What are Bark Credits?

Bark uses a credit-based system — you only pay when a lead is purchased, and each lead costs a set number of credits based on location, urgency, and service type.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Your Bark account holds your credit balance.
   
2. Auto-Purchase (set up through Qualicare Home Office) deducts credits in real time for every matched lead.
   
3. Credit costs vary, but are always visible in your account.
   
4. You can top up credits at any time — larger packs offer better value.
   

We recommend starting with $500 in credits, which ensures you have enough to generate consistent lead flow and avoid interruptions in automation.

Note: You are responsible for maintaining your credit balance. If you run out of credits, leads will stop being purchased, and your CRM will stop receiving new Bark leads.

Enable Auto Top-Up (Strongly Recommended)

To keep your lead flow uninterrupted, we strongly recommend enabling Auto Top-Up in your Bark account.

When you purchase credits, you’ll see a checkbox labeled “Auto top-up next time.” If selected, Bark will automatically repurchase that same credit pack for you in the future — using your saved payment method — when your balance runs low.

Here’s how to enable Auto Top-Up:

1. Go to the Settings section of your Bark account
   
2. Go to Credits & Payments > My Credits
   
3. Select your credit pack - it is recommended to choose the pack that generates about 20 responses (180 credits) — this offers the best value and aligns with typical monthly usage
   
4. Tick the “Auto top-up next time” checkbox
   
5. Complete your purchase
   

You can turn this setting off at any time, but doing so means you'll need to manually monitor and top up your balance to keep Auto-Purchase functioning.

Monitoring Your Credit Balance

If you do not enable auto top-up, it’s essential to proactively monitor and keep your Bark credit balance topped up. If it runs out:

• Leads won’t be purchased — even if they’re a perfect match

• The Auto Purchase automation may break

• You could miss high-intent care requests, especially overnight or on weekends

Bark will notify you via email and your account when your balance is low or empty. Qualicare Home Office does not manage your credits, so please make this part of your weekly business rhythm.

Requesting a Credit Return

In rare cases, you may receive a lead that clearly doesn’t meet Bark’s quality standards. You can request a credit return if the lead fits one of the following reasons:

• Invalid contact info (wrong number, bounced email)

• The lead inputted the wrong address/postcode

• Service type doesn’t match (e.g. medical care, underage care)

• Obvious spam or bot

• Duplicate request from the same client

Note: Not reaching the person or losing them to another provider is not eligible for a refund.

See how to request a credit return here: https://help.bark.com/hc/en-ca/articles/13342039072796-Requesting-a-Credit-Return