Credits expiring soon?
Unused credits don't roll over, and they can't be sold. Here is how long each program's credits last, and what you can legitimately do with a balance that is about to lapse.
How long each program's credits last
Shortest window first, quoted from each program's own page. The clock often starts at approval, not at first use.
| Program | Window | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Notion for Startups | 1, 3 or 6 months depending on review | Up to 6 months free Business + AI |
| Linear for Startups | Up to 6 months | Up to 6 months free |
| Cloudflare for Startups | 12 months, no extensions | $10,000 – $350,000 |
| Neon Startup Program | 12 months from acceptance | Up to $200,000 (Neon + Databricks) |
| Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub | Typically 1 year per tier | Up to $150,000 |
| DigitalOcean Startups (Hatch) | 12 months of credits + 15 months of free support | Credits with up to $10,000 in monthly usage |
| Render for Startups | 12 months from approval | Up to $100,000 |
| Retool for Startups | 12 months | 12 months free (up to $60K value) |
| GitHub for Startups | Typically 12 months | $10,000 in platform credits |
| ElevenLabs Grants | 12 months | 33M characters (~$5,500+) |
| Vanta for Startups | Year one | Startup discount (~$1,000 saving) |
| MongoDB for Startups | 12 months to activate, then 12 months to use | Tiered Atlas credits + Voyage AI tokens |
| Datadog for Startups | Typically 12 months | Credits via partners |
| Intercom Early Stage | Year one | Up to 90% off |
| JetBrains for Startups | 1 year, renewable | Free or discounted licenses |
| Deel for Startups | Year one | Up to 50% off year one |
| Google Cloud Google for Startups Cloud Program | Up to 2 years | Up to $350,000 |
| AWS Activate | Typically up to 2 years | Up to $200,000 |
| Zendesk for Startups | Up to 2 years | Up to 2 years free |
| HubSpot for Startups | 3 years, tapering | Up to 90% off year one |
No fixed window published
These programs don't state a period, or it depends on the tier or partner. The date is in your award letter.
What you can do before they lapse
Find the real date
Open the billing or credits page in your provider console and note the exact expiry of every grant. Do not rely on the month you applied.
Move work you would pay for anyway
Migrations, batch jobs, evaluations, load tests and backups are the usual candidates. Credits spent on work you would have paid for are a real saving; credits burned on work nobody needs are not.
Ask before the date, not after
If you need more time, write to the provider before the expiry. Cloudflare states that extensions are not available; for other programs the answer is whatever your award letter says.
Check what the balance covers
Some credits exclude particular products, such as GPU instances or third-party models. Confirm what a balance can pay for before you plan a large job around it.
Credits about to lapse?
Send us the provider, the balance and the expiry date, and we will come back to you. We never take custody of credits or ask for logins.