How Credits Work
Every API call consumes credits based on the tokens processed. The cost depends on which Theo engine handles the request:| Engine | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
Theo Flash (fast) | Lowest | Simple Q&A, classification |
Theo Reason (think) | Medium | Deep reasoning, analysis |
Theo Code (code) | Medium-High | Code generation |
Theo Create (image) | Per-image | Image generation |
Theo Research (research) | Variable | Web research |
- Cache hits cost 0 credits — identical cached requests are free
- Usage is tracked in real-time in the dashboard
- Credits are deducted immediately after each completion
Add Credits
- Navigate to Billing in the dashboard sidebar
- Click Add Credits
- Choose an amount or set up auto-top-up
- Complete payment via the secure billing portal
Spending Caps
Protect against unexpected charges by setting spending limits:- Daily cap — maximum credit spend per day
- Monthly cap — maximum credit spend per billing cycle
- Per-key caps — limit individual API keys independently
402 insufficient_credits until the cap resets or is raised.
Monitoring
- Real-time credit balance in the dashboard header
- Per-request cost visible in every API response (
usage.cost_cents) - Historical cost breakdown in Usage & Analytics
- Alerts when balance drops below a configurable threshold
Test vs. Production Keys
| Key Prefix | Billing | Rate Limits |
|---|---|---|
theo_sk_test_ | No billing | Lower limits |
theo_sk_live_ | Billed per token | Full limits |