Command Credits System and Usage

Command credits are Teslemetry's pay-per-use system for vehicle commands. Since Tesla charges Teslemetry for every command sent through the Fleet API, command credits allow Teslemetry to pass these costs directly to users based on their actual usage.

Understanding Command Credits

Command Credit Costs

Pricing: 2000 command credits = USD $2.50 ($0.00125 per credit)

Vehicle data: what's free and what uses credits

• Automatic polling is free. Vehicles that don't stream are polled by Teslemetry's servers automatically - about every 15 minutes normally, or about every 90 seconds when Tesla marks the vehicle as a discounted device. This never uses your credits; "discounted" changes how often we poll, not what you pay.
• Streaming data is free. Live Fleet Telemetry is included in your subscription and never uses credits.
• Cached reads are free. Teslemetry keeps a recent copy of full vehicle data. Requests served from a copy less than 20 minutes old cost nothing.
• Only on-demand fresh fetches use credits. When a client asks for full vehicle data and the recent copy is older than 20 minutes (and the vehicle is online), Teslemetry fetches fresh data from the vehicle: 2 credits, or 0.1 on discounted devices.
• One case to watch on streaming vehicles: streaming does not refresh the classic full-vehicle-data copy. An app that repeatedly requests classic polled data on a streaming vehicle can therefore trigger a charged fresh fetch roughly every 20 minutes while the vehicle is online. The official Home Assistant integration never bypasses the cache or forces a refresh.

Two Pools: Included Monthly Quota and Purchased Credits

Your account draws from two separate pools:

1. Included monthly quota - Every active paid subscription includes 500 command credits per subscribed vehicle or energy product line per month. Trials include 125 credits per selected product line. The quota resets on your subscription's billing anchor date each month, and unused quota does not carry over.
2. Purchased credits - Credits you buy separately. These never expire and never reset - they remain in your account until used or until you delete your account.

Commands consume your included monthly quota first; your purchased balance is only spent once the month's quota is exhausted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I getting "Account has insufficient command credits" errors?

This error occurs when you attempt to run a command but your account does not have enough credits. This can happen because:

1. You have used your monthly quota and run out of purchased credits - Check your balance at teslemetry.com/console/credits
2. Auto top-up is disabled - Enable auto top-up to automatically purchase more credits when you run low
3. High automation usage - Frequent automations can consume credits quickly

Solution: Purchase additional command credits on the Command Credits page, or enable auto top-up to prevent running out.

I thought I had a subscription - why do I need to buy credits?

Your vehicle and energy site subscriptions cover access to the Teslemetry service and data streaming, and each subscribed product line includes 500 command credits of monthly quota. However, Tesla charges separately for every command sent through the Fleet API, so usage beyond your included quota is covered by purchased command credits.

Think of it this way:

• Vehicle / Energy Site Subscriptions = Access to the service, streaming data, and 500 included command credits per product line each month
• Purchased command credits = Pay-per-use for command usage beyond your included monthly quota

Does automatic polling of my non-streaming vehicle use my credits?

No. Teslemetry polls non-streaming vehicles automatically at no cost to you - about every 15 minutes, or about every 90 seconds for Tesla-marked discounted devices. Credits are only used when a client requests an on-demand fresh fetch (see the table above).

Do command credits reset monthly with my subscription?

The included quota does; purchased credits do not. Your included monthly quota resets on your subscription's billing anchor date each month. Purchased credits never reset or expire - they are a separate pool that you buy and use as needed. When your quota is exhausted and your purchased balance runs out, you need to purchase more or enable auto top-up.

Why are my command credits being consumed so quickly?

Several factors can cause rapid credit consumption:

1. Solar charging automations - Adjusting charge amps based on solar production can send 150-400+ commands per day
2. Frequent charge limit changes - Automations that change charge limits repeatedly
3. Vehicle waking up frequently - Each wake costs 20 credits
4. Third-party apps requesting fresh vehicle data - Cached reads are free, but each on-demand fresh fetch costs 2 credits (0.1 on discounted devices). On a streaming vehicle this can recur roughly every 20 minutes if an app keeps requesting classic polled data
5. Failed commands when vehicle is asleep - If a command is sent to a sleeping vehicle, you may be charged even if it fails

Tips to identify the cause:

• Review your command history at teslemetry.com/console/credits/history
• Check your Home Assistant automations for frequent command calls

Tips for Reducing Credit Usage

1. Use Bluetooth for Frequent Commands

For use cases like solar charging that require frequent commands, consider using Bluetooth instead of the Fleet API. The ESPHome Tesla BLE project allows ESP32 microcontrollers to control your Tesla over Bluetooth Low Energy without consuming command credits.

2. Check Vehicle Status Before Sending Commands

Wake-up commands cost 20 credits. If your vehicle is asleep and you send a command, Teslemetry will automatically wake it first (costing 21+ credits total). To minimize wake costs:

• Use the vehicle status sensor in Home Assistant to check if the vehicle is awake before sending commands
• Group commands together when the vehicle is already awake

3. Use Fleet Telemetry for Data

Fleet Telemetry provides real-time streaming data included in your vehicle subscription without consuming credits. Use this for monitoring rather than requesting on-demand vehicle data.

Related Resources

• Command Credits - Manage credits and view 28-day usage
• Command History - View detailed command usage
• Bluetooth Control Documentation - Alternative for frequent commands

Updated on: 15/08/2026