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# Billing & Credits

Hydron uses a credit-based billing system. Credits are consumed when you use AI features and deploy infrastructure. This page explains how billing works.

## How credits work

Credits are the currency for using Hydron's services. They're consumed by:

| Action | Credit cost |
|--------|------------|
| **AI chat messages** | Based on message length and AI model |
| **Code analysis** | Based on repository size |
| **Infrastructure planning** | Based on plan complexity |
| **Server provisioning** | Based on server tier and duration |

Credits are deducted as you use features. You can track your balance and usage in real-time.

## Free tier

Every new account receives **free credits** to explore the platform. The free tier lets you:

- Chat with the AI assistant
- Analyze code repositories
- Generate infrastructure plans
- Experience the full deployment flow

No credit card required to get started.

## Checking your balance

View your current credit balance and usage from **Settings** > **Usage**. The usage dashboard shows a breakdown of credit consumption across AI conversations, code analysis, infrastructure planning, and server provisioning.

## Purchasing credits

To add more credits to your account:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing**
2. Click **Purchase Credits**
3. Select a credit package
4. Complete payment via Stripe

Hydron accepts all major credit and debit cards through Stripe's secure payment processing.

## Auto-topup

Enable auto-topup to automatically purchase credits when your balance runs low:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing**
2. Enable **Auto-topup**
3. Set your threshold (e.g., "topup when balance falls below 100 credits")
4. Set the topup amount (e.g., "add 1,000 credits")

Auto-topup ensures your deployments are never interrupted by insufficient credits.

## Subscriptions

For regular usage, credit subscriptions offer better value:

- **Monthly credit packages** at discounted rates
- **Automatic renewal** so you never run out
- **Cancel anytime** — unused credits carry over

Manage subscriptions from **Settings** > **Billing**.

## Usage tracking

Detailed usage tracking helps you understand your spending:

### Per-project usage
See how many credits each project consumes, helping you identify cost drivers.

### Server usage
Track credit consumption per server, including provisioning and runtime costs.

### Historical usage
View usage trends over time to predict future needs and budget accordingly.

## Payment methods

Manage your payment methods from **Settings** > **Billing**:

- Add credit or debit cards
- Set a default payment method
- Remove old payment methods
- View payment history

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Hydron never stores your full card details.

## Billing history

View your complete billing history:

- **Credit purchases** — When and how many credits you bought
- **Credit usage** — Detailed breakdown of credit consumption
- **Invoices** — Download invoices for accounting

## Cost optimization tips

- **Right-size servers** — Don't provision more resources than you need
- **Use templates** — Pre-configured templates optimize resource usage
- **Monitor usage** — Check the usage dashboard regularly
- **Clean up unused projects** — Remove projects you no longer need
- **Use auto-topup** — Avoid service interruptions from insufficient credits