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

# Consumption Models

> Understand the three ways customers consume and pay for features in Commet plans.

Every plan uses one consumption model that defines how customers consume features and how they're billed. Models are mutually exclusive.

## The three models

| Model | Description | Example Products |
| - | - | - |
| **Metered** | Base price + included usage. Overage charged at period end | AWS, Twilio, SendGrid |
| **Credits** | Base price includes credits. Usage consumes credits. Buy packs when exhausted | ChatGPT, Midjourney, Jasper |
| **Balance** | Base price becomes a spending balance. Usage deducts real dollars | Google Cloud, Anthropic |

## Metered

Customers pay a base price and get included usage. Overage beyond the included amount is charged at the end of the billing period.

| Feature | Included | Overage Price |
| - | - | - |
| API Calls | 10,000/month | \$0.01 per call |
| Storage | 100 GB | \$0.10 per GB |
| Email Sends | 50,000/month | \$0.001 per email |

## Credits

Customers receive credits with their subscription. Feature usage consumes credits. When credits run out, customers can purchase [Credit Packs](https://commet.co/docs/credit-packs.md) or wait for the next billing cycle.

| Feature | Credits per Use |
| - | - |
| AI Image Generation | 10 credits |
| AI Text Generation | 2 credits |
| AI Voice Synthesis | 25 credits |

> [!NOTE]
>
> Plan credits reset each billing period. Credits purchased via Credit Packs **never expire**.

## Balance

Customers pay a base price that becomes their spending balance. Feature usage costs real money deducted from the balance. Overage is charged at period end.

Balance supports two pricing modes per feature:

| Pricing Mode | How price is determined | Best for |
| - | - | - |
| **Fixed Price** | You set a price per unit | API calls, storage, processing |
| **AI Model** | Commet calculates from model token prices + your margin | AI-powered features |

### Fixed pricing

| Feature | Cost per Use |
| - | - |
| API Call | \$0.001 |
| Image Processing | \$0.05 |
| Video Encoding (per minute) | \$0.10 |

### AI Model pricing

Set a margin percentage instead of a fixed price. Commet looks up the model's token cost and applies your margin automatically. See [AI Token Billing](https://commet.co/docs/ai-token-billing.md) for details.

## Comparison

| Aspect | Metered | Credits | Balance |
| - | - | - | - |
| **When exceeded** | Overage at period end | Blocked or buy packs | Overage at period end |
| **Reset behavior** | Usage resets to 0 each period | Plan credits reset each period | Balance resets to plan amount each period |
| **Purchased extras** | N/A | Credits persist forever | Top-ups reset at period |
| **Reset frequency** | Weekly plans reset every 7 days. Monthly, quarterly, semiannual, yearly, one-time, and free plans reset monthly | Same | Same |
| **Customer portal** | View usage | Buy credit packs | Add balance (top-up) |

## Overage restrictions by plan type

| Plan type | Overage |
| - | - |
| **Paid plan** | Fully supported |
| **Free plan** | **Not allowed** — usage is blocked at included limits |
| **Trial** (on a paid plan) | **Blocked during trial** — activates when the subscription becomes active |

See [Free Plans](https://commet.co/docs/how-do-free-plans-work-without-payment.md) and [Trials](https://commet.co/docs/how-do-trial-periods-work.md) for details.

## Learn more

* [How Does Billing Work](https://commet.co/docs/how-does-billing-work.md)


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