Minutes, Credits & Balance
How transcription minutes, prepaid credits, and your balance work together.
Every recording and upload in Kalima draws from your transcription time. That time comes from two places: the included minutes that come with your plan each week, and prepaid credits you can buy whenever you need more. This page explains how the two fit together, how your balance is calculated, and what happens when it runs low.
The two kinds of transcription time
Your transcription time comes from two sources. Included weekly minutes are the time your plan grants every calendar week; they reset every Monday (00:00 UTC) and are always used first. Prepaid credits are top-up time you buy as a one-time purchase. Credits don't reset monthly. They stay on your balance until you use them.
When you record or transcribe a file, Kalima draws time from your included weekly minutes first, and only starts using your prepaid credits once those included minutes are gone. Your balance is simply the two added together: remaining included minutes plus any credits you've purchased.
Included minutes reset every calendar week, so there's no reason to hold back. Use them. Credits never expire on a monthly cycle, so they're a safe buffer for the weeks you record more than usual.
Included minutes by plan
Each plan comes with a weekly transcription allowance. Time is measured at near-second precision, so you're only charged for what you actually record.
| Plan | Included minutes / week | As hours |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 120 | 2 hours |
| Plus | 1,200 | 20 hours |
| Pro | 3,000 | 50 hours |
| Team | 3,000 per member | 50 hours per member |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Your included allowance refills every Monday (00:00 UTC). Unused included minutes do not roll over; they reset to your plan's full amount. For the complete feature comparison across plans, see Plans & Pricing.
Prepaid credits and top-ups
When you need more time than your plan includes, or you're on Free and want to keep going, you can buy prepaid credits. The base rate is simple: 1 EUR buys 60 minutes of transcription. Larger packs give you more hours for your money.
Credit packs
| Price | Transcription time |
|---|---|
| 4.99 EUR | 5 hours |
| 9.49 EUR | 20 hours |
| 14.99 EUR | 40 hours |
| 24.49 EUR | 72 hours Popular |
| 49.95 EUR | 155 hours |
| 99.90 EUR | 333 hours |
The bigger the pack, the more hours you get per euro, so larger packs are the most economical way to stock up. Prefer a specific amount? You can enter a custom top-up instead, as money or as minutes, with a minimum of 4.99 EUR.
Credit prices may appear converted to your local currency for convenience, but every charge is processed in EUR through our secure payment provider. The converted figure is an estimate; the EUR amount is what's billed.
How to buy credits
If you administer a team or organization, you can also buy shared credits that everyone draws on. See Billing & Seats for how shared balances and funding order work.
Your balance and the low-balance warning
A balance gauge in the Studio and sidebar shows how much recording time you have left at a glance, combining your remaining included minutes and any credits. As your balance drops, the gauge changes to keep you informed. With roughly 10 hours or more available it reads as healthy, with plenty of headroom for long sessions. As your balance falls, you'll see a low-balance warning so you can top up before it matters. At around 1 hour left it turns critical, a sign to top up or upgrade soon so a recording doesn't stop mid-session.
If you start a recording with too little time, or run out during one, an Insufficient Balance dialog appears. It shows your current balance, suggests a matching credit pack, lets you enter a custom top-up, and offers to upgrade your plan, all without leaving your recording flow. Recording resumes as soon as your balance is restored.
A recording automatically stops when your balance reaches zero. You'll get a low-balance warning beforehand, so keep an eye on the gauge during long sessions and top up early if you're close.
Verify your email to unlock free minutes
Your plan's included weekly minutes are held back until your email address is verified. If your free minutes show as 0 on a new account, that's almost always the reason.
Unverified accounts see 0 included minutes until they verify their email. Purchased credits still work in the meantime; only the free weekly allowance is withheld. The same applies to the rare case of an account temporarily under review: included minutes are paused, but any credits you've bought remain fully usable.
To unlock your free allowance, finish verifying your email. See Create Your Account.
Frequently asked questions
Included minutes come with your plan and reset every calendar week. Credits are prepaid time you buy separately and don't reset monthly. Recording always uses your included minutes first, then your credits.
No. Included minutes reset to your plan's full weekly amount every Monday (00:00 UTC) and don't carry over. Prepaid credits, on the other hand, stay on your balance until you use them.
The base rate is 1 EUR = 60 minutes. The preset packs are 4.99 EUR for 5 hours, 9.49 EUR for 20 hours, 14.99 EUR for 40 hours, 24.49 EUR for 72 hours, 49.95 EUR for 155 hours, and 99.90 EUR for 333 hours. Larger packs give you more hours per euro.
Yes. Instead of a preset pack you can enter a custom top-up as either an amount of money or a number of minutes, with a minimum of 4.99 EUR.
Your included weekly minutes are withheld until you verify your email address, and may also be paused while an account is under review. In both cases, any credits you've purchased remain usable. Verify your email to unlock the free allowance.
Recording stops automatically when your balance hits zero, after a low-balance warning. Buy a credit top-up from the Insufficient Balance dialog or the Credits page, or upgrade your plan for more weekly minutes, and you can carry on.
Credits don't reset on a weekly cycle the way included minutes do. They stay on your balance until you use them.
All plans and credit packs are priced in EUR. Prices may be displayed in your local currency for convenience, but the charge is always processed in EUR.