> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bigbeluga.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bigbeluga.com/ai-extension-sonar-tm/credits.md).

# Credits

<figure><img src="/files/DPBLYz1PUhcpbiWxqaft" alt=""><figcaption><p>Credits</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
**This screen shows your current available balance and options to buy one-time AI credits:**
{% endhint %}

***

**Your Balance:**\
Displays the number of AI credits remaining\
Example: `15000 credits` on `5/30/2025`

**Credit Usage Graph:**\
A sparkline visualizing your credit usage or refill history. A spike usually means a purchase or sudden increase in usage

**Buy One-Time Credits:**\
You can purchase additional credits if you run low:

* **500k credits** → **$5.00**
* **1M credits** → **$9.00**

## **How to** purchase Credits

After selecting the number of credits (500k / 1M) and clicking the "Continue" button, you purchase credits for the artificial intelligence chatbot:

<figure><img src="/files/AONaAl0JwhK9B2hbC2dQ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<div><figure><img src="/files/fbSJXdimkW75zrZl6Hqg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/np95OtXo17WQruwb7Nqo" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/F1Posf5IayzAs2n8KQFd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/9fVzNWxmJnqxwCTI2V1X" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

it allows you to:

* Chat with the BigBeluga AI assistant
* Use longer conversations without limits

***

## **How the Credit System Works**

BigBeluga uses a **token-based AI system**, where credits are consumed based on how much data is sent to or from the chatbot (not just message count).

### **Key Points:**

One "credit" = roughly **1 token**.

Tokens are used **per message**, but also include:

* **Context/history** from previous messages
* **Your question**
* **The AI’s full response**

**More message history = more tokens used per request.**

***

## **How Much Do You Get?**

* **500,000 tokens (\~$5)** ≈ **250 AI messages**
* **1,000,000 tokens (\~$9)** ≈ **500 AI messages**

(*Assuming one message + reply consumes \~2,000 tokens on average*)

***

## **Summary for Users**

* Your credit balance shows how much AI interaction time you still have.
* When you're chatting with the AI, every message costs credits based on size + context.
* You can top up anytime with one-time purchases.
* 500k tokens should last an average user quite a while if they keep chats concise.

Let me know if you want this explanation written in a more casual or onboarding-friendly style for users.