More flexibility for your research budget: Self-serve qual in credits + division-level controls
Credits, for every panel. Budgets, for every team.
Two updates rolling out in Q2 2026 expand how research organizations can manage panel research at scale. Together, they mean every panel type can now be purchased with credits —and credits can be governed at the division level.
If you've ever had a research project get stuck waiting on procurement, or had an experimental project drain credits another team was counting on, these updates are for you.
1. Self-serve qualitative panels, now on credits
Qualitative research has historically lived outside the same workflow as quant—different recruitment process, different vendors, different procurement cycle for each study. Customers using Edge Audiences can now pay for self-serve qualitative panels with the same credits that already fund their quant and synthetic studies. One workflow. One credit system. Less time between insight need and insight in hand.
Plus, we’ve introduced a new license to round out the credit ecosystem: the Incentive Credits Retainer funds the participant incentives that qual panels require—across self-serve studies, Market Research Services, and list sends.
Customers who want credit-based qual will also need to add the Incentive Credits Retainer alongside their Edge Audiences subscription. (Cash-based payment via credit card, ACH, or invoice remains available for customers who prefer it.)
Where teams are using this today:
- Unmoderated user testing — Get real users through prototype flows or production experiences without recruiting and scheduling each session manually.
- Video feedback studies — Capture qualitative reactions to ad concepts, messaging, packaging, or product ideas at the speed of quant.
- Tree testing and other async UX research — Validate information architecture and navigation decisions with target users, not just internal stakeholders.
- Concept and message testing with hard-to-reach segments — Pull in qualitative depth from audiences your CX panel can't reach: prospects, lapsed users, competitors' customers, niche professionals.
The bigger unlock: when qual lives in the same credit system as quant and synthetic panels, research teams can stop treating it as a separate, friction-heavy process. It becomes a method you reach for when it fits the question—not just when budget and timeline allow.
2. Division-level credit budgets
Research at scale runs into a familiar problem: a single budget pool, multiple teams, and no real way to enforce who gets what. An experimental R&D study can quietly consume credits that Marketing needed for a launch tracker. Finance is left telling teams to "be careful."
Brand Admins can now allocate Edge Audiences credits at the division level—Marketing, R&D, Corporate Strategy, or whatever structure mirrors how your organization actually budgets.
What this changes:
- Each team draws from its own allocation, not a shared brand-level pool
- Finance and operations get genuine budget enforcement, not informal coordination
- Cross-team accountability becomes visible—usage rolls up by division, not just by user
Why this matters
These two updates close two gaps in how research teams operate: a capability gap (qual living outside the credits ecosystem) and a governance gap (no way to allocate research budget across teams). Together, they create a stronger foundation for the way modern insights teams actually work—multi-method, cross-functional, and accountable to finance.
We'd love your input
A few questions for this community:
- How does your organization currently manage research budget across teams or divisions?
- What qualitative research methods would you most want to bring into a self-serve, credits-based workflow?
- What other governance or budget controls would make panel research easier to scale across your org?
Your feedback directly shapes what we build next.
Want to learn more? Reach out to your account team or explore the support documentation:
