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

# Pay per use

> Metered by the hour per active workspace, drawn from a prepaid wallet that never expires.

Pay-per-use meters compute **by the hour, per active workspace**, drawn from a
**prepaid wallet** that never expires. Idle costs nothing — no seats, no monthly
minimum, no lock-in.

<Frame caption="Pay-per-use — a prepaid wallet, whole-hour metering, and a full ledger.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agent-bees/HUTI08XX3esZvrRw/images/billing-payg.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=HUTI08XX3esZvrRw&q=85&s=99e4821d22a8cd419c33fbdaf1fb9746" alt="Pay-per-use billing" width="1440" height="900" data-path="images/billing-payg.png" />
</Frame>

## The base rate

The base workspace (½ vCPU · 512 MiB) bills at roughly **\$0.0274 / hr** — the
monthly base rate divided across the hours in a month. Extra vCPU, RAM, and disk
are metered on top (see [Add-ons](/billing/add-ons)).

<Info>
  **Whole-hour billing.** A full hour is deducted from your wallet **upfront at the start of each
  hour** a workspace runs. Keep at least an hour of balance topped up so tasks don't stall. There's
  no partial-hour refund when a task closes mid-hour.
</Info>

## Estimating extra resources

The Pay-per-use card includes a live **"Extra resources — metered hourly"**
calculator. Add extra whole vCPUs and RAM in **0.25 GB steps** and it shows the
resulting workspace hourly rate — the base plus the metered extras:

* **Extra vCPU** — about \$0.0082 / hr per ½ vCPU
* **Extra RAM** — about \$0.0055 / hr per 0.25 GB

The actual amount of extra CPU/RAM for a given workspace is chosen **per task**
when you create it, and billed only while that pod runs.

## Funding your wallet

On the Pay-per-use card you fund the wallet with a one-time Stripe payment:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Accept the Terms & Conditions">
    Required on the billing page before any funding or switch.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick an amount">
    Presets of \*\*$5 / $10 / $20**, or enter a custom whole-dollar amount (minimum $5).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pay on Stripe">
    You're redirected to a one-time Stripe payment. Your balance is credited on return.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Monthly add-ons on pay-per-use

Some things are **monthly**, not hourly — most notably **backup storage & log
retention** ($1.99/mo, includes 2.5 GiB, then $0.50/GB). These are deducted from
your wallet each month and renew automatically while active. The billing card
shows them as a separate "from wallet · renews monthly" figure so they're never
confused with the hourly meter.

<Warning>
  If your wallet runs dry, in-flight hours can't be charged and new tasks are blocked until you top
  up. Task and pipeline creation require at least one prepaid hour of balance.
</Warning>

## Audit trail

Every deduction is recorded in a ledger (visible under **Recent activity** on the
billing page): top-ups, hourly usage, backup renewals, and pool charges — so you
can always see where your balance went.