> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://helping.alive-pic.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# AI Credits — Pay-As-You-Go Pricing

No monthly caps. No "you've run out of effects this month." With ALIVE, AI effects are billed on a simple pay-as-you-go model — you pay per use, and that's it.

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## How It Works

Every time a guest applies an AI effect, it costs **credits** from your account balance. Different effect types have different credit costs.

* **Cost per credit:** $0.01 USD

| Effect Type | Credits | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **AI Style Effect** (photo) | 15 credits | ~$0.15 |
| **Custom AI Effect** (photo) | 15 credits | ~$0.15 |
| **Green Screen Effect** | 5 credits | ~$0.05 |
| **AI Video Effect** | 40 credits | ~$0.40 |

Transforming one guest photo into a Disney Pixar 3D style costs about 15 cents. A green screen background swap is just 5 cents.

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## Pro Plan Discounts

On the **Pro plan**, you get significant discounts on effect costs:

* **50% off AI effects** — AI style effects and