a determination you can act on, it consumes a credit. If we could only tell you "we couldn't confirm this" (`unknown`), or the result is really a "don't send here" screen (`disposable`, or an address that's just badly formatted), you pay nothing. Each billable result costs exactly **one credit**.

> **\*Note on `disposable`:** disposable detection is free, but if you explicitly request a **full live SMTP check** (`check_smtp`) on a disposable address and we complete it, that check is billed — a completed SMTP verification always takes priority over the free treatment of disposables.

## Why unknown is free

Some mail systems (Apple iCloud, personal Outlook/Hotmail/Live, greylisting servers, rate-limited providers) prevent us from getting a trustworthy answer. Returning `unknown` in those cases is the honest outcome, and we do not think you should pay for a result we could not determine.

## You're not charged twice within 24 hours

If you verify the **same address again within 24 hours**, the repeat check does not cost an additional credit — you're billed once per address per 24-hour window. See [Am I charged again if I verify the same address twice?](https://billionverify.com/help/no-charge-for-recheck-within-24h.md) for details.

## A note on force-refresh

If you re-verify an address with a **force-refresh** request (`force_refresh=true`), that deliberately skips all caching and the 24-hour dedup to perform a fresh live check, and is billed according to its new result. The exception is when that fresh result is itself free — for example, `unknown` — in which case it still costs nothing.

## Related questions

[### Do you charge for disposable / temporary email addresses?

Disposable-domain detection is free unless you explicitly request and complete a full live SMTP verification.](https://billionverify.com/help/disposable-emails-are-free.md)[### Am I charged again if I verify the same address twice?

Repeat checks for the same account and address are free within 24 hours unless you request a force refresh.](https://billionverify.com/help/no-charge-for-recheck-within-24h.md)[### Do my credits expire?

Purchased and bonus credits stay in your account until you use them, with no monthly reset or expiration date.](https://billionverify.com/help/do-credits-expire.md)[### What do the verification statuses mean? (valid, invalid, catch-all, unknown, disposable, role)

Understand valid, invalid, catch-all, unknown, disposable, and role results, including which outcomes use credits.](https://billionverify.com/help/verification-statuses-overview.md)

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**Methods:**
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**Email Tools:**
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- [Google Maps Overview](https://billionverify.com/google-maps.md)
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**B2B Agency:**
- [B2B Agency Overview](https://billionverify.com/b2b-agency.md)
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- [Comparisons Overview](https://billionverify.com/vs.md)
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