01
Create a card for X Developer Platform in Halocard
In your Halocard dashboard, create a new card, name it X Developer Platform and set a limit that covers what you are about to pay.
X API payment methods
AcceptedHalocard is accepted*
Halocard is accepted at X Developer Platform. The X API is billed pay-per-use: you buy credits upfront in the X Developer Console with a card, and each request draws them down. Reading a post costs $0.005 and creating one $0.015, as listed in October 2026. Auto-recharge tops the balance up from your default card when it falls below a threshold you set.
What payment methods does X API accept?
Accepted
- AcceptedHalocard*
- AcceptedCredit Cards
- AcceptedDebit Cards
- AcceptedPrepaid Cards
Not accepted
- Not acceptedApple Pay
- Not acceptedGoogle Pay
- Not acceptedPayPal
- Not acceptedBank Transfer (ACH)
- Not acceptedCryptocurrency
- Not acceptedStablecoins
How does X Developer Platform appear on my statement?
X
What merchant category (MCC) is X Developer Platform?
5734Computer software stores
*Halocard is unable to guarantee acceptance for your individual situation
While Halocard has successfully processed transactions at X Developer Platform, merchant acceptance can change at any time. Merchants can apply fraud and risk-based rules that prevent customers from using US-issued cards at checkout which is outside of Halocard's control. We recommend using Halocard to first make a test payment with X Developer Platform to confirm acceptance for your individual situation. Halocard does not provide refunds in the event your card is declined.
How to pay for X API with Halocard
02
Open Billing in the X Developer Console
Sign in to the X Developer Console with your X account and open Billing.
03
Add the card under Billing information
Choose Billing information, then Add payment method, and enter the card number, expiry date and security code. The card is saved without a charge.
04
Purchase credits
Buy credits from Billing in the Developer Console. Your balance shows under Billing, then Credits, and each API request is deducted from it.
05
Optional: turn on auto-recharge
Set a recharge amount and a trigger threshold, for example $25 when the balance falls below $5. Your card must be the default payment method.
Official payment guidance from X Developer Platform
- X API pricing, credits and auto-recharge: https://docs.x.com/x-api/getting-started/pricing
- Saving a card and free X API credits: https://docs.x.com/x-api/getting-started/free-credits
- X API billing support: https://docs.x.com/forms/billing-support
Tips for successful payments at X API
- AcceptedSave your card under Billing information, then Add payment method, before your first purchase. The card is stored without a charge.
- AcceptedSet the card as your default payment method before you turn on auto-recharge. Auto-recharge charges only a saved default card.
- AcceptedPick a recharge amount that outlasts five minutes of your peak usage. Auto-recharge runs at most once every 5 minutes.
- AcceptedTop up by hand if your balance reaches zero. Auto-recharge pauses at a zero or negative balance and resumes after a manual purchase.
Why do X API payments decline?
API requests fail once credits run out
Requests stop when the balance reaches zero, and a balance can go slightly negative. Buy credits by hand to cover it; auto-recharge stays paused until you do.
"Out of credits" errors with auto-recharge on
A burst of usage drained one top-up within the 5-minute window between recharges. Raise the recharge amount so a single top-up outlasts your peak usage.
Auto-recharge never runs
Auto-recharge needs a saved payment method set as your default, and it pauses at a zero or negative balance. Set the card as default under Billing information, then add credits by hand to restart it.
X API payment FAQ
What should I do if X API declines or doesn't support my card?
Pay with a Halocard instead. X API accepts it, and as a US-issued Visa credit card held in US dollars it is accepted at checkouts that are strict about card type or country. Halocard is available for customers in the US and 120+ countries, so check that your country is supported, then make a card for X API in minutes. See the countries Halocard supports.
Can I use a virtual card for X API?
Yes. X API accepts Halocard, a US-issued Visa credit card that works like a debit card. Make a card just for X API and you are in full control: set a limit, lock it or cancel it whenever you like, without ever handing X API your bank card.
Can I keep my real card and address private from X API?
Yes, with Halocard. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card that gives you a separate card for each merchant, so X API only ever sees your Halocard, never your bank card. You choose the cardholder name and billing address on each card, so your home address stays out of X API's records. If X API is ever caught up in a data breach, cancel that one card and make a new one in seconds.
How much does the X API cost?
The X API is pay-per-use, with no monthly fee or minimum spend. In X's pricing documentation in October 2026, reading a post costs $0.005, reading a user $0.010, creating a post $0.015 and creating a post with a URL $0.200. Requesting the same resource more than once in a day is charged once, and a spending limit per billing cycle caps what you can spend.
Is the X API free?
No. Requests are paid from prepaid credits and stop when the balance runs out. New pay-per-use accounts can earn up to $70 in free credits: $20 after the first credit purchase with the account's first eligible card, and a match of the first auto-recharge up to $50. Free credits are spent first and expire 3 months after they are granted.
Does the X API still have monthly plans?
X replaced its fixed monthly fees of $200 or $5,000 with pay-per-use credits, charged per request with no fixed monthly cost. Enterprise accounts are arranged separately and add dedicated support, volume discounts and custom rate limits.
Can I buy X API credits with a prepaid card?
Yes. X's free-credit page says a prepaid card is saved and usable for purchases. It earns none of the free-credit incentives, which go only to credit and debit cards, and each card can earn each incentive once across all accounts.
About X Developer Platform
The X Developer Platform is X Corp.'s paid programmatic access to X, sold as the X API. Developers use its v2 REST endpoints, streams and webhooks to read and publish posts, users, direct messages, lists and Spaces, paying per request from prepaid credits bought in the X Developer Console. Enterprise accounts add team management, volume discounts and custom rate limits.
- Website
- developer.x.com
- Billed by
- X Corp.
- Billing region
- United States ($USD)
