Welcome credits (spec 8b earned pool v1) + official rehearsal rate card

Every account gets welcomeCredits (25, rate-card configurable) via an
idempotent lazy grant on dashboard load, so existing members receive theirs
retroactively. earned_credits table with JSON fallback; Overview stat shows
the purchased/welcome split. Chatbot facts and canned answers synced;
homepage free-membership list mentions the welcome batch. Rate card
promoted from placeholder to decided and persisted in the volume.
Spending integration for the earned pool is the next engine build.
Assets v=20260905b.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

ads.js

@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ function rates() {
     bannerBatch: 10, bannerCreditsPerBatch: 2,
     textBatch: 10, textCreditsPerBatch: 1,
     loginCreditsPerDay: 100,
-    burnBatchMin: 50
+    burnBatchMin: 50,
+    welcomeCredits: 25 // PLACEHOLDER until Marty sets the rate card (spec §8b earned pool)
   }, saved);
 }
 function setRates(patch) {
@@ -240,6 +241,43 @@ const D = {
   }
 };
 
+// ---- earned/welcome credits (spec §8b second pool: engine-side, never
+// on-chain; welcome grant is idempotent and lazy so existing accounts get
+// theirs on next dashboard load) ----
+const EJ = {
+  db: null,
+  FILE: () => path.join(DATA_DIR, 'earned.json'),
+  load() { try { this.db = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(this.FILE(), 'utf8')); } catch (e) { this.db = {}; } },
+  save() { try { fs.writeFileSync(this.FILE(), JSON.stringify(this.db)); } catch (e) {} }
+};
+async function earnedBalance(email) {
+  const e = String(email || '').toLowerCase();
+  if (!e) return 0;
+  if (db.enabled()) {
+    const r = await db.q('SELECT balance FROM earned_credits WHERE email=?', [e]);
+    return r.length ? r[0].balance : 0;
+  }
+  if (!EJ.db) EJ.load();
+  return (EJ.db[e] && EJ.db[e].balance) || 0;
+}
+async function grantWelcome(email) {
+  const e = String(email || '').toLowerCase();
+  if (!e) return 0;
+  const amount = rates().welcomeCredits || 0;
+  if (db.enabled()) {
+    await db.q(`INSERT INTO earned_credits (email,balance,granted_welcome,updated) VALUES (?,?,1,?)
+      ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE balance = balance + IF(granted_welcome=0, ?, 0),
+      granted_welcome = 1, updated = VALUES(updated)`, [e, amount, Date.now(), amount]);
+    return earnedBalance(e);
+  }
+  if (!EJ.db) EJ.load();
+  if (!EJ.db[e] || !EJ.db[e].welcomed) {
+    EJ.db[e] = { balance: ((EJ.db[e] && EJ.db[e].balance) || 0) + amount, welcomed: true };
+    EJ.save();
+  }
+  return (EJ.db[e] && EJ.db[e].balance) || 0;
+}
+
 const impl = () => db.enabled() ? D : J;
 function init(opts) { DATA_DIR = opts.dataDir; chain = opts.chain; J.load(); }
 
@@ -266,4 +304,4 @@ async function pendingBurns() { return impl().pendingBurns(); }
 async function markBurned(id, tx) { return impl().markBurned(id, tx); }
 
 module.exports = { init, rates, setRates, createCampaign, listCampaigns, setStatus,
-  serve, click, dailySweep, availableCredits, pendingBurns, markBurned };
+  serve, click, dailySweep, availableCredits, earnedBalance, grantWelcome, pendingBurns, markBurned };

chatbot.js

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const CANNED = [
   { re: /(referral link|invite link|share link|refer)/i,
     a: 'You get your share link the moment you sign in, free members included. One tip: switch on payouts (one free wallet step in Members) before your people start buying, because the contract locks each buyer to their sponsor at their first purchase.' },
   { re: /(credit|impression|cpm|what do i get|what am i buying)/i,
-    a: 'Packages mint ad credits on-chain. One credit is one cent of ad delivery: banners, text ads, and login ads across the network, managed from the campaign manager in Members. Only your campaigns can spend your credits.' },
+    a: 'Packages mint ad credits on-chain, and every new member also gets a small batch of welcome credits just for joining. One credit is one cent of ad delivery: banners, text ads, and login ads across the network, managed from the campaign manager in Members. Only your campaigns can spend your credits.' },
   { re: /(price|cost|package|how much is)/i,
     a: 'Packages run 5 to 250 dollars, priced in dollars and settled in POL at the live rate when you buy. The full ladder with live pricing is on the home page. Packages of $20 or more count toward qualification.' },
   { re: /(safe|trust|rug|run away|company disappear)/i,
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function systemPrompt() {
   return `You are the assistant on InstantAdPay (https://instantadpay.com), a membership advertising platform.
 
