Credits & Billing

Vectly uses a transparent credit-based system that gives you complete control over your AI usage and costs. This guide explains how credits work, pricing details, and billing management.

Understanding Credits

What are Credits?

• 1 Credit = $0.001 (one-tenth of a cent)
• Credits are the universal currency for AI usage
• Different models consume credits at different rates
• You can see exact usage for each message

How Credits Work

1. Input Costs: Credits charged for your message
2. Output Costs: Credits charged for AI response
3. Feature Costs: Additional charges for web search, reasoning
4. Real-Time Display: See costs as you chat

Credit Types

Subscription Credits

• Included with monthly/yearly plans
• Reset at billing cycle
• Use-it-or-lose-it basis
• Used first automatically

Purchased Credits

• Buy anytime as needed
• Never expire
• Used after subscription credits
• Available in packs

Pricing Plans

Subscription Tiers

Free Tier

• Cost: $0/month
• Credits: 25/month
• Features:
  • GPT-4o Mini & Claude Sonnet
  • 1 project
  • 5 files per project
  • Community support

Starter

• Cost: $9.99/month ($95.90/year)
• Credits: 12,500/month
• Features:
  • All AI models
  • 5 projects
  • 20 files per project
  • Web search enabled
  • Email support

Hobbyist

• Cost: $29.99/month ($287.90/year)
• Credits: 40,000/month
• Features:
  • All AI models
  • 10 projects
  • 50 files per project
  • Priority support
  • Most popular tier

Power User

• Cost: $49.99/month ($479.90/year)
• Credits: 75,000/month
• Features:
  • All AI models
  • 25 projects
  • 100 files per project
  • API access (coming soon)

Professional

• Cost: $99.99/month ($959.90/year)
• Credits: 175,000/month
• Features:
  • All AI models
  • 100 projects
  • 500 files per project
  • Dedicated support

Credit Packs

One-time purchases for additional credits:

Model Pricing

Credit Consumption Rates

Approximate costs per 1,000 tokens:

Feature Costs

Additional credit charges:

• Web Search: +2 credits per search
• Reasoning Mode: +20% for visible reasoning
• Image Analysis: +5 credits per image
• Large Context: Scaled by token count

Token Reference

• ~750 words = 1,000 tokens
• ~4 characters = 1 token
• Code typically uses more tokens
• Languages vary in token efficiency

Managing Your Subscription

Viewing Usage

Dashboard Overview

• Current credit balance
• Usage this period
• Days until renewal
• Recent transactions

Detailed Reports

• Usage by model
• Usage by project
• Daily/weekly trends
• Export capabilities

Changing Plans

Upgrading

1. Go to Settings → Billing
2. Select new plan
3. Confirm changes
4. Immediate access to features
5. Prorated billing applied

Downgrading

1. Changes take effect next cycle
2. Keep current features until then
3. Unused credits don't roll over
4. Purchased credits remain

Payment Methods

Accepted Payments

• Credit/Debit cards
• Bank accounts (US)
• Digital wallets
• Corporate cards

Security

• Payments via Stripe
• PCI compliant
• No card details stored
• Secure checkout

Credit Management

Monitoring Usage

Real-Time Tracking

• Per-message cost display
• Running chat total
• Daily usage summary
• Warning at 80% usage

Usage Optimization

1. Start with cheaper models
2. Enable prompt caching
3. Be concise in prompts
4. Use appropriate models
5. Monitor feature usage

Smart Credit Usage

Model Selection

• Use Mini models for:
  • Simple questions
  • Testing prompts
  • Quick lookups
  • Development
• Use Premium models for:
  • Complex analysis
  • Important tasks
  • Final outputs
  • Critical thinking

Cost-Saving Tips

1. Prompt Caching: Save 50%+ on repetitive tasks
2. Batch Processing: Group similar queries
3. Context Management: Remove unnecessary context
4. Feature Toggle: Disable unused features

Credit Warnings

Low Balance Alerts

• Email at 20% remaining
• Dashboard warning at 10%
• Chat notification at 5%
• Automatic pause at 0

What Happens at Zero?

• Current chat completes
• New messages blocked
• Purchase credits to continue
• Or wait for renewal

Billing Details

Billing Cycles

Monthly Billing

• Charges on same day each month
• Credits refresh immediately
• Auto-renewal by default
• Cancel anytime

Annual Billing

• Save up to 17%
• One payment per year
• Same renewal rules
• Pro-rated refunds available

Invoices and Receipts

• Automatic email delivery
• Available in dashboard
• Tax-compliant format
• Bulk download option

Tax Information

• Prices shown exclude tax
• Tax calculated at checkout
• Based on location
• VAT/GST where applicable

Refunds and Cancellations

Refund Policy

• 7-day money-back guarantee
• Pro-rated refunds for annual
• Credit pack refunds case-by-case
• Contact [email protected]

Cancellation Process

1. Go to Settings → Billing
2. Click "Cancel Subscription"
3. Choose reason (optional)
4. Confirm cancellation
5. Access until period end

Post-Cancellation

• Keep purchased credits
• Lose subscription credits
• Downgrade to free tier
• Data remains accessible
• Can resubscribe anytime

Business Features

Team Billing (Coming Soon)

• Centralized billing
• User management
• Usage reports
• Budget controls
• Invoice consolidation

Enterprise Options

• Custom credit packages
• Volume discounts
• Priority support
• SLA agreements
• Contact [email protected]

FAQ

Q: Do credits expire? A: Subscription credits reset monthly. Purchased credits never expire.

Q: Can I buy credits without a subscription? A: Yes, credit packs are available to all users.

Q: What happens to unused subscription credits? A: They don't roll over—use them or lose them each cycle.

Q: Can I get a refund for unused credits? A: Subscription credits are non-refundable. Purchased credits may be refunded within 7 days.

Q: How accurate is credit estimation? A: Very accurate. We show exact token counts and costs.

Q: Can I set spending limits? A: Budget controls are coming soon. Currently, monitor usage manually.

Q: Do you offer educational discounts? A: Yes, contact [email protected] with proof of enrollment.

Support

For billing questions:

• Email: [email protected]
• Response time: 24-48 hours
• Include account email
• Describe issue clearly

Vectly's credit system ensures you only pay for what you use, with complete transparency and control over your AI spending.