# Charges and your wallet

The API follows the same money rules as the portal. `orders:write` doesn't mean "free": creating orders reserves stock and holds money, and our warehouse charges your wallet when it weighs a parcel. The portal shows this note when you create a key that can create orders:

**Orders created through the API can use your wallet balance**

- Creating an order doesn't charge your wallet. When the order has no problems, we reserve its stock and hold the estimated shipping and handling fee from your available balance.
- When our warehouse weighs the parcel, the shipping and handling fee is charged to your wallet automatically.
- If auto purchase is on and an order is short of stock, we place and pay for a purchase order automatically, within the limits you set.
- Confirming a shipment doesn't charge your wallet. It creates an amount due that you pay separately.

## Step by step

| Action | What happens to your wallet |
|---|---|
| [`POST /v1/orders/preview`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/orders#check-a-new-order-without-saving-it) | Nothing. It shows the hold (`charges.holdCents`) and how much to top up (`charges.topUpCents`). |
| [`POST /v1/orders`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/orders#create-an-order), [`PATCH /v1/orders/{id}`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/orders#change-an-order-that-needs-attention) | No charge. An order without problems reserves its stock; once its stock is fully reserved, it holds the estimated shipping and handling fee from your available balance (`shippingHold` on the order). A `BACKORDERED` order holds nothing yet, and an order with problems holds nothing until it is fixed. |
| [`POST /v1/orders/{id}/cancel`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/orders#cancel-an-order-that-needs-attention) | No charge; the hold, if any, is released. |
| Our warehouse weighs the parcel | The shipping and handling fee is charged to your wallet automatically and the hold is released. If your available balance doesn't cover it, the order waits for payment: `payment` on the order shows the amount, and the webhook `order.awaiting_payment` is sent. Top up in the portal. |
| An order is short of stock and auto purchase is on | We place and pay for a purchase order automatically, within the limits you set in the portal. |
| [`POST /v1/shipments`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/shipments#request-a-shipment-from-your-stock) | No charge. The stock is reserved. |
| [`POST /v1/shipments/{id}/confirm`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/shipments#confirm-a-shipment-s-freight-quote) | No charge. It creates an amount due (`dueCents`), which you pay in the portal. |
| [`POST /v1/requests/sourcing`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/requests#ask-us-to-source-new-products), [`POST /v1/requests/reorder`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/requests#ask-us-to-restock-products-at-your-agreed-prices) | No charge. We reply with a quote or a purchase order. |

Your available balance is `availableCents` from [`GET /v1/wallet`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/wallet#get-the-wallet-balance): `balanceCents + creditLimitCents - heldForShippingCents`. [`GET /v1/wallet/ledger`](https://docs.rephut.com/developers/reference/wallet#list-wallet-transactions) lists every movement.

## Paying

The API can't move money yet. Pay purchase orders and shipments, and top up your wallet, in the portal.