Pay-as-you-go Billing
Most organizations on LLM API run on prepaid credits: you top up a balance and usage draws it
down. Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is the alternative for organizations that prefer to be invoiced for
what they actually use, after the fact — the way enterprise contracts usually work.
On PAYG there is no balance to top up. You use the API freely during a billing cycle, and at the
end of the cycle LLM API issues a single invoice for that period's usage.
Billing periods
Your organization is invoiced on one of three cycles, agreed with your account manager:
| Billing period |
Each invoice covers |
Invoice issued |
| Monthly |
A calendar month |
On the 1st |
| Twice monthly |
The 1st–15th, then the 16th to the end of the month |
On the 16th and 1st |
| Weekly |
Monday to Monday |
Every Monday |
All periods are in UTC. If the billing period changes, the next invoice covers everything since your
last invoice, and later invoices follow the new period — no usage is missed or billed twice.
INFO
PAYG is enabled per organization by the LLM API team. If you'd like to switch your organization
from prepaid to pay-as-you-go, contact your account manager or
support — there's no self-serve toggle.
How it works
You use the API throughout the cycle
Requests are metered exactly as they are on prepaid — every call records its cost. The difference is
that nothing is deducted from a balance; the costs simply accrue for the current billing period.
An invoice is issued at the end of each cycle
When the billing cycle closes, LLM API generates a PDF invoice for that period's total usage,
assigns it a sequential invoice number (e.g. INV-000123), and sets a due date.
You pay by one of two methods
Depending on how your organization is set up:
- Wire transfer — you receive the invoice and pay it manually by bank transfer. LLM API marks the
invoice paid once the funds arrive.
- Automatic card charge — the invoice is charged to your saved payment method automatically.
The invoice is a fixed, permanent record
Once issued, an invoice never changes. The amounts, the period, the billing details, and the seller
information are all snapshotted at issuance, so your records stay consistent for accounting and
audit. (Corrections are handled by voiding and reissuing — see below.)
Tracking your billing in the dashboard
Everything related to your PAYG billing lives under Billing in the dashboard sidebar.
Open the Billing page
Sign in to the dashboard and choose Billing from the left sidebar. If
your organization is on PAYG, you'll see the pay-as-you-go view instead of the prepaid top-up screen.
Review your current cycle
The top of the page shows your billing mode, the payment method in effect, and the usage
accrued so far in the open cycle, along with the date the next invoice will be issued. This is your
running estimate of the next invoice before it's finalized.
Browse your invoice history
Below the summary is the full list of past invoices — invoice number, period, amount, status
(issued, paid, or void), and due date. Overdue invoices are flagged so they're easy to
spot.
Download any invoice as a PDF
Each invoice has a Download action that generates the official PDF on demand — ready to forward to
your finance team or attach to your accounting system.
What's on an invoice
Every PAYG invoice PDF includes:
| Section |
Contents |
| Header |
INVOICE title, the sequential invoice number, issue date, due date, and a status badge |
| Bill to |
Your organization's name, billing email, company, address, and tax ID |
| Bill from |
The LLM API seller details and seller tax ID |
| Invoice summary |
Line items for the period, Subtotal, VAT (reverse charge), and Total due |
| Notes |
Any payment instructions (for wire transfers) and free-text notes |
INFO
VAT is shown as a reverse-charge line. For cross-border B2B supply the customer accounts for
VAT, so the rate is displayed as 0% with a note to that effect.
FAQ
Do I still need to top up credits on PAYG?
No. PAYG has no balance — you're invoiced for actual usage at the end of each cycle.
Can I change how often I'm invoiced?
Yes — contact your account manager to switch between monthly, twice-monthly, and weekly invoicing.
Can I see how much I owe before the invoice is issued?
Yes. The Billing page shows the usage accrued so far in the current cycle and the date the next
invoice is due.
What happens to an invoice if our billing address changes?
Already-issued invoices are unchanged — they keep the address they had when issued. New invoices pick
up the updated details.
How do I switch back to prepaid?
Contact your account manager. Switching modes issues a final closing invoice for the open PAYG period.