--- title: "Credit" description: "We created QuantConnect Credit (QCC) to enable micropayments on QuantConnect. You can use QCC to optimize parameters, download datasets, and more." canonical: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/credit markdown: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/credit.md language: python source: https://github.com/QuantConnect/Documentation/tree/master/01%20Cloud%20Platform/04%20Organizations/09%20Credit modified: 2026-10-28 index: https://www.quantconnect.com/llms.txt --- # Credit [Documentation](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2.md) > [Cloud Platform](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform.md) > [Organizations](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations.md) > Credit > Code examples are shown in Python. Append `?lang=csharp` to this URL for the C# version of this page. ## Introduction We created QuantConnect Credit (QCC) to enable micropayments on QuantConnect. You can use QCC to optimize parameters, download datasets, gift to members in the forum, and cover live notification overages (such as SMS and extra Telegram, email, and webhook notifications above the per-hour free allowance). You can purchase QCC in the Algorithm Lab at a rate of 1 QCC = $0.01 USD. Since QCC is owned by organizations instead of members, all of the members within your organization have the ability to spend the QCC balance. ## Optimizing Parameters You need QCC in your organization to unlock [parameter optimization](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/optimization.md). Parameter optimization jobs use optimization nodes, which are rented on a time basis. Therefore, the longer it takes to run all of the backtests in your optimization job, the more QCC it costs. Before you run optimizations, we estimate on how much QCC it will cost to run the job, but the final cost can differ from our estimates because we can't know exactly how long all of the backtests will take to run ahead of time. For instructions on optimizing parameters, see [Launch Optimization Jobs](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/optimization/deployment.md#04-Launch-Optimization-Jobs). ## Downloading Datasets You can spend some QCC to download [datasets](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/datasets.md) from the Dataset Market to your local machine. The cost of downloading depends on the dataset and it's calculated on a per-file or per-day basis. For instructions on downloading datasets, see [Licensing](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/datasets/licensing.md#04-Download). ## Giving to Others To show your appreciation for contributions in the forum, [give some QuantConnect Credit (QCC) rewards](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/community/forum.md#11-Give-Rewards). The following table shows the available QCC rewards: | Award | Description | Cost (QCC) | | --- | --- | --- | | ![Forum rewards - Silver Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_silver.png) Silver Award | A simple token of recognition from one quant to another. Keep up the great work. | 80 | | ![Forum rewards - Gold Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_gold.png) Gold Award | This is some great work! Gold star! | 600 | | ![Forum rewards - Platinum Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_platinum.png) Platinum Award | Highly resistant to oxidation, this award is for those contributions which will stand the test of time. Strong, classic, and useful for most high technology products. | 1,200 | | ![Forum rewards - Medal for Excellence](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_excellence.png) Medal for Excellence | The QuantConnect Medal for Excellence is awarded by a member of the QuantConnect staff for exceptional contributions to the QuantConnect community. | 3,000 | | ![Forum rewards - Plutonium Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_plutonium.png) Plutonium Award | Nuclear hot! This post is incredible and deserves recognition as such. Show the author your appreciation for their work. | 2,000 | | ![Forum rewards - Docs Shakespeare](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_rtd.png) Docs Shakespeare | You've left a mark by a contribution to the documentation for the community. Your edits and examples will be followed for generations to come. | 500 | | ![Forum rewards - Nobel Laureate](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_nobel_prize.png) Nobel Laureate | Bestowed in recognition of quantitative advances. | 80 | | ![Forum rewards - Spaghetti Code Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_spaghetti.png) Spaghetti Code Award | Following the intricate flows of code noodle, this code compiles and runs. | 300 | | ![Forum rewards - Jedi Quant](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_jedi_quant.png) Jedi Quant | Quant promise you show. Your code channel the force into. Hmmmmmm. | 200 | | ![Forum rewards - Live Trader](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_live_trader.png) Live Trader | That looks like a wild ride. | 50 | | ![Forum rewards - Today I Learned](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_learned.png) Today I Learned | Thank you for upgrading my brain. | 50 | | ![Forum rewards - Machine Unlearning](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_machine_unlearning.png) Machine Unlearning | I plan on letting the computers do all the work for me. | 150 | | ![Forum rewards - Totally Overfit](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_overfit.png) Totally Overfit | I see parameters everywhere. | 80 | | ![Forum rewards - Mind Blown Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_mind_blown.png) Mind Blown Award | Something incredibly amazing, mind-boggling, and you're shocked senseless. | 80 | | ![Forum rewards - Research Rembrandt](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_rembrant.png) Research Rembrandt | A Jupyter notebook work of art, pulling together all the right hues and plots to be a true masterpiece. | 100 | | ![Forum rewards - Cayman Island Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_cayman.png) Cayman Island Award | Let's get a boat and start a fund together. Did I mention the boat? | 800 | | ![Forum rewards - Printing Money Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_printing.png) Printing Money Award | Awarded to profitable algorithms. | 100 | | ![Forum rewards - Stronger Together Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_stronger_together.png) Stronger Together Award | We're stronger together. Let's make this happen! | 120 | | ![Forum rewards - Appreciate the Support Award](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_appreciate_the_support.png) Appreciate the Support Award | Quant trading is a hard road, we could all use a hand. | 250 | | ![Forum rewards - Master Craftsman](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/forum/i/awards/qc_aw_builder_large.png) Master Craftsman | You're a master craftsman, taking raw materials and molding them into works of art for the good of the world. | 600 | ## Purchase QCC Follow these steps to purchase QuantConnect Credit (QCC): 1. Open the [Billing](https://www.quantconnect.com/organization/billing) page. 2. Scroll down to the **Organization Credit (QCC)** section and then click **Purchase Credit**. 3. Select a credit pack and then click **Continue**. 4. If your preferred organization has a credit card and you want to charge that card, click **Purchase**. 5. If your preferred organization doesn't have a credit card, enter the credit card details and then click **Purchase**. Only the preferred organization can be charged when purchasing QCC. If you want to charge a different organization you are a member of, [set it as your preferred organization](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/administration.md#10-Set-a-Preferred-Organization).