What does the `auto_refill` transaction type in Credits History mean?

An auto_refill row in your Valid Email Checker Credits History is the trail an automatic top-up leaves behind. Auto-refill is an optional setting that quietly buys you a PAYG pack when your balance drops below a threshold you set. When it fires, this row appears with the credits deposited and the bucket they landed in.

How an auto-refill row looks

A typical entry: transaction type "Auto Refill", credits_in equal to the total of the tier that fired (base + bonus), credits_out = 0, balance_after equal to your new balance, bucket = "payg" (auto-refill always deposits into PAYG so the credits never expire). The description usually carries the tier label, the dollar charge, and the threshold that triggered it. The credit-card icon indicates a payment was charged.

What triggered it

Auto-refill watches your total balance. When the total drops below your configured threshold (say, 1,000 credits), the system charges your saved payment method for the tier you chose, deposits the credits into PAYG, and logs the auto_refill row. Triggering happens within a few minutes of crossing the threshold, depending on the timing mode you picked (aggressive, balanced, conservative, or scheduled).

How it differs from `purchase_payg`

A purchase_payg row records a credit pack you bought manually on /buy-credits. An auto_refill row records a pack you bought automatically because your balance dipped. The credits land in the same place (PAYG) and behave identically once they are there. The distinction in the ledger is purely about who initiated the transaction — you or VEC. See what does purchase_payg mean for the manual version.

If you see auto_refill rows but did not set it up

Auto-refill is off by default on every account. If you see auto_refill rows, somebody on the account turned it on at some point — check Account Settings → Auto-Refill to see the current configuration. Owners can toggle it; team members do not have access to billing controls and cannot enable it. If something looks wrong, disable auto-refill first, then contact support to investigate.