Prepaid usage credit is an account balance that is consumed as a cloud service is used. In metered products, each request, compute job, API call, or token burn reduces that balance until it is exhausted. This model is common in SaaS, AI platforms, and developer APIs because it gives customers predictable spending and lets providers enforce quotas automatically.
In cyber security, prepaid credit matters because it can be stolen or misused even when an attacker cannot change the account password. If criminals gain a valid browser session or API token, they may be able to spend the victim’s balance, creating billing abuse rather than visible system damage. Defenders monitor for unusual consumption spikes, new device fingerprints, and abnormal session reuse, then revoke active sessions, rotate credentials, and remove payment methods or top-up permissions to stop further loss.