Credits
Understanding credits
Learn how API credits work and how to manage your usage effectively.
What are credits?
API credits are the currency used to pay for AI processing in Flowly. Every time your AI assistant receives a message and generates a response, it consumes credits based on the complexity and length of the interaction.
If you use your own API key (OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) no Flowly credits are consumed — you pay the AI provider directly.
Two types of credits
Monthly plan credits
- Included with your subscription plan
- Reset at the start of each billing cycle
- Used first before bonus credits
- Don't roll over to the next month
Bonus credits
- Purchased separately as one-time purchases
- Never expire — use them whenever you need
- Used only after monthly credits are depleted
- Great for heavy usage months
Pro tip
Buy bonus credits when they're on sale. Since they never expire, it's a great way to save money for future heavy usage.
Credit usage by model
Different AI models consume credits at different rates:
| Model | Speed | Credit usage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Fast | Medium | Most tasks |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Very Fast | Low | Quick responses |
| MiniMax M2.1 | Fast | Low | General chat |
| Kimi K2.5 | Medium | Medium | Complex tasks |
Monitoring usage
You can track your credit usage in several places:
- Dashboard — current balance and usage trend
- Server details — per-server usage in the Usage tab
- Billing page — detailed breakdown and purchase history
Running low on credits?
You'll receive email notifications when your credits are running low. You can also set up low-credit alerts in your dashboard settings.
Reducing credit usage
- Use efficient models. Claude Haiku is great for simple tasks and uses fewer credits.
- Keep messages concise. Shorter messages use fewer tokens.
- Use context wisely. Clear chat history when starting new topics.
- Set usage limits. Configure daily limits in server settings.
- Use your own API key. Connect OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Moonshot, or Z.AI to bypass the credit system entirely.