How Credits Work
Instead of complex requests-per-minute limits, each API operation costs a certain number of credits:| Operation | Credits | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text search | 1 | GET /v1/trademarks/search?q=apple |
| Image search | 3 | POST /v1/trademarks/search/image |
| Fast conflict check | 2 | POST /v1/analysis/check |
| Deep clearance analysis | 5 | POST /v1/analysis/clearance |
| Class classification | 1 | POST /v1/analysis/classify |
| Class suggestions | 1 | POST /v1/classifications/search |
| Trademark lookup | 1 | GET /v1/trademarks/{jurisdiction}/{id} |
| Owner search | 1 | GET /v1/owners/search |
| List offices | 0 | GET /v1/offices |
| List classes | 0 | GET /v1/classifications |
| List jurisdictions | 0 | GET /v1/jurisdictions |
| Health check | 0 | GET /v1/health |
Credit Tiers
| Plan | Monthly Credits | Overage Rate | Monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1,000 | $0.01/credit | 2 monitors |
| Growth | 10,000 | $0.008/credit | 10 monitors |
| Pro | 50,000 | $0.006/credit | 50 monitors |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited |
All plans include:
- Text and image search
- AI-powered analysis (fast check, deep clearance, classification)
- Webhook monitoring
- Full API access
- Email support
Rate Limit Headers
Every API response includes credit information in the headers:| Header | Description |
|---|---|
X-RateLimit-Limit | Total credits available in your plan |
X-RateLimit-Remaining | Credits remaining this billing period |
X-RateLimit-Reset | Unix timestamp when credits reset |
X-RateLimit-Cost | Credits consumed by this request |
Handling Rate Limits
When you exceed your credit limit, you’ll receive a429 Too Many Requests response:
Best Practices
Monitor Your Usage
Monitor Your Usage
Track the
X-RateLimit-Remaining header to monitor credit usage in real-time.Choose the Right Analysis Level
Choose the Right Analysis Level
Use fast checks when possible, deep analysis when needed:
- Fast conflict check (2 credits) - Quick trademark conflict detection in 300-800ms
- Deep clearance analysis (5 credits) - Comprehensive AI analysis with detailed recommendations
- Image search (3 credits) - Use only for logo similarity checks
Cache Responses
Cache Responses
Trademark data doesn’t change frequently. Cache search results to reduce API calls.
Use Filters to Reduce Scope
Use Filters to Reduce Scope
Filter by jurisdiction, classes, and status to get more relevant results:Note: Better filtering improves result quality without consuming extra credits.
Use Webhooks Instead of Polling
Use Webhooks Instead of Polling
For monitoring use cases, webhooks are more efficient than polling:
Implement Exponential Backoff
Implement Exponential Backoff
If you hit a rate limit, wait before retrying:
Use Filters to Reduce Results
Use Filters to Reduce Results
Filter by office, classes, and status to get more relevant results:
Credit Usage Examples
Scenario 1: Brand Clearance Search
Scenario 2: E-commerce Seller Tool (Etsy/Amazon)
Scenario 3: Logo Similarity Check
Monitoring Costs
Monitors are priced separately from credits:| Plan | Monitors Included | Additional Monitors |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 2 | $10/month each |
| Growth | 10 | $5/month each |
| Pro | 50 | $2/month each |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Included |
Overage Handling
When you exceed your monthly credits:- Auto-upgrade (recommended): Automatically purchase overage credits
- Hard limit: API returns
429errors until next billing cycle - Prepurchase: Buy credit packs in advance
View Your Usage
Check your current usage anytime:Upgrade Your Plan
Need more credits? Upgrade anytime:Enterprise Plans
For high-volume usage, contact sales for:- Custom credit allocations (100K+ credits/month)
- Dedicated infrastructure with guaranteed performance
- Volume discounts on credits
- Custom rate limits and SLAs
- Priority support with dedicated account manager
- Bulk data exports and custom integrations
Fair Use Policy
We expect reasonable use of the API:- ✅ Allowed: Production applications, integrations, research
- ✅ Allowed: Caching results, batch processing
- ✅ Allowed: Reselling value-added services built on our API
- ❌ Not Allowed: Scraping our entire database
- ❌ Not Allowed: Bypassing credit limits with multiple accounts
- ❌ Not Allowed: Reselling raw API access without adding value
FAQs
Do credits roll over?
Do credits roll over?
No, unused credits expire at the end of each billing period. Prepurchased credit packs do not expire.
What happens if I upgrade mid-month?
What happens if I upgrade mid-month?
You’ll immediately get access to your new credit limit. Previous usage counts toward the new limit.
Can I purchase additional credits?
Can I purchase additional credits?
Yes! Buy credit packs anytime in the dashboard. They never expire and can be used alongside your monthly allocation.
Do failed requests consume credits?
Do failed requests consume credits?
No. Only successful responses (HTTP 200) consume credits. Errors (4xx, 5xx) are free.
Are webhooks included?
Are webhooks included?
Yes! Webhook deliveries don’t consume credits. Monitor subscriptions are priced separately.