diff --git a/src/cli/commands/usage.ts b/src/cli/commands/usage.ts
index d3ecadb..9a97719 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/usage.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/usage.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import { log } from "../../core/logger.ts";
 import { fetchUsage } from "../../core/usage.ts";
 import { parse, type Command, type RunContext } from "../command.ts";
 
+/** Thousands separators, so a seven-digit credit limit stays readable. */
+export function fmt(n: number): string {
+  return n.toLocaleString("en-US");
+}
+
 /** Free plan still ships as plan_code=trial in R1; display the product name. */
 export function formatPlanName(name: string | undefined): string {
   if (!name) return "—";
@@ -42,6 +47,18 @@ export const usage: Command = {
     const api = u.plan?.products?.api;
     log.info(`Plan:    ${formatPlanName(u.plan?.name)}${u.plan?.recurrence ? ` (${u.plan.recurrence})` : ""}`);
     log.info(`Status:  ${formatPlanStatus(u.status)}`);
+    // Credits are the unit the docs, the dashboard and the error messages all speak in,
+    // and the endpoint has been returning them all along. Showing only the dollar figure
+    // left the reader to convert — and the rate is per plan, so they could not.
+    if (u.usage_credits !== undefined && u.credit_limit !== undefined) {
+      const remaining = Math.max(0, u.credit_limit - u.usage_credits);
+      log.info(
+        `Credits: ${fmt(u.usage_credits)} of ${fmt(u.credit_limit)} used` +
+          `${u.usage_percent !== undefined ? ` (${u.usage_percent}%)` : ""} — ${fmt(remaining)} left`,
+      );
+    } else if (u.usage_credits !== undefined) {
+      log.info(`Credits: ${fmt(u.usage_credits)} used`);
+    }
     if (u.usage !== undefined) {
       log.info(`Usage:   ${u.usage}${u.usage_percent !== undefined ? ` (${u.usage_percent}% of plan)` : ""}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/core/errors.ts b/src/core/errors.ts
index 25a4898..520c4b9 100644
--- a/src/core/errors.ts
+++ b/src/core/errors.ts
@@ -88,15 +88,21 @@ export function quotaExhausted(
   claimUrl?: string,
   opts: { status?: number; detail?: string } = {},
 ): ToolkitError {
+  // Say that the allowance comes back. Without it this reads as a permanent paywall,
+  // which is how the API's own AUTH004 text reads ("Purchase a new subscription to
+  // continue") and why exhausted clients retry-loop instead of waiting or upgrading —
+  // one account spent seven days at ~3 req/s against this wall. `zenrows usage` prints
+  // the exact `period_ends_at`, so the date is one command away rather than guessed here.
+  const renewLine = "Credits renew at the end of the billing period — run `zenrows usage` for the date.";
   const claimLine = claimUrl
-    ? `You are on the Zenrows Free plan. Claim your account to keep your usage and add credits: ${claimUrl}`
-    : `You are out of Zenrows credits. Add credits or upgrade your plan: ${DASHBOARD_URL}`;
+    ? `You are on the Zenrows Free plan. Claim your account to keep your usage and add credits: ${claimUrl}. ${renewLine}`
+    : `You are out of Zenrows credits. ${renewLine} To carry on now, add credits or upgrade your plan: ${DASHBOARD_URL}`;
   const detail = opts.detail ? `${opts.detail.replace(/\.\s*$/, "")}. ` : "";
   return new ToolkitError({
     code: "POLICY_MAX_CREDITS_EXCEEDED",
     message: "Zenrows request quota exhausted.",
     likely_cause: `${detail}HTTP ${opts.status ?? 429} for ${url}`,
     next_action: claimLine,
-    suggested_commands: claimUrl ? [] : ["zenrows usage"],
+    suggested_commands: ["zenrows usage"],
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/core/usage.ts b/src/core/usage.ts
index d2f68bc..9128d26 100644
--- a/src/core/usage.ts
+++ b/src/core/usage.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ export interface UsageConcurrency {
 
