> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getmailr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
> ## Agent Instructions
> Mailr is a direct-mail marketing platform for US home-services contractors. Each postcard is personalized with an AI-enhanced image of the recipient's own home and a unique QR code that leads to a personalized landing page. Campaigns can target a neighborhood the customer draws on a map, the homes around past jobs they upload or import, or fire automatically from their CRM. Mailr does not mail an uploaded recipient list. When answering questions, prefer the exact steps and UI labels from these docs, and direct users to app.getmailr.com to sign in. For anything involving account-specific data, billing disputes, or mail that appears lost, direct the user to support@getmailr.com.
# Credits & pricing
> How Mailr credits work: buy credits up front, they are held when you submit a campaign, charged per card produced, and expire 12 months after purchase.
Mailr is prepaid. You buy **credits**, and every postcard you mail draws credits from your balance at your current per-card rate. That rate includes printing, postage, and delivery — the Billing page footer says it plainly: **Includes — Printing, postage, and delivery**.
## Where your balance lives
The sidebar footer always shows **Credits** with your current balance. Click it, or open **Billing**, to see the full picture on the **Billing & Credits** page — *"Manage your credit balance and view transaction history."*
The top card shows **Available Credits**, plus two lines that appear when they apply:
* **"\$X committed to pending campaigns"** — credits **held** for campaigns that are submitted or in production. Held credits are still yours; they are just spoken for.
* **"\$X expires \[date] · credits are spent oldest-first"** — a heads-up that some of your balance is approaching its 12-month expiry.
## Held at submit, charged at production
Credits move in two steps, so you are never charged for cards that don't exist.
Mailr places a **hold** for the full estimated amount. Nothing is charged yet — the money is still yours, just committed to that campaign.
Credits are **charged** for the cards that were actually produced.
Homes we can't render, suppressed addresses, and cards that never get produced are refunded automatically. See [Refunds & credit returns](/billing/refunds).
Withdrawing a submitted campaign releases the hold immediately. Full detail on each stage is in [Campaign statuses & timelines](/campaigns/statuses-and-timelines).
**Follow-up drop series are the one exception.** A campaign with follow-up drops is charged for the
whole series up front when you create it, with every drop priced at that month's rates. Cards in
any drop that never get produced are still refunded automatically.
## Buying credits
Buying is **Owner-only**. Everyone else can see the balance but not top it up.
In [the Mailr app](https://app.getmailr.com), go to **Billing** and press **Add Credits**.
Choose one of the quick-pick tiles or enter a custom amount. A minimum purchase applies, and there is a maximum. The modal shows both, and tells you plainly if a custom amount falls outside them.
Press **Continue to payment** to open a secure checkout. Card details go straight into the payment provider's own form — Mailr never sees or stores your card number. See [Payments & invoices](/billing/payments-and-invoices).
The modal footer restates the deal: *"Credits pay for postcard printing, postage, and delivery · credits expire 12 months after purchase."*
If you are not the Owner, **Add Credits** tells you so: **"Only your organization's owner can purchase credits. Ask them to top up, or contact support."** On accounts where online payment isn't switched on yet you'll see **"Credit purchases are coming soon. Contact support for manual top-ups in the meantime."** Roles are explained in [Team & roles](/account/team-and-roles).
## Credits expire after 12 months
Every purchase expires **12 months** after it was bought, and credits are always **spent oldest-first**, so the ones closest to expiring go first. Credits already held for a campaign in flight won't expire mid-campaign.
About 30 days before your oldest credits expire, Mailr emails you — subject **"Mailr credits expiring soon: \$X"** — and the expiry date also appears on the Billing page.
Mailr does not auto-reload or auto-recharge your balance. That's deliberate: nothing is ever charged to your card without you starting the purchase. Watch the **Low credit balance warning** email and top up before a big drop.
## How the per-card rate works
Your price per card falls as your monthly volume rises, and the pricing is **graduated**: the first cards you mail in a month are priced in the first band, the next ones in the next band, and so on. It is not a retroactive discount that re-prices everything at the lowest rate you reach.
Everything you need to see your own numbers is on the Billing page:
* The **Pricing** card shows your current per-card rate for each card type.
* A **Graduated monthly pricing** table lists every band, with **"← you are here"** marking the one you're in right now.
* A progress panel shows **"N cards sent this month"** and **"N to the next rate"**.
* High-volume bands show **"Contact us"** instead of a price — email [support@getmailr.com](mailto:support@getmailr.com) to talk through enterprise pricing.
* If your account is on negotiated pricing, the page says so: *"Your account is on negotiated flat pricing — the rates above apply at any monthly volume."*
Rates vary by account and change over time, so the help center doesn't print numbers. **Your live rates and your position in the ladder are always shown on the Billing page** — that's the source of truth.
Three rules worth knowing:
* **Volume resets every calendar month**, and both postcard types count toward the same total.
* **Your price is locked when you submit a campaign.** A later rate change never moves an in-flight campaign's charge.
* A follow-up drop series is charged up front when the campaign is created, with every drop priced against that month's bands, climbing them drop by drop.
## AI design credits are separate
**AI design credits** are a second, separate balance, *"Used for AI design generations and edits."* They never pay for postage, and postcard credits never pay for design work. See [Edit with AI](/designs/edit-with-ai).
* The **AI Design Credits** card shows **"N credits available"**, with **Buy credits** and **View usage** for your recent generations, edits, top-ups, and refunds.
* New workspaces start with trial credits so you can try the design tools before buying anything; they show in usage as **Trial credits**.
* Where online payments are enabled, an optional **Monthly Subscription** grants a set number of **AI design credits each month**, which expire at the end of each billing period. Purchased design credits last 12 months. The subscription is a platform fee — it does **not** include mailing credits.
* Spend order: monthly subscription credits first, then purchased credits (soonest expiry first), then permanent credits.
A **free preview run** renders real cards for real homes and mails nothing — *"A free preview run — these cards are rendered, never mailed."* It's the no-cost way to see your design on real houses.
## Next steps
Checkout, receipts, card updates, and failed payments.
When credits come back to your balance automatically.
Exactly when a hold becomes a charge.
Build and submit your first mailing.