# issue

URL: /business/nouns/credit-grant/issue · Id: `verb:CreditGrant.issue` · Call: `await $.CreditGrant.issue({ … })` (SDK) or the `do` tool at `https://api.sb/mcp`. Inputs says what to pass, Outputs what returns, When it waits who approves.

> Issue gives a Customer a paid or promotional Credit Grant that its metered calls draw down before anything is invoiced.

[Issue](/business/nouns/issue) gives a [Customer](/business/nouns/customer) a paid or promotional [Credit Grant](/business/nouns/credit-grant) that its metered calls draw down before anything is invoiced.

## Inputs
| Input | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `customer` | [Customer](/business/nouns/customer) | Yes | The Customer who receives it. |
| `amount` | `money` | Yes | The balance granted. |
| `category` | `string` | Yes | `paid` for a balance the Customer bought; `promotional` for one given, which is never cash. |
| `appliesTo` | [Offer](/business/nouns/offer) | No | The metered Offer it pays for; every metered Offer of the Startup when absent. |
| `expiresAt` | `datetime` | No | When any remaining balance lapses; never, when absent. |
| `priority` | `integer` | No | Order of use among grants; a lower number spends first. |

## Outputs
| Output | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `creditGrant` | [Credit Grant](/business/nouns/credit-grant) | Yes | The new Credit Grant, its remaining balance equal to its amount. |

## Effects
- Emits [`CreditGrant.issued`](/business/events/CreditGrant.issued).
- Performed by the [Billing Specialist](/agents/finance/billing-specialist).
- Two-way: it runs at once, in the `try`, `send` and `do` modes.
- `Order.pay` issues a `paid` grant on an Offer with `credit`; a `promotional` grant counts against the issuer’s Limit.
- Mirrors the grant to Stripe, which applies it when the Invoice finalizes.

## Refuses when
| Check | Error | Fix | Then call |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The key is valid, but its scopes do not allow this operation. | [`forbidden`](/code/api/errors/forbidden) | Use a key whose scopes cover the operation, or ask an owner of the namespace to grant them. | [CreditGrant.issue](/business/nouns/credit-grant/issue) |

## When it waits
| Gate | Default |
| --- | --- |
| Decision class | Low: two-way, nothing at stake |
| [Delay window](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/one-way-windows) | None: it runs once review passes. |
| Limit | The call [Limit](/business/nouns/limit) of the [Permission](/business/nouns/permission) it runs under. |
| Over the Limit | It waits `pending` for an [Approval](/business/nouns/approval) from the [Founder](/agents/founding/founder). Approved, it runs; refused, it ends `refused` with [`limit-exceeded`](/code/api/errors/limit-exceeded); unanswered by its deadline, it ends `canceled`. |

## Example

**Ask**

```text
Issue the latest credit grant with a customer.
```

**API**

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/credit-grants/issue \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $STARTUP_BUILDER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"customer":"customer_1","amount":{"amount":39,"currency":"USD"},"category":"paid"}'
```

```json
{
  "api": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com",
  "creditGrant": {
    "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/credit-grants/credit_grant_1",
    "$type": "CreditGrant",
    "amount": {
      "amount": 39,
      "currency": "USD"
    },
    "category": "paid"
  },
  "action": {
    "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/actions/action_1",
    "operation": "CreditGrant.issue",
    "status": "done"
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/actions/action_1"
  }
}
```

**SDK**

```ts
import { $ } from 'startup-builder'

const creditGrant = await $.CreditGrant.issue({ customer: 'customer_1', amount: { amount: 39, currency: 'USD' }, category: 'paid' })
```

**CLI**

```bash
npx startup-builder do CreditGrant.issue --json '{"customer":"customer_1","amount":{"amount":39,"currency":"USD"},"category":"paid"}'
```

**MCP**

```json
{
  "name": "do",
  "arguments": {
    "code": "return await $.CreditGrant.issue({ customer: 'customer_1', amount: { amount: 39, currency: 'USD' }, category: 'paid' })"
  }
}
```