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Credits: Internal Community Currency in Qbix

Credits are the built-in currency system of every Qbix community. By default, 100 credits = 1 unit of external currency (USD, EUR, etc.), though each community can customize this rate. Credits allow communities to operate like self-contained economies — with purchases, memberships, tickets, rewards, transfers, payouts, and even Web3 interactions — without exposing users to the complexity of traditional financial rails.

Why Credits Exist

Credits create a buffer between real money and in-app activity. This enables:

  • Instant purchases without re-entering payment details
  • Refunds and reversals inside the community economy
  • Bonuses, rewards, referral incentives
  • Transferring value between users safely
  • Unified accounting for Web2 and Web3 activity
  • Simplified compliance, since major payments run through Stripe or Web3 wallets

Primary Use Cases

1. Purchasing Tickets, Products, and Services

Communities commonly use credits for:

  • Event tickets (one-off or multi-session)
  • Class passes or course modules
  • Digital or physical goods
  • Membership renewals
  • “Pay as you go” access to premium features

Because credits move internally, purchase flows stay smooth even when Stripe, banking systems, or Web3 networks are unavailable.

2. Subscriptions and Recurring Access

A subscription can charge credits weekly/monthly and only auto-charge Stripe or Web3 when balances fall too low. This avoids failed payment frustration and reduces churn dramatically.

3. Boosts, Promotions, and Visibility

Communities can let users spend credits for:

  • Boosting posts
  • Promoting events
  • Highlighting products
  • Creating better placement in lists or feeds

4. Peer-to-Peer Transfers

Users can transfer credits to each other instantly — tips, gifts, splitting bills, compensating for tasks, or supporting creators. Transfers stay inside the community, enabling clean bookkeeping and optional payout later.

5. Creator and Organizer Earnings

Organizers accumulate credits when others buy their items or attend paid events. These credits can:

  • Be spent back inside the platform
  • Be used to run paid events themselves
  • Be paid out via Stripe payouts (see Payouts article)
  • Or be minted to the blockchain as tokens

6. Bonuses, Referral Rewards, and Gamification

Communities can reward users with credits for:

  • Referrals
  • Activity streaks
  • Completing onboarding steps
  • Buying large bundles (bonus tiers)
  • Earning badges

Because credits are internal, communities can grant them freely without involving Stripe.

Exchange Rate (Default 100 → 1)

By default, communities define: 

100 credits = 1 USD (or local currency)

Benefits of this:

  • Prices look lightweight (e.g., “250 credits” instead of “$2.50”)
  • Allows bonus inflation without confusing users
  • Supports fractional pricing without decimals
  • Makes transferring and rewarding credits feel more “game-like”

Stripe Integration (Web2)

Credits integrate directly with Stripe:

  • Users top up credits via payment links
  • Communities charge Stripe only when balances are low (auto-charge)
  • Stripe Customers are reused to avoid collecting payment info repeatedly
  • Refunds can be handled inside the credit system instead of the card rails

Admins can convert credits back to money through Stripe payouts to creators. (See “Payouts” article.)

Web3 Integration (Optional)

Communities that want Web3 support can use credits as a bridge:

  • Deposit from blockchain: Users send on-chain tokens (ETH, USDC, custom ERC20) and receive internal credits at the configured rate.
  • Mint credits onto blockchain: Creators can withdraw credits into on-chain assets for use outside the platform.
  • Unified wallet display: Credits appear alongside Web3 token balances.

The system supports Moralis (or any similar service) to read blockchain balances, while minting/burning occurs through community-configured smart contracts.

Payouts to Real Money

When creators earn credits, these can be converted back to fiat through:

  • Stripe Connect payouts
  • Manual admin-controlled payouts
  • On-chain minting into Web3 tokens

(This is covered fully in the Payouts article.)

Summary

Credits let communities run fully functional internal economies with:

  • Super-smooth purchases
  • Referrals, bonuses, gamification
  • Peer payments and creator earnings
  • Stripe top-ups + optional auto-charge
  • Web3 deposits, minting, and token bridging
  • Payouts back to money or blockchain

With one simple exchange rate and a single API, Credits unify Web2 and Web3 money flows inside every Qbix community.