Every address you verify comes back with a status and a score. Here is what each status means, whether it's billable, and how to treat it.
| Status | Meaning | Charged? | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|---|
| valid | The mailbox was confirmed to exist and accept mail. | Yes | Safe to send. |
| invalid | A confirmed problem: the mailbox doesn't exist, is disabled, or the domain has no working mail server. | Yes (see note) | Remove from your list. |
| catch-all | The domain accepts mail to any address without confirming the specific mailbox. | Yes | Deliverable to the domain; mailbox unconfirmed — use judgment. |
| unknown | We couldn't get a reliable signal (e.g. Apple/iCloud, personal Outlook, greylisting, rate limiting). | No | Unconfirmed, not "bad." Usually fine to send if from a legitimate source. |
| disposable | A throwaway / temporary address that won't last. | No* | Exclude — it will stop working quickly. |
| role | A confirmed role-based address (e.g. info@, support@, sales@) rather than a personal one. | Yes | Real, but sent to a shared inbox — decide per your use case. |
Note on
invalid: an address that is invalid only because of a typo or bad format (invalid syntax) is not charged. Aninvalidthat comes from a real server rejection (e.g. mailbox not found, no mail server) is charged, because it's a confirmed determination.*Note on
disposable: detection is free, but if you explicitly run a full live SMTP check (check_smtp) on a disposable address and we complete it, that check is billed — a completed SMTP verification takes priority over the free treatment of disposables.
The billing principle in one line
You pay only for results we can confirm (valid, invalid, catch-all, role). Results we couldn't determine (unknown) and results that are really "don't send here" screens (disposable, and syntax-only invalids) are free. Each billable result costs exactly one credit, and you're not charged twice for the same address within 24 hours.