The first hourly deploy on a new account needs a payment safeguard because the order can start at $0.00 and begin using account credit immediately. Any one of these unlocks it:
- A saved card that automatic recharge can actually charge.
- A positive credit balance.
- A one month deposit already paid on this account.
- A server already running on the account.
If none apply, checkout asks for a deposit equal to one month of the plan you picked. It is not a fee: it lands on the account as credit and is spent by the server you are about to deploy.
Not every saved card counts
A card marked credit-only or one-time, or a payment method from a provider the recharge path will not charge, is not cover, because a falling balance would never actually result in a charge. A stablecoin or Cash App payment is one-time by nature and does not unlock anything on its own.
Blocked instead of gated
- Negative balance. Settle it first. New deploys are refused while the account owes money.
- Suspended account. Add credit to recover it. See Low credit and suspension.
The same gate covers the API
The Client API is locked with 402 payment_required until hourly billing is
unlocked, and refuses everything with 403 forbidden while the account is
suspended or closed. See API quickstart.