specification: API Commons Rate Limits
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/RateLimits
provider: MyShipTracking
providerId: myshiptracking
created: '2026-07-12'
modified: '2026-07-12'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Vessel Tracking
- AIS
- Maritime
- Rate Limiting
- Quotas
description: >-
  MyShipTracking combines a per-minute call-rate limit with a credit-based
  quota. Accounts with a valid (paid) API key may make up to 2,000 calls per
  minute; trial keys are limited to 90 calls per minute. Independently of the
  call rate, every request deducts credits by endpoint and response detail
  against your plan's monthly allowance or coin balance. Overuse protection
  guarantees you are never charged more than 500 credits for a single request,
  and never more than your available balance.
notes: >-
  Values captured from the Getting Started "Rate Limits, Credits & Overuse
  Protection" section on 2026-07-12. The credit costs referenced here are
  detailed per endpoint in plans/myshiptracking-plans-pricing.yml. Verify current
  limits during reconciliation.
sources:
- https://api.myshiptracking.com/
- https://api.myshiptracking.com/api-pricing
responseCodes:
  validationError: 400
  authError: 401
limits:
- name: Valid API Key Call Rate
  scope: account
  metric: requests
  limit: 2000 per minute
  notes: Applies to accounts with a valid (paid) API key.
- name: Trial Call Rate
  scope: account
  metric: requests
  limit: 90 per minute
  notes: Applies to trial API keys.
- name: Trial Coin Allowance
  scope: account
  metric: credits
  limit: 2000 total (max 10 days active)
  notes: One trial key per user; expires after 10 days.
- name: Monthly Credit Allowance
  scope: account
  metric: credits
  limit: per plan (Basic 50,000 / Standard 200,000 / Unlimited unlimited)
  notes: Subscription credits issued monthly; do not roll over.
- name: Per-Request Credit Cap
  scope: request
  metric: credits
  limit: 500
  notes: A single request is never charged more than 500 credits regardless of computed cost.
policies:
- name: Overuse Protection
  description: The system guarantees you are never charged more than your available coin balance, and never more than 500 credits per request.
- name: No Charge on Empty
  description: Requests that return no results are not charged.
- name: Credit Expiry
  description: Subscription credits are issued per billing period and expire at period end; they are non-transferable and do not accumulate.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com