---
title: "Create a spend limit"
description: "A limit on rated usage (before tax and credits) per interval, for the customer, one subscription or each value of a usage property."
canonical_url: "https://twominutebilling.com/help/developers/api-reference/usage-controls/create-a-spend-limit"
---
# Create a spend limit

> A limit on rated usage (before tax and credits) per interval, for the customer, one subscription or each value of a usage property.

<api-operation method="POST" path="/v1/businesses/{biz}/customers/{cus}/spend_limits">
<template v-slot:docs="">

A `hard` limit makes the access check answer `spend_limit_reached`; a `soft` limit only sends `spend_limit_reached` once per interval. For one subject and mode, day ≤ week ≤ month, and month ≤ period when the term is a month or longer. Usage is never refused at ingest. Needs `usage_controls:manage`.

## Path parameters

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Parameter
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Required
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Description
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        biz
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        yes
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The business's id (biz_…).
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        cus
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        yes
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The customer's id (cus_…).
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Headers

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Parameter
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Required
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Description
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        Idempotency-Key
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      no
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Safely retry writes — repeats return the original response. If a write FAILED after it had already taken effect, that failure is what repeats: the key is spent, and a new attempt needs a new key.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Body

The request body is **required**.

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Field
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Required
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Description
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        scope
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        yes
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The spend limit's scope. One of <code>
        customer
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        subscription
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        property
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        subscription
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      no
    </td>
    
    <td>
      sub_…, for subscription scope.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        property_key
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      no
    </td>
    
    <td>
      For property scope: a limit property of the covered meters.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        property_value
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      no
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Null or absent: each value of the property gets the amount.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        meters
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        array of string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      no
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Meter keys. Null: all.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        interval
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        yes
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      day, week (ISO, from Monday) and month are calendar intervals in the business's time zone. period is the term of the subscription that bills the usage. One of <code>
        day
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        week
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        month
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        period
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        amount_minor
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        integer
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        yes
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The limit in minor units.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        currency
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        yes
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      ISO 4217.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        mode
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      no
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Default hard. One of <code>
        hard
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        soft
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Response

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Field
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Description
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        object
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The object type; always <code>
        spend_limit
      </code>
      
      . One of <code>
        spend_limit
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        id
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      slim_…
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        customer
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      cus_…
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        scope
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The spend limit's scope. One of <code>
        customer
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        subscription
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        property
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        subscription
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      sub_…, for subscription scope.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        property_key
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The usage property, for property scope.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        property_value
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The property value. Null: each value gets the amount; a row with a value overrides it.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        meters
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        array of string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Meter keys. Null: all meters.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        interval
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      day, week (ISO, from Monday) and month are calendar intervals in the business's time zone. period is the term of the subscription that bills the usage. One of <code>
        day
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        week
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        month
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        period
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        amount_minor
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        integer
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The limit, in minor units of <code>
        currency
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        currency
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      ISO 4217.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        mode
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The spend limit's mode. One of <code>
        hard
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        soft
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        set_by
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The spend limit's set by. One of <code>
        operator
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        customer
      </code>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        active
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        boolean
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      True if the spend limit is active.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        effective_amount_minor
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        integer
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The amount that applies. A customer-scope hard limit you set is raised by a reached limit tier, unless you changed the limit after the tier was reached. Else amount_minor.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        spent_minor
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        integer
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Spend in the current interval. Null for a property limit with no property_value: each value has its own spend.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        reached
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        boolean
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      spent_minor is at or above effective_amount_minor.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        resets_at
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      ISO 8601. When the current interval ends.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        editable
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        boolean
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Portal only: the buyer set it, so the buyer can change it.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        created_at
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      ISO 8601.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        updated_at
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        string
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      ISO 8601.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Status codes

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Status
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Meaning
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        201
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The spend limit.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        400
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The body is not correct.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        404
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      No such customer or subscription.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        409
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      A limit for this subject, interval and mode already exists.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        422
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      A rule refused the value. <code>
        param
      </code>
      
       names the field.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</template>

<template v-slot:request="">

```bash [Request]
curl -X POST "$TMBILLING_URL/v1/businesses/biz_XXXXXXXXXXXX01/customers/cus_XXXXXXXXXXXX01/spend_limits" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TMBILLING_API_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "scope": "customer",
    "interval": "day",
    "amount_minor": 2900,
    "currency": "USD"
  }'
```

</template>

<template v-slot:response="">
<code-group>

```json [201 Created]
{
  "object": "spend_limit",
  "id": "slim_XXXXXXXXXXXX01",
  "customer": "cus_XXXXXXXXXXXX01",
  "scope": "customer",
  "subscription": "sub_XXXXXXXXXXXX01",
  "property_key": "Property key",
  "property_value": "Property value",
  "meters": [
    "Meter"
  ],
  "interval": "day",
  "amount_minor": 2900,
  "currency": "USD",
  "mode": "hard",
  "set_by": "operator",
  "active": false,
  "effective_amount_minor": 2900,
  "spent_minor": 2900,
  "reached": false,
  "resets_at": "2026-03-14T09:30:00Z",
  "editable": false,
  "created_at": "2026-03-14T09:30:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-03-14T09:30:00Z"
}
```

```json [400 Bad Request]
{
  "error": {
    "type": "invalid_request_error",
    "message": "The body is not correct."
  }
}
```

```json [404 Not Found]
{
  "error": {
    "type": "invalid_request_error",
    "message": "No such customer or subscription."
  }
}
```

```json [409 Conflict]
{
  "error": {
    "type": "conflict_error",
    "message": "A limit for this subject, interval and mode already exists."
  }
}
```

```json [422 Unprocessable Entity]
{
  "error": {
    "type": "invalid_request_error",
    "message": "A rule refused the value."
  }
}
```

</code-group>
</template>
</api-operation>


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