> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.modelstack.cc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Credits

> How subscription and lifetime credits work in ModelStack.

## Credit System Overview

ModelStack uses a credit-based billing system. Credits are consumed based on token usage at per-model rates. There are two types of credits:

1. **Subscription credits** — Auto-refill on a \~5-hour schedule with your plan
2. **Lifetime credits** — Purchased separately, never expire

## Subscription Credits

Every plan includes subscription credits that auto-refill on a regular schedule.

### How Refills Work

* Credits refill on a \~5-hour schedule (several times per day)
* Each refill adds your plan's credit amount (e.g., 250 credits for Starter)
* Credits are capped at a **weekly maximum**
* Credits reset after 7 days from your subscription start date
* **Unused subscription credits don't carry over** past the weekly window

| Plan | Refill Amount | Refill Interval | Weekly Cap | RPM |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Starter | 250 credits | Scheduled \~every 5 hours | 2,000 credits/week | 15 |
| Pro | 750 credits | Scheduled \~every 5 hours | 6,000 credits/week | 40 |
| Max | 1,600 credits | Scheduled \~every 5 hours | 12,800 credits/week | 60 |

<Info>
  Refills are scheduled; the platform aligns refill runs to a consistent \~5-hour cadence.
</Info>

### Example

With the **Starter** plan (\$20/mo):

* Every \~5 hours, 250 credits are scheduled
* Over a full week, up to 2,000 credits are available
* If you don't use all credits from one refill period, they accumulate up to the weekly cap

## Lifetime Credits

Lifetime credits are purchased separately as a one-time deposit. They **never expire** and remain in your account until used.

### Purchase Options

| Amount |
| - |
| \$10 |
| \$25 |
| \$50 |
| \$100 |
| \$250 |
| \$500 |

Purchase lifetime credits from your [Dashboard](https://modelstack.cc/dashboard/billing).

### Plan-Based Discounts

Subscribers receive discounts when consuming lifetime credits:

| Plan | Discount | You Pay |
| - | - | - |
| Starter | 20% off | 80% of base cost |
| Pro | 30% off | 70% of base cost |
| Max | 50% off | 50% of base cost |

<Note>
  The discount applies to **consumption** — you pay full price when purchasing credits, but each API call costs less against your lifetime balance.
</Note>

## Consumption Order

Credits are consumed in a specific order:

```
1. Subscription credits (consumed first, at base pricing)
       ↓
2. Lifetime credits (consumed second, with plan discount applied)
       ↓
3. No credits remaining → 402 error
```

1. **Subscription credits** are always consumed first at base model pricing
2. Once subscription credits are exhausted, **lifetime credits** are used with your plan's discount rate applied
3. When both balances reach zero, API calls return a `402 Insufficient Balance` error

## What Happens When Credits Run Out?

When both subscription and lifetime credits are exhausted:

* API calls fail with a **402 status code**
* You can purchase more lifetime credits anytime from your dashboard
* Subscription credits will automatically refill at the next scheduled interval (\~5 hours)


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