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

# Top up credits on your TokModel account: billing guide

> TokModel uses a credit-based billing system. Learn how to top up your balance, understand credit consumption, and avoid API failures from an empty account.

TokModel uses a prepaid credit system: you add credits to your account, and each API call deducts credits based on the number of tokens processed and the per-token rate of the model you used. There are no monthly invoices or surprise charges — your balance decreases as you make requests, and you top up whenever you need more. Keeping an eye on your balance is the best way to ensure your application never experiences unexpected downtime.

## How credits work

Each model has a different credit cost per token. Lightweight models designed for speed cost fewer credits per call, while large frontier models cost more. You can see the credit rate for every supported model on the [TokModel pricing page](https://tokmodel.com/pricing).

When you make an API request, TokModel calculates the total tokens consumed — prompt tokens plus completion tokens — and deducts the equivalent number of credits from your balance. The exact amount deducted appears in the usage field of each API response.

<Warning>
  When your credit balance reaches zero, all API calls return a `403 Forbidden` error. Your application will stop working until you top up. Plan ahead to avoid interruptions in production.
</Warning>

## Top up your balance

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the console">
    Go to [https://tokmodel.com/console](https://tokmodel.com/console) and log in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to billing">
    In the left sidebar, click **Billing** or **Credits**. Your current balance is shown at the top of the page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Top up">
    Click the **Top up** button to open the payment dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the amount">
    Enter the number of credits you want to add, complete the payment form, and confirm. Credits are added to your balance immediately after the payment is processed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Check your balance regularly

<Tip>
  Make it a habit to check your credit balance in the console before deploying to production or running batch jobs that will generate a large number of API calls. You can see your current balance on the main dashboard at any time.
</Tip>

Your balance is visible on the console dashboard as soon as you log in. If you are running automated workloads, consider tracking the `usage` field in API responses to estimate how quickly your balance is being consumed.

## Model pricing and credit rates

Different models consume credits at significantly different rates. A short prompt sent to a small, fast model may cost a fraction of a credit, while a long conversation with a large reasoning model can consume substantially more. Before choosing a model for a cost-sensitive use case, review the rates on the [TokModel pricing page](https://tokmodel.com/pricing).

The pricing page is updated whenever new models are added or rates change, so bookmark it as your reference point for cost planning.

## What to do if your calls return 403

A `403 Forbidden` response from the TokModel API almost always means your credit balance is zero. To resolve it:

1. Log in to the [console](https://tokmodel.com/console) and confirm your balance.
2. Top up your credits using the steps above.
3. Retry the failing request — it should succeed as soon as your balance is positive.

If you see a `403` but your balance appears healthy, check that the API key you are using belongs to the same account and has not been revoked.