The Elite Dangerous ship rebuy cost is the amount of credits to budget for replacing your ship if it is destroyed. For a fitted ship, the estimate can reflect both the ship and its modules, so the unmodified ship’s price alone may not give you the figure to plan around. [1] Learn more in Elite Dangerous Insurance: How Rebuy and Recovery Work.
Before you launch, check the displayed rebuy amount in game and make sure you have those credits available. For example, if you have just outfitted a ship for a new role, use its current in-game figure—not a remembered estimate—to set your reserve. This gives you a practical number to work with before flying and keeps your budget tied to the ship you intend to take out. [2]
The goal here is simple: know the figure for your ship and keep enough credits available before departure. The sections ahead cover what can affect the estimate, where to find it, and how to plan your reserve without treating a general ship price as the answer.
What changes the amount you need?
The amount can depend on both the ship’s base cost and the modules fitted to it, so two builds of the same ship may have different estimates. [1] Community explanations describe one percentage for the base ship and another for added modules, but the figures are estimates rather than a universal calculation you should apply to every build. [1][3]
For example, swapping inexpensive components for higher-cost modules can change the fitted ship’s estimated rebuy, even though the ship itself is unchanged. Treat any percentage-based calculation as a rough cross-check, not a promise of the exact amount; use the figure displayed in game for your current fit. [1][3]
That distinction matters most when you make a substantial fit change: the base ship price alone cannot capture the effect of the modules you install. Keep your planning tied to the actual build you intend to fly, rather than assuming every version of a ship has the same rebuy estimate.
How to check your ship’s rebuy cost
Open the ship or status interface in game and find the rebuy figure for the ship you plan to fly. Record that displayed amount; a generic ship-price estimate is not a substitute for the figure shown for your current ship.
Write the amount somewhere easy to check before departure, such as a note beside your ship name in a planning list. For example, if you have several ships, label the figure with the ship you intend to take rather than keeping one unlabeled number.
Check the displayed figure again after a substantial fit change. A new estimate gives you a current reference for the ship as you have it configured now.
Use the displayed amount as the basis for your credit reserve. Before launching, compare that figure with the credits you have available so you can spot a shortfall while you are still in port.
Set aside enough credits before launch
Treat that amount as your minimum reserve, not money to spend on another upgrade right before departure. If you are short, pause and earn more credits before taking the ship out.
If your balance allows, keep enough for more than one replacement. That extra cushion is a cautious personal rule, not a game requirement; for example, you could aim to retain two times the displayed amount rather than leaving your balance just above the minimum. Choose a buffer that fits your finances instead of draining your account to hit an arbitrary target.
Recheck your balance after purchases that eat into your reserve. Buying a new ship or fitting modules can leave you with fewer credits, so compare what remains with the amount you planned to keep available before departure.
If you own multiple ships, confirm that the rebuy figure you use belongs to the ship you are actually flying. A reserve based on a different ship can leave you planning around the wrong amount. Make the check part of your launch routine, alongside confirming your balance.
Avoid these rebuy planning mistakes
A few planning mistakes can leave you with an outdated rebuy estimate or too few credits to cover it. Avoid treating the ship’s unmodified purchase price as the full estimate for a fitted ship: rebuy explanations describe the cost as reflecting the ship and its fitted modules. [1] For example, if you add a costly module after checking a bare ship’s price, don’t assume the earlier estimate still applies.
Don’t keep using a rebuy figure you recorded before changing the fit. Make a fresh check after upgrades, such as replacing a basic weapon with a more expensive one, and use the updated amount in your planning. [1]
Another easy mistake is spending your entire balance on the hull or upgrades before checking what rebuy the finished ship will show. Before buying another module, compare your remaining credits with the current figure; if the upgrade leaves you short, pause and build your balance back up before flying. Rebuy is a planning question: focus on the ship’s current estimate and the credits you can keep available, rather than getting sidetracked into broader recovery choices.
Make the displayed figure part of your pre-flight check
Treat the rebuy amount displayed for your current ship as a pre-flight check: make sure you can cover it before departure, then check again if your setup or credit balance changes. The number to plan around is the one shown for the ship you’re about to fly, not an old note or a figure you remember from another build.
Before launch, take a moment to confirm that your available credits meet or exceed that displayed amount. If you’ve just bought a costly upgrade or spent credits elsewhere, pause and check again rather than assuming your reserve is unchanged. A quick example: after refitting your regular combat ship, revisit its displayed rebuy before heading out in it.
Make this a habit whenever you substantially change the ship’s fit or spend a large share of your credits. The practical next step is simple: check the current ship’s figure now, confirm your balance can cover it, and repeat the check after meaningful changes.