IQ Credits explained: what QuoteIQ's AI actually costs
QuoteIQ's plan price buys the software. IQ Credits pay for the AI that runs inside it. Here's what uses them, how many each plan includes, and the handful of settings that keep a monthly bill from drifting.
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Each plan includes a monthly pot of credits (from 500 a month on Essentials to 8,000 on Max) that resets and doesn't roll over. AI estimates are cheap at roughly 5–15 credits each. The AI receptionist is the expensive part: 125 credits a minute, so Essentials' allowance covers about four minutes of calls. Extra credits cost a flat one cent each.
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How IQ Credits work
The rules come from two QuoteIQ help articles, IQ Credits: how the AI credit system works and the 2026 pricing plans article:
- Monthly allowance by plan. Credits arrive with each billing cycle.
- No rollover. They reset at the start of each cycle; leftovers vanish.
- Visible before you spend. AI actions preview their credit cost and ask you to confirm.
- Top-ups at one cent per credit. 2,500 for $25, 5,000 for $50, 10,000 for $100 or 25,000 for $250.
- Running out pauses the AI, not the app. Estimates, the calendar and invoices keep working by hand.
Allowance per plan, translated into work
A number like "3,000 credits" means little until you convert it. Here is each allowance spent entirely on one thing, which nobody does, but which shows the range:
| Plan | Monthly price | IQ Credits/mo | If all spent on AI calls | If all spent on AI estimates (~10 IQC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial | $0 for 14 days | 250 (flat) | 2 min | ~25 |
| Essentials | $29.99 | 500 | 4 min | ~50 |
| Beginner | $99.99 | 1,500 | 12 min | ~150 |
| Pro | $199.99 | 3,000 | 24 min | ~300 |
| Elite | $299.99 | 5,000 | 40 min | ~500 |
| Max | $699.99 | 8,000 | 64 min | ~800 |
The call-minute column matches the included-minutes table on QuoteIQ's own Virtual Call Team page (that page still shows older plan prices; the pricing page is current). The estimate column assumes the middle of QuoteIQ's 5–15 range.
What consumes credits
| Action | Published cost | Plan needed |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Call Team (AI receptionist) | 125 IQC per minute | Every plan |
| AI Estimator | Typically 5–15 IQC per estimate | Every plan |
| Proposal sent | 100 IQC each (free on trial, Elite, Max) | Essentials, Beginner, Pro |
| AI AutoMeasure | 100 IQC per completed measurement | Beginner+ |
| Property Lines lookup | 50 IQC per pull | Beginner+ |
| Google Calendar sync | Credits per event added to Google | Beginner+ |
| In-calendar route optimization | Credits per leg | Elite+ |
| AI CoPilot, Autopilot, image tools, Smart Import | Per prompt, image or completion; shown before running | Every plan |
Just as useful is what QuoteIQ says doesn't cost credits. ClientHub calling and texting (Pro and up) advertises "no per-minute charges" and "no extra messaging fees", and Email & Text Automation says there's "no per-message charge from QuoteIQ". Building estimates from the price book, scheduling, invoicing and taking payments don't draw credits either. Separately, Atlas lead and owner lookups are bought by card, and the AI Website Builder costs $34.99 a month extra on every plan except Max; neither comes out of your credits.
The Virtual Call Team: the line item to watch
The AI receptionist is listed on every plan, and that's the trap. A five-minute qualifying call uses 625 credits, more than the whole Essentials allowance. Ten such calls a week would need about 27,000 credits a month, or roughly $270 in top-ups on top of the plan.
There's also a second layer. QuoteIQ's IQ Credits article says: "Each call also has a $1.25 base fee, then is billed at $1.25 per minute after the first 60 seconds. An auto-recharge of $25 is applied if your call balance goes below 10 minutes." We couldn't confirm whether that call balance is separate from, or the same as, the credit cost, so treat AI calls as roughly $1.25 a minute either way and check your first statement line by line. Our Virtual Call Team review covers whether it's worth it.
How to keep the bill predictable
- Use the AI receptionist for overflow, not every call. After hours or when you're on a roof, yes; as the main line all day, budget for it properly first.
- Keep test calls short. The trial's 250 credits are two minutes of calling. Run several 20-second tests rather than one long one.
- Save repeat jobs to the price book. A saved service costs nothing to quote; the AI Estimator earns its 5–15 credits on jobs you don't quote every week.
- Turn off Google Calendar sync if you don't use Google Calendar daily. It costs credits per event pushed.
- Count your proposals. At 100 credits each on Pro and below, 30 proposals a month is the whole Pro allowance. Elite and Max send them free.
- Check the balance weekly for the first month, then set your top-up habit from real numbers rather than guesses.
- Don't upgrade just for credits. Pro to Elite adds 2,000 credits for $100 more a month; the same 2,000 credits as a top-up cost $20. Upgrade for Elite's features, not its allowance.
Is the credit system fair?
Usage pricing for AI is common now, and QuoteIQ shows costs before you run anything, which beats a surprise invoice. The fair criticism is that "AI included on every plan" reads more generously than it is for phone answering, and QuoteIQ's own Jobber comparison page admits "AI/communication usage may cost extra". For most shops that quote with AI and answer their own phone, the included credits are plenty. For shops that want an all-day AI receptionist, add the call cost to the plan price before comparing QuoteIQ with anything. Our pricing guide puts both together, and the full review weighs it against the rest of the app.
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IQ Credits: common questions
What are IQ Credits in QuoteIQ?
IQ Credits (IQC) are QuoteIQ's usage currency for AI features and some automated tasks. Each plan includes a monthly allowance, from 500 on Essentials to 8,000 on Max, and actions such as AI estimates, AI phone minutes, AutoMeasure and some syncs draw it down. Before any AI action runs, QuoteIQ previews what it will cost.
Do unused IQ Credits roll over?
No. QuoteIQ's help center says credits reset each billing cycle and do not roll over, so an unused allowance is simply lost at renewal. That makes it pointless to bank credits. It also means a heavy month can't borrow from a quiet one; you either wait for the reset or buy a top-up.
How much do extra IQ Credits cost?
Top-ups come in four sizes: 2,500 credits for $25, 5,000 for $50, 10,000 for $100 and 25,000 for $250. All four work out to one cent per credit, so there's no bulk discount for buying bigger packs. At that rate one minute of AI phone answering (125 credits) is worth $1.25 in credits.
How much does the QuoteIQ Virtual Call Team cost per minute?
In credits, 125 IQC per minute. QuoteIQ's IQ Credits article also lists a $1.25 base fee per call, then $1.25 per minute after the first 60 seconds, with a $25 auto-recharge if your call balance drops below 10 minutes. It doesn't make fully clear how that relates to credits, so watch your first bill closely.
What happens when I run out of IQ Credits?
Per QuoteIQ, "AI features will be unavailable until your credits reset … or you purchase additional credits." The rest of the app keeps working: you can still build estimates from the price book, schedule visits and send invoices by hand. If the AI receptionist answers your main line, plan a fallback before credits hit zero.
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