Prepaid credits made simple

MeinGPT bills AI usage through a prepaid balance: your workspace holds a credit balance, and every AI request consumes a small piece of it. This page explains why we do it this way and shows you every way to top up.

For what credits are and how they're consumed, see The concept. Short version: 1 credit = €0.01 — so 10,000 credits equal €100.

Why prepay?

Unlike usage-based billing in arrears, the prepaid model never produces a surprise invoice: you only spend what you loaded beforehand, and your balance doubles as your cost ceiling. Top-ups are one-off, plannable amounts with a proper invoice, which makes budgeting easier for procurement and controlling.

You can see your remaining balance and consumption at any time under Settings → Usage & Billing; detailed breakdowns per model and user live in the AI Cockpit. Because credits are only consumed by actual usage, quiet months cost less and intense ones more, without switching plans. The six usage tiers ("Very low" through "Unlimited") let you additionally give individual groups or people their own budgets so the workspace balance stays fairly distributed (details under usage limits). All models, image generation, translation, workflows, and API usage draw from the same credit pool — there are no separate quotas to manage individually.

Starting balance at contract signing

You don't need to do anything at the start: when your contract is signed, we load the agreed balance for you. Your team can start on day one — the starting balance is part of your contract and immediately available in the workspace.

How much starting balance makes sense is something we work out together in the closing conversation — based on team size and expected usage. For your own estimate, use the cost calculator.

Three ways to top up

After that, you top up yourself — whenever and however suits you:

1. By credit card — instant

The fastest way: under Settings → Usage & Billing → Buy credits, pay by credit card via Stripe, and the credits land in your workspace immediately. Package sizes and the exact flow are covered under Manage billing → Top up via card.

2. By invoice — for workspaces with billing details on file

If your workspace is billed by invoice and your billing details are complete, you can also buy credit packages directly on invoice — credits are credited immediately, and the invoice follows by email within a few business days. Package sizes and requirements are covered under Manage billing → Top up via invoice.

3. Automatic top-up (auto-topup)

The most convenient option: MeinGPT watches your balance and automatically reloads it as soon as it drops below a threshold you define. Your team is never unexpectedly out of credits — ideal once MeinGPT is part of the daily workflow.

Setup, thresholds, the protection against repeated charges, and the hybrid mode for invoice customers are covered in detail under Manage billing → Automatic top-up.

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