 FACTS:
-- Free to join with email only (6-digit code sign-in, no passwords). Wallet appears only at purchase or payout activation.
+- Free to join with email only (6-digit code sign-in, no passwords). Wallet appears only at purchase or payout activation. Every new member gets a small welcome batch of ad credits at signup (engine-side bonus credits, separate from on-chain purchased credits).
 - Ad packages: Micro $5/500 credits, Activation $20/2,000, Builder $50/5,500, Growth $100/12,000, Leader $250/32,500. Dollar-priced, settled in POL (Polygon) at the live Chainlink rate. 1 credit = 1 cent of ad delivery.
 - Live formats: display banners (per impression), text ads (per impression), login ads (per day). Coming: inbox ads, featured rotation with disclosed rotation size, verified-visit packs.
 - Every purchase is split by an immutable smart contract in the same transaction: 50% direct sponsor, 20% level 2, 10% level 3, 20% platform. No withdrawals exist; money lands in members' own wallets instantly.

db.js

@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ async function bootstrap() {
     created BIGINT NOT NULL,
     INDEX (owner_email), INDEX (type, status), INDEX (member_id)
   ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4`);
+  await q(`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS earned_credits (
+    email VARCHAR(190) PRIMARY KEY,
+    balance INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    granted_welcome TINYINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    updated BIGINT NOT NULL
+  ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4`);
   await q(`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS burns (
     id VARCHAR(32) PRIMARY KEY,
     member_id INT NOT NULL,

public/assets/my.js

@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
     try {
       const d = await (await fetch('/api/my/dashboard')).json();
       if (d.error) return;
-      $('dbCredits').textContent = (d.credits || 0).toLocaleString();
+      const wc = d.welcomeCredits || 0;
+      $('dbCredits').textContent = ((d.credits || 0) + wc).toLocaleString();
+      $('dbCreditsSub').textContent = wc ? (d.credits || 0).toLocaleString() + ' purchased · ' + wc + ' welcome' : '';
       $('dbEarned').textContent = IAP.fmtPol(d.earnedWei || '0');
       $('dbBuyers').textContent = d.buyerCount || 0;
       $('dbTeam').textContent = (d.referrals || []).length;

public/contract.html

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <title>The contract | InstantAdPay</title>
 <meta name="description" content="Plain-language review of the InstantAdPay settlement contract: what it does, what nobody can change, what the operator can and cannot touch, and how to verify all of it yourself.">
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Sora:wght@600;700;800&display=swap">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905a">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905b">
 </head>
 <body>
 <div class="wrap">
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@
     <div class="small">Advertising services with a performance referral program. Not an investment product; no income guarantees. Crypto transactions are irreversible. Never spend what you cannot afford.</div>
   </footer>
 </div>
-<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/contract.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/contract.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905b"></script>
 </body>
 </html>

public/index.html

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <title>InstantAdPay: advertise and earn, locked in code</title>
 <meta name="description" content="Real ad packages with instant on-chain settlement. Every purchase pays the sponsor line in the same transaction, verifiable by anyone on the live ledger.">
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Sora:wght@600;700;800&display=swap">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905a">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905b">
 </head>
 <body>
 
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@
         <h3>Free membership includes</h3>
         <ul class="checks">
           <li>A member account and the live ledger</li>
+          <li>Welcome credits to taste real ad delivery</li>
           <li>Your personal referral link, working from day one</li>
           <li>Earnings from day one on your referrals' package purchases</li>
           <li>Access to the member dashboard</li>
@@ -398,9 +399,9 @@
   </div>
 </section>
 
-<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/wallet.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/wallet.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/home.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/home.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905b"></script>
 </body>
 </html>

public/ledger.html

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <title>Live ledger | InstantAdPay</title>
 <meta name="description" content="Every purchase, payout, and pass-up on InstantAdPay, streamed straight from the blockchain with a verify link on every line.">
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Sora:wght@600;700;800&display=swap">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905a">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905b">
 </head>
 <body>
 <div class="wrap">
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
     <div>InstantAdPay · <a href="/">how it works</a> · <a id="contractLink" href="#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contract source ↗</a></div>
   </footer>
 </div>
-<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/ledger.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/ledger.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905b"></script>
 </body>
 </html>

public/my.html

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <meta charset="utf-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
 <title>Member area | InstantAdPay</title>
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Sora:wght@600;700;800&display=swap">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905a">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/site.css?v=20260905b">
 </head>
 <body class="bo-body">
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 
       <div class="pane" id="pane-overview">
         <div class="stats" style="margin-top:0">
-          <div class="stat"><div class="n" id="dbCredits">0</div><div class="l">Ad credits</div></div>
+          <div class="stat"><div class="n" id="dbCredits">0</div><div class="l">Ad credits</div><div class="small muted" id="dbCreditsSub"></div></div>
           <div class="stat"><div class="n mono" id="dbEarned">0</div><div class="l">POL earned</div></div>
           <div class="stat"><div class="n" id="dbBuyers">0</div><div class="l">Qualifying buyers</div></div>
           <div class="stat"><div class="n" id="dbTeam">0</div><div class="l">Joined your line</div></div>
@@ -208,9 +208,9 @@
   </div>
 </div>
 
-<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/wallet.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/wallet.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/my.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/my.js?v=20260905b"></script>
-<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260905b"></script>
 </body>
 </html>

server.js

@@ -316,7 +316,8 @@ const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
       const out = { memberId, email: s.email || (acct && acct.email) || null,
         address: s.address || (acct && acct.address) || null,
         refCode: (acct && acct.code) || null, credits: 0, buyerCount: 0,
-        earnedWei: '0', earnCount: 0, referrals: [] };
+        earnedWei: '0', earnCount: 0, referrals: [], welcomeCredits: 0 };
+      if (out.email) out.welcomeCredits = await ads.grantWelcome(out.email); // idempotent lazy grant
       if (memberId) {
         try {
           const mm = await chain.member(memberId);