> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.adstellar.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# How AI Credits Work
> Understand how AI credits are consumed, billed, and managed.
AI credits are consumed when you use AdStellar's AI-powered features. Here's everything you need to know about how they work.
## What Uses Credits
Credits are consumed when you use AI features to generate content, launch campaigns, or have the AI Agent do work for you.
Manual campaign launches do not consume AI credits. Only AI-powered features use credits.
## Credit Costs
Every paid action shows its **exact credit cost before it runs**, so nothing is charged by surprise. The standard rates:
| Action | Credits |
| ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **Image generation** (default model) | 100 per image |
| **Image edit / resize** | 100 each |
| **Video** — up to 10s / 15s / 30s / 60s | 2,800 / 4,200 / 8,400 / 16,800 |
| **Lip-sync render** — up to 10s / 15s / 30s | 2,200 / 3,200 / 6,400 |
| **AI Campaign Launch** | 100 per launch |
| **Custom AI Avatar** | 300 |
| **Video captions** | 400 |
Video rates are the baseline (Kling); premium models and higher image resolutions scale up for their higher quality, and the exact cost is always shown in the Canvas modal before you generate. **Talking videos over 10 seconds** automatically bundle a lip-sync pass into one price. See [Plans & Credits](/billing/plans-credits#ai-credit-costs) for the full breakdown.
### AI Agent Chat
The AI Agent is your built-in media buyer — chat with it to analyze performance, get strategy, create creatives, and launch campaigns. Because it does real work on every request, **Agent messages are metered in credits**, priced by how much work each turn does:
* **Glue turns are free** — quick follow-ups, tapping a suggested chip, and short clarifying replies that don't trigger any analysis or tools.
* **Working turns use credits** — pulling performance data, running analysis, researching, or planning across campaigns (more work = more credits), up to a per-message cap:
| Mode | Best for | Max credits per message |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| **Quick** | Fast answers and simple tasks | Up to 200 |
| **Standard** | Most create, improve, and analyze tasks | Up to 700 |
| **Deep research** | Big analyses across many campaigns | Up to 1,700 |
Credits are priced to be plentiful — a typical message is a small fraction of your monthly balance.
Images, videos, and campaign launches created from chat are charged at the same rates as everywhere else — you'll always see the cost and confirm before anything is generated or launched.
## Included Credits
Every plan is just a **monthly credit volume** — pick the amount that fits your usage (e.g. $100 = 50,000 credits/mo, $500 = 250,000 credits/mo). Every feature is included on every plan, with unlimited team members and ad accounts. See [Plans & Credits](/billing/plans-credits) for the full ladder.
## Credit Expiration
Monthly plan credits expire **60 days** after they are granted — a rolling window to use them across billing periods.
* Each monthly grant starts its own 60-day timer.
* Your **oldest expiring credits are consumed first**.
* Any plan credits not used within 60 days are forfeited.
**Bonus and referral credits never expire.** They remain in your account until you use them, and are used only after your expiring plan credits are depleted.
## Bonus Credits
Bonus credits are earned through the **start-now offer** and **referrals**, added on top of your monthly credits.
* **Never expire**
* Used only after your expiring plan credits are depleted
* No limit on how many you can accumulate
**Start your plan now (skip the trial)** to get a one-time **100,000 bonus credits (\$200)**. And refer a friend — when they start a paid plan, you both earn bonus credits. See [Referral Program](/settings/referral-program) for details.
## How Credits Are Granted
* Credits are granted on your billing anniversary each month.
* Each monthly grant expires 60 days after it is issued.
* Moving to a higher credit volume grants the new allocation immediately; your existing unexpired credits remain available.
## Checking Your Balance
## Credit Reservation
When you publish an AI-generated campaign, credits are **reserved upfront** based on the expected cost. After publishing completes, the reservation is reconciled — you're only charged for content that was actually created. If some items fail, those credits are released back to your balance.
## Trial Credits
During your free trial you receive **\$100 in credits (50,000 credits)** to try AdStellar's AI features. They work the same as plan credits. When your subscription activates, your plan's monthly credit allocation takes over. (Choose to **start now / skip the trial** and you also get **100,000 bonus credits** that never expire.)
## What Happens When Credits Run Out
When your balance is too low for an action, that feature pauses until you top up:
* **Move to a higher credit volume** — immediate and prorated, grants the new allocation right away.
* **Wait for your next monthly grant.**
## Common Credit Errors
**"You've reached your trial credit limit"** — your free-trial credits are used up. Start your subscription to get your plan's full monthly allocation.
**"Insufficient credits"** — your balance is exhausted. Move to a higher credit volume from your **workspace menu → Billing & Subscription**, or wait for your next monthly grant.
**"Credit reservation failed"** — the content you're trying to generate would exceed your available credits. Reduce the scope, move to a higher volume, or wait for your next grant.
***
### Need Help?
If you have questions about credits or billing, reach out to our team.
* **Email:** [support@adstellar.ai](mailto:support@adstellar.ai)
* **In-app chat:** Click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner