# Get a customer's credit balance

> The customers.credit_balance.get operation: GET /api/v1/customers/{id}/credit_balance in the REST API and the customers_credit_balance_get tool in the MCP server.

Returns a customer's invoice credit balance in every currency it has one: proration credits, goodwill credits
and overpayments, applied automatically to the customer's next invoices before they're charged or sent
(spec §16.11). It isn't the usage wallet. `changes` lists the latest movements: operator adjustments, credit
used by invoices at finalization and credit returned when such an invoice was voided.

## At a glance

- **REST:** `GET /api/v1/customers/{id}/credit_balance`
- **MCP tool:** `customers_credit_balance_get`
- **Operation ID:** `customers.credit_balance.get`
- **Scope:** Brand
- **Permission:** `customers:read`
- **Risk tier:** `read`
- **Dry run:** Not supported
- **Idempotency:** Not needed (read only)
- **Modes:** Test and live
- **Authentication:** API key with the `customers:read` scope
- **Since:** M5

## Request

### Path parameters

| Field | Type       | Description             |
| ----- | ---------- | ----------------------- |
| `id`  | `cus_…` ID | The customer (`cus_…`). |

### Query parameters

This operation takes no query parameters.

## Response

`200 OK` with a JSON object:

| Field                           | Type                                                                           | Description                                                                                                                                                  |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `object`                        | `"credit_balance"`                                                             |                                                                                                                                                              |
| `customerId`                    | `cus_…` ID                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                              |
| `livemode`                      | boolean                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                              |
| `balances`                      | array of money                                                                 | One balance per currency the customer ever had credit in (zero included).                                                                                    |
| `changes`                       | array of object                                                                | The latest changes, newest first (at most 20).                                                                                                               |
| `changes[].ledgerTransactionId` | `txn_…` ID                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                              |
| `changes[].change`              | money                                                                          | Signed: positive added credit, negative used or removed it.                                                                                                  |
| `changes[].reason`              | one of `adjustment`, `invoice_applied`, `invoice_voided`, `proration`, `other` | `adjustment` by an operator, `invoice_applied` at finalization, `invoice_voided` when an invoice gave it back, `proration` for a subscription's unused time. |
| `changes[].memo`                | string                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                              |
| `changes[].invoiceId`           | `inv_…` ID or null                                                             |                                                                                                                                                              |
| `changes[].effectiveAt`         | date-time                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                              |

## Examples

### €50 left after an invoice used €200

```http
GET /api/v1/customers/cus_01m4tx5nj8emwbyf7y9vcf47ym/credit_balance
Authorization: Bearer or_test_…
```

Response (`200`):

```json
{
  "object": "credit_balance",
  "customerId": "cus_01m4tx5nj8emwbyf7y9vcf47ym",
  "livemode": false,
  "balances": [
    {
      "amount": "50000000",
      "currency": "EUR"
    }
  ],
  "changes": [
    {
      "ledgerTransactionId": "txn_01m4tx5nj8emwbyf7y9vcf47yn",
      "change": {
        "amount": "-200000000",
        "currency": "EUR"
      },
      "reason": "invoice_applied",
      "memo": "Invoice GEN-2026-000131",
      "invoiceId": "inv_01m4tx5nj8emwbyf7y9vcf47yk",
      "effectiveAt": "2026-10-20T09:00:00.000Z"
    },
    {
      "ledgerTransactionId": "txn_01m4tx5nj8emwbyf7y9vcf47yq",
      "change": {
        "amount": "250000000",
        "currency": "EUR"
      },
      "reason": "adjustment",
      "memo": "Goodwill for the September outage",
      "invoiceId": null,
      "effectiveAt": "2026-10-20T08:30:00.000Z"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Errors

| Code                                                                                         | HTTP status | When                                                                         | What to do                                                                                                                                         |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [`validation_failed`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#validation_failed)       | 400         | `id` isn't a customer ID (`cus_…`).                                          | Fix the fields listed in `details.issues` and send the request again.                                                                              |
| [`resource_not_found`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#resource_not_found)     | 404         | This brand has no such customer in this mode.                                | Check the ID and that your credentials are scoped to the right organization, entity, brand and mode.                                               |
| [`scope_required`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#scope_required)             | 400         | The request names no brand (an org or entity key without `Ownrecord-Brand`). | Call the operation with credentials or a target at its level: an organization, a legal entity, a brand or the platform (`details.required_scope`). |
| [`permission_denied`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#permission_denied)       | 403         | You can't read this brand's customers (`customers:read`).                    | Ask an organization owner or admin for a role or scope that allows this action.                                                                    |
| [`livemode_not_allowed`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#livemode_not_allowed) | 403         | You have no live-mode access, so you can't use live invoices.                | Use test mode, or credentials for the target's mode. Developers need live access granted by an organization owner or admin.                        |

It can also return these [common errors](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference.md#common-errors): [`api_version_unsupported`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#api_version_unsupported), [`authentication_required`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#authentication_required), [`api_key_invalid`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#api_key_invalid), [`dry_run_not_supported`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#dry_run_not_supported), [`rate_limited`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#rate_limited), [`internal_error`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#internal_error).