Now Available: Swap Your Unused HubSpot Seats for AI Credits

Many companies that are using HubSpot have a few seats nobody is really using. This happens for a variety of reasons, maybe someone left the company, a team changed, or you purchased extra seats for an ambitious plan put on hold.

If this is your company, whatever the reason, you've been paying for seats that haven't been fully utilized and aren't doing much for your business.

Until now, there wasn't much you could do about that mid-contract.

HubSpot just rolled out a new update, HubSpot allows eligible customers to swap unused seats for HubSpot Credits.

Instead of waiting until renewal to make changes, you can redirect that spend toward AI agents and other credit-powered features that help your team get work done.

The interesting part isn't just that you can swap seats for credits. It's what you can do with those credits once you have them.

How does the HubSpot seat-to-credit swap work?

Let's say your company purchased 20 HubSpot seats, but only 16 are being used. Rather than letting those four additional seats sit idle, you may be able to convert eligible seats into HubSpot Credits.

Those credits can then be used for AI-powered features that help with everything from answering customer questions to researching prospects.

A few things worth knowing:

• You don't have to wait until renewal. Eligible swaps can happen during your existing contract.

• You're reallocating your spend, not receiving a refund. The value moves from eligible seats into credits.

• You can adjust as your needs change. If your team grows, eligible spend can be moved back toward seats, subject to HubSpot's terms.

• You control how credits are used. HubSpot provides tools to monitor usage, set limits, and pause features.

Before making changes, check your account eligibility to understand which seats qualify and how much credit capacity the swap would provide.

What are HubSpot Credits, and what can you use them for?

HubSpot Credits power certain AI agents and usage-based features within HubSpot. Instead of assigning them to individual employees, your account uses credits when supported features perform specific actions.

Your credits can come from two places:

• Included monthly credits: Credits that come with your HubSpot subscription.

• Additional credit capacity: Credits you purchase or receive through eligible seat-to-credit swaps.
  
  

One important distinction is that credits aren't unlimited access to every AI feature. Different agents and actions consume different amounts, so it's worth understanding expected usage before turning anything on.

Here's where those credits could make a difference.

Looking for ideas on what to build with your credits?

You don't have to start with a complicated AI project. Some of the best opportunities are the everyday tasks your team spends too much time on, like preparing for sales calls, reviewing deals, or pulling together customer information.

We recently shared 7 revenue processes worth automating with HubSpot Agent Builder, including practical examples for sales, service, and RevOps teams.

If you're not sure where to start, these examples can help you identify a process worth exploring before deciding how to use your credits.

Should you swap your unused HubSpot seats?

Just because you can swap seats for credits doesn't necessarily mean you should swap every available one.

The first step is understanding whether those seats really are unused and what you'd do with the credits instead.

A seat-to-credit swap may make sense if:

• Employees have left or changed roles, leaving paid seats unused.

• You purchased more seats than your team currently needs.

• Your team has repeatable work that an AI agent could take on.

• You already have ideas for AI automation but need more credit capacity.

On the other hand, if you're planning to hire several new employees next month or don't have a clear use for additional credits, keeping those seats may be the better choice.

The goal isn't to collect more credits. It's to make better use of the HubSpot investment you've already made.

5 questions to answer before making the swap

Before converting your unused seats, it's worth spending a little time reviewing your portal and identifying where credits would help most.

1. Which seats are actually unused?

Look at seat assignments, last login dates, and user activity. Someone who rarely logs in might still need that seat for an important monthly process.

2. What would you use the credits for?

Start with one or two specific processes. Answering repetitive customer questions, researching new accounts, or preparing sales teams for calls are good examples.

3. Is your HubSpot data ready?

AI agents rely on the information available to them. If your CRM has duplicate records, incomplete information, or inconsistent processes, those issues can affect the results.

4. How much credit usage should you expect?

Different AI features consume credits differently. Estimate your usage, review your monthly allocation, and set appropriate account- and feature-level limits.

5. Who will manage the agents once they're running?

Launching an agent is only the beginning. Someone should be responsible for reviewing its work, monitoring credit usage, and making adjustments as your team learns what works.

These questions can help you avoid swapping seats without having a meaningful plan for the credits you'll receive.

You also have more control over credit usage

One concern we hear about AI tools is how difficult it can be to predict what they'll cost once people start using them.

HubSpot has introduced more visibility and controls around credit usage, including the ability to:

• Track how many credits individual features are consuming.

• Set monthly credit limits.

• Establish limits for specific features and supported actions.

• Receive usage notifications.

• Pause features when necessary.

HubSpot Credits generally reset monthly, and unused credits don't roll over. Depending on your account's billing configuration, exceeding your available credits may result in additional charges, so it's important to review your settings.

Having these controls makes it easier to test an agent, review whether it's doing useful work, and decide whether to expand.

Make a plan before you make the swap

The new seat-to-credit option gives HubSpot customers an opportunity to revisit how they're spending their CRM budget.

Maybe you've been paying for seats nobody uses. Maybe your team has been interested in trying HubSpot's AI agents but hasn't known where to start. This update gives you a chance to connect those two conversations.

Before making the swap, it's worth understanding which seats are eligible, how many credits you'll receive, and what your team could realistically accomplish with them.

If you want help digging through this, our HubSpot Credits Review looks at your existing seats, available credits, and potential AI use cases to help you decide where to put your investment.

If you're ready to take the next step, our Credits Review + Activation includes hands-on help putting a selected use case into action.

Book a Credits Review