Credits Deduction Rules
How Credits are deducted when submitting translation tasks — deduction order, prerequisites, and what happens when Credits are insufficient.
Document translation and video translation share the same Credits pool. Simultaneous interpretation also shares this Credits pool. This page explains the deduction order and conditions.
Deduction order
When you submit a translation task, the system deducts Credits in the following order:
Priority | Source | Description |
1 | Free trial Credits | Deducted first; when multiple free trial balances exist, the one expiring soonest is deducted first |
2 | Seat monthly Credits | After free trial is exhausted, seat Credits are deducted (paid seats include 1,200 Credits/month, reset on the 1st of each month) |
3 | Shared add-on package | If seat Credits are also insufficient, add-on package Credits are deducted last; when multiple packs exist, the one expiring soonest is deducted first |
The system checks the total balance before submission. If the balance is insufficient, the task fails immediately — it will not partially deduct. Purchase an add-on package and try again.
Who can submit tasks
Identity | Condition |
Alibaba Cloud account (Owner) | Either: ① has a valid seat assigned; or ② no seat or seat expired, but task cost ≤ free trial balance |
Member | Must have a valid seat assigned. Cannot submit without a seat or with an expired seat |
Alibaba Cloud account without a seat: Can only use free trial Credits. If a single task exceeds the free trial balance, you must purchase and assign a seat before continuing. Shared add-on packages also require a valid seat.
When are Credits deducted
Each capability has a different deduction timing:
Capability | Timing | On Cancel/Fail |
Document translation | Calculated precisely by word count and page count, deducted at submission | Full refund of deducted Credits |
Video translation | Calculated precisely by video duration, deducted at submission | Full refund of deducted Credits |
Simultaneous interpretation | Credits are frozen based on the user-selected duration at session start and settled by actual duration at session end. If actual consumption is less than the frozen amount, the difference is automatically refunded | Full unfreeze |
Not enough Credits?
Scenario | What to do |
Free trial balance insufficient | System automatically deducts from seat Credits — no action needed |
Seat Credits insufficient | System automatically deducts from shared add-on package — no action needed |
All balances insufficient | Purchase a shared add-on package (see Manage Subscriptions) |
Alibaba Cloud account has no seat and free trial is insufficient | Purchase and assign a seat, or renew the expired seat |
Seat expired but still has balance | Balance is voided after expiry — purchase a new seat or renew |
If you need help, please click here to contact us (top-right corner 
icon).
Deduction flowchart
Expiry reminder: Free trial Credits, seats, or add-on packages with an expiry date will have their remaining balance voided upon expiry. Renew or purchase new Credits in advance if you need to continue translating.