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

# Cost  Credits Management

> Step-by-step guide

# Cost & Credits Management

ZebraTruth uses a credits-based billing system. Understanding costs helps optimize usage.

## Check Your Balance

```
GET https://api.zebratruth.ai/v1/usage
Authorization: Bearer {api_key}
```

**Response:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "creditsRemaining": 82500,
  "creditsTotal": 83250,
  "creditsUsedThisMonth": 750,
  "periodStart": "2026-04-01",
  "periodEnd": "2026-04-30",
  "tier": "pro"
}
```

## Cost Estimates

| Operation                   | Approx Credits | Notes                                                          |
| --------------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Fast mode text check        | \~12           | All agents parallel                                            |
| Full mode text check        | \~47           | 4-phase pipeline, thorough                                     |
| Single agent call           | \~8-12         | 1 agent × 3 LLM stages                                         |
| Image rights check          | 35/image       | Restricted categories, logos, watermarks, content safety, C2PA |
| Cached check (same content) | 0              | Returns cached result                                          |

## Cost Optimization Strategies

1. **Use fast mode** unless thorough analysis is needed
2. **Cache awareness** — Identical content + jurisdictions + platforms returns cached results at 0 credits
3. **Single agents** — If you only need to re-check one aspect, call the agent directly instead of the full pipeline
4. **Batch wisely** — Check credits before submitting a batch of async jobs

## Plans

| Plan       | Price    | Credits             | Rate Limit |
| ---------- | -------- | ------------------- | ---------- |
| Free       | \$0      | 1,000 / 7-day trial | 10/min     |
| Pro        | \$750/mo | 83,250/mo           | 300/min    |
| Enterprise | Custom   | Custom              | Custom     |

## Reading Cost Breakdowns

Every response includes `costBreakdown`:

```json theme={null}
{
  "totalCredits": 47,
  "agents": [
    { "agent": "jurisdiction", "stage": "A", "credits": 2, "cached": true },
    { "agent": "jurisdiction", "stage": "C", "credits": 11 }
  ]
}
```

* `cached: true` — Research stage hit the cache (0 provider cost)
* Stage A = legal research & citation retrieval (cacheable, 30-day TTL)
* Stage C = compliance composition + severity scoring

## Handling 402 (Insufficient Credits)

When credits are exhausted:

```json theme={null}
{
  "error": "Insufficient credits",
  "creditsRemaining": 3,
  "creditsNeeded": 47,
  "upgradeUrl": "https://developers.zebratruth.ai/billing/upgrade"
}
```

Present the `upgradeUrl` to the user with context about their remaining credits.