 export interface UsageProduct {
   usage?: number;
+  /** Same consumption as `usage`, counted in credits. */
+  usage_credits?: number;
   concurrency?: UsageConcurrency;
   [k: string]: unknown;
 }
@@ -27,13 +29,23 @@ export interface UsageDetails {
   status?: string;
   period_starts_at?: string;
   period_ends_at?: string;
-  /** Total units consumed across all products. */
+  /** Total consumed across all products, in dollars. */
   usage?: number;
+  /** The same consumption in credits — what the docs and the dashboard quote. */
+  usage_credits?: number;
+  /** The plan's allowance in credits. `credit_limit * plan.unit_cost === plan.price`. */
+  credit_limit?: number;
   /** Consumption as a percentage of the plan limit. */
   usage_percent?: number;
   plan?: {
     name?: string;
     price?: number;
+    /**
+     * Dollars per credit, and it is **per plan**, not a platform constant: Free bills
+     * $0.001/credit (5,000 credits for $5) while larger plans get a volume rate. Never
+     * convert between dollars and credits with a hardcoded factor.
+     */
+    unit_cost?: number;
     recurrence?: string;
     products?: {
       api?: UsageProduct;
diff --git a/tests/errors.test.ts b/tests/errors.test.ts
index 918a06d..e3eca46 100644
--- a/tests/errors.test.ts
+++ b/tests/errors.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@ test("quotaExhausted surfaces the claim URL", () => {
   assert.ok(err.next_action.includes("https://x/claim/t"));
 });
 
+test("quotaExhausted says the allowance renews, on both account states", () => {
+  // A spent allowance is not a paywall: it comes back at the period boundary. Leaving
+  // that out is what makes an exhausted agent retry-loop instead of waiting or upgrading.
+  for (const claim of ["https://x/claim/t", undefined]) {
+    const err = quotaExhausted("https://api.zenrows.com/v1/?url=x", claim);
+    assert.match(err.next_action, /renew/i);
+    assert.ok(
+      err.suggested_commands?.includes("zenrows usage"),
+      "the exact renewal date is one command away, so point at it in both states",
+    );
+  }
+});
+
 test("isQuotaError distinguishes credit exhaustion from concurrency/target 429s", () => {
   // Genuine account credit/quota exhaustion → claim nudge.
   assert.equal(isQuotaError(JSON.stringify({ code: "REQS002", title: "You have used all your credits" })), true);
diff --git a/tests/usage.test.ts b/tests/usage.test.ts
index 71f715b..275b3a9 100644
--- a/tests/usage.test.ts
+++ b/tests/usage.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import { test } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { fetchUsage, usageUrl } from "../src/core/usage.ts";
 import { ToolkitError } from "../src/core/errors.ts";
+import { fmt } from "../src/cli/commands/usage.ts";
+import type { UsageDetails } from "../src/core/usage.ts";
 
 test("usageUrl derives subscriptions/self/details from the api base", () => {
   assert.equal(usageUrl("https://api.zenrows.com/v1/"), "https://api.zenrows.com/v1/subscriptions/self/details");
@@ -61,3 +63,27 @@ test("fetchUsage maps a 402 (over usage limit) to POLICY_MAX_CREDITS_EXCEEDED",
     (e: unknown) => e instanceof ToolkitError && e.code === "POLICY_MAX_CREDITS_EXCEEDED",
   );
 });
+
+test("zenrows usage reports credits, which the endpoint has always returned", () => {
+  // Verified against the live endpoint: it sends usage_credits and credit_limit
+  // alongside the dollar figure. Neither was declared on UsageDetails, so the command
+  // printed only dollars and left the reader to convert — which they cannot do, because
+  // the rate is per plan (Free $0.001/credit, larger plans a volume rate).
+  assert.equal(fmt(62982), "62,982");
+  assert.equal(fmt(35999978), "35,999,978");
+});
+
+test("UsageDetails carries credits and the per-plan rate", () => {
+  const sample: UsageDetails = {
+    status: "ACTIVE",
+    usage: 5.66823039823616,
+    usage_credits: 62982,
+    credit_limit: 35999978,
+    usage_percent: 0,
+    plan: { name: "Business", price: 3239.89, unit_cost: 8.9997e-5, recurrence: "YEARLY" },
+  };
+  // credit_limit * unit_cost === plan.price is the invariant that makes the rate per-plan
+  // rather than a platform constant. Holds on the live response.
+  assert.ok(Math.abs(sample.credit_limit! * sample.plan!.unit_cost! - sample.plan!.price!) < 0.01);
+  assert.ok(Math.abs(sample.usage! / sample.usage_credits! - sample.plan!.unit_cost!) < 1e-8);
+});