diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/create.js b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/create.js
index e3a45fa429..b49db1dc7c 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/create.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/create.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ async function run(context, heroku) {
   const {app, args, flags} = context
 
   let db = await fetcher.addon(app, args.database)
-  if (util.essentialPlan(db)) throw new Error('You can’t perform this operation on Essential-tier databases.')
+  if (util.essentialPlan(db)) throw new Error("You can't create a custom credential on Essential-tier databases.")
 
   let data = {
     name: flags.name,
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/destroy.js b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/destroy.js
index da6d4f88ec..e0c1ba38fd 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/destroy.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/destroy.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ async function run(context, heroku) {
 
   let db = await fetcher.addon(app, args.database)
   if (util.essentialPlan(db)) {
-    throw new Error('Essential-tier databases support only one default credential.')
+    throw new Error("You can't destroy the default credential on Essential-tier databases.")
   }
 
   let attachments = await heroku.get(`/addons/${db.name}/addon-attachments`)
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/rotate.js b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/rotate.js
index cf08a244d2..d33f803e7c 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/rotate.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/rotate.js
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ async function run(context, heroku) {
     throw new Error('cannot pass both --all and --name')
   }
 
-  if (util.essentialPlan(db) && cred !== 'default') {
-    throw new Error('Essential-tier databases support only one default credential.')
+  if (util.essentialNumPlan(db) || (util.legacyEssentialPlan(db) && cred !== 'default')) {
+    throw new Error("You can't rotate credentials on Essential-tier databases.")
   }
 
   if (all && flags.force) {
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/url.js b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/url.js
index 85f158a489..43c6c17ac5 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/url.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/commands/credentials/url.js
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ async function run(context, heroku) {
 
   let db = await fetcher.addon(app, args.database)
   let cred = flags.name || 'default'
-  if (util.essentialPlan(db) && cred !== 'default') {
-    throw new Error('Essential-tier databases support only one default credential.')
+  if (util.essentialNumPlan(db) || (util.legacyEssentialPlan(db) && cred !== 'default')) {
+    throw new Error("You can't view credentials on Essential-tier databases.")
   }
 
   let credInfo = await heroku.get(`/postgres/v0/databases/${db.name}/credentials/${encodeURIComponent(cred)}`,
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/create.unit.test.js b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/create.unit.test.js
index 03aed0a1ba..f00b751513 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/create.unit.test.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/create.unit.test.js
@@ -55,10 +55,31 @@ Please define the new grants for the credential within Postgres: heroku pg:psql
       .then(() => expect(cli.stderr).to.equal('Creating credential credname... done\n'))
   })
 
+  it('throws an error when the db is numbered essential plan', () => {
+    const essentialAddon = {
+      name: 'postgres-1',
+      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:essential-0'},
+    }
+
+    const fetcher = () => {
+      return {
+        database: () => db,
+        addon: () => essentialAddon,
+      }
+    }
+
+    const cmd = proxyquire('../../../../commands/credentials/create', {
+      '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
+    })
+
+    const err = "You can't create a custom credential on Essential-tier databases."
+    return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
+  })
+
   it('throws an error when the db is essential plan', () => {
     const hobbyAddon = {
       name: 'postgres-1',
-      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:hobby-dev'},
+      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:mini'},
     }
 
     const fetcher = () => {
@@ -72,7 +93,7 @@ Please define the new grants for the credential within Postgres: heroku pg:psql
       '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
     })
 
-    const err = 'You can’t perform this operation on Essential-tier databases.'
+    const err = "You can't create a custom credential on Essential-tier databases."
     return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/destroy.unit.test.js b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/destroy.unit.test.js
index ac5be5d4af..fa6e404a05 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/destroy.unit.test.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/destroy.unit.test.js
@@ -79,7 +79,28 @@ Database objects owned by credname will be assigned to the default credential.
       '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
     })
 
-    const err = 'Essential-tier databases support only one default credential.'
+    const err = "You can't destroy the default credential on Essential-tier databases."
+    return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
+  })
+
+  it('throws an error when the db is numbered essential plan', () => {
+    const essentialAddon = {
+      name: 'postgres-1',
+      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:essential-0'},
+    }
+
+    const fetcher = () => {
+      return {
+        database: () => db,
+        addon: () => essentialAddon,
+      }
+    }
+
+    const cmd = proxyquire('../../../../commands/credentials/destroy', {
+      '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
+    })
+
+    const err = "You can't destroy the default credential on Essential-tier databases."
     return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
   })
 
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/rotate.unit.test.js b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/rotate.unit.test.js
index 6d8b474fa7..2a5e2f1eba 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/rotate.unit.test.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/rotate.unit.test.js
@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ describe('pg:credentials:rotate', () => {
     return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {all: true, name: 'my_role', confirm: 'myapp'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
   })
 
-  it('throws an error when the db is starter plan but the name is specified', () => {
+  it('throws an error when the db is essential plan but the name is specified', () => {
     const hobbyAddon = {
       name: 'postgres-1',
-      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:hobby-dev'},
+      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:mini'},
     }
 
     const fetcher = () => {
@@ -122,7 +122,28 @@ describe('pg:credentials:rotate', () => {
       '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
     })
 
-    const err = 'Essential-tier databases support only one default credential.'
+    const err = "You can't rotate credentials on Essential-tier databases."
+    return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
+  })
+
+  it('throws an error when the db is numbered essential plan', () => {
+    const essentialAddon = {
+      name: 'postgres-1',
+      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:essential-0'},
+    }
+
+    const fetcher = () => {
+      return {
+        database: () => db,
+        addon: () => essentialAddon,
+      }
+    }
+
+    const cmd = proxyquire('../../../../commands/credentials/rotate', {
+      '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
+    })
+
+    const err = "You can't rotate credentials on Essential-tier databases."
     return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
   })
 
diff --git a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/url.unit.test.js b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/url.unit.test.js
index 2c7a858f52..7439555169 100644
--- a/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/url.unit.test.js
+++ b/packages/pg-v5/test/unit/commands/credentials/url.unit.test.js
@@ -95,7 +95,28 @@ Connection URL:
       '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
     })
 
-    const err = 'Essential-tier databases support only one default credential.'
+    const err = "You can't view credentials on Essential-tier databases."
+    return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
+  })
+
+  it('throws an error when the db is numbered essential plan', () => {
+    const essentialAddon = {
+      name: 'postgres-1',
+      plan: {name: 'heroku-postgresql:essential-0'},
+    }
+
+    const fetcher = () => {
+      return {
+        database: () => db,
+        addon: () => essentialAddon,
+      }
+    }
+
+    const cmd = proxyquire('../../../../commands/credentials/url', {
+      '../../lib/fetcher': fetcher,
+    })
+
+    const err = "You can't view credentials on Essential-tier databases."
     return expect(cmd.run({app: 'myapp', args: {}, flags: {name: 'jeff'}})).to.be.rejectedWith(Error, err)
   })