## **🔍 What This Error Means**

Seeing an **insufficient credits** error while trying to publish a press release — even when your credit balance looks healthy — usually points to a **quota type mismatch**, not a simple lack of credits.

Press release publishing draws from your **Hyperdrive Credits** balance, which is a different pool from your general AI content credits. Having a healthy general AI-credit balance does not automatically mean you have enough Hyperdrive Credits available for press release publishing - the two are tracked separately.

## **🗂️ Understanding Credit Pools**

Your Search Atlas account manages more than one credit pool. The two most relevant here are:

- **General AI Credits:** Used for AI writing, content generation, and similar tools.
- **Hyperdrive Credits:** Used for press release publishing and other high-volume distribution actions.

When you attempt to publish a press release, the system checks **only your press release credit balance**. If your Hyperdrive Credits balance is at zero or below the required threshold, you will see the insufficient credits error - regardless of how many general AI credits you hold.

## **✅ How to Check Your Press Release Credit Balance**

1. Log in to your Search Atlas account.
2. Click your **profile icon** or **account name** in the top-right corner.
3. Navigate to **Billing** or **Subscription & Credits**.
4. Look for the **Hyperdrive Credits** line item specifically - do not rely on your general AI credit total shown on the dashboard overview.
5. Confirm whether your press release credit balance is sufficient for a new publication.

## **🛠️ Steps to Resolve the Error**

1. **Verify the correct credit pool:** Confirm your press release credits balance as described above. Do not assume the general credit counter reflects press release availability.
2. **Check your current plan:** Some subscription tiers include a limited monthly allocation of press release credits. If you have used your allocation for the billing cycle, the balance resets on your renewal date.
3. **Review your billing cycle reset date:** If your press release credits are exhausted, note when your next billing cycle begins so your quota will automatically refresh.
4. **Consider a credit top-up or plan upgrade:** If you need to publish before the reset date, you may be able to purchase additional press release credits or upgrade your plan to receive a higher monthly allocation. Check the **Billing** section for available options.
5. **Retry publishing after confirming credits are available:** Only retry the publish action once you have confirmed the press release credit balance is sufficient. Retrying before resolving the underlying quota issue will produce the same error.

## **⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid**

- **Assuming general AI credits = Hyperdrive Credits.** Always check your Hyperdrive Credits balance specifically, not your general AI credit total.
- **Retrying immediately without checking balances.** The error will persist until the correct credit pool has sufficient funds.
- **Confusing a billing cycle reset with an account issue.** If your quota resets monthly, an empty press release credit pool is expected behaviour near the end of a cycle — not a platform bug.

## **🙋 When to Contact Support**

Reach out to the support team if any of the following apply after following the steps above:

- Your press release credit balance shows available credits but the error still appears.
- Credits were deducted without a successful publish completing.
- Your credit balance does not match what your plan states you should receive.
- You are unable to locate the press release credit line in your billing dashboard.

If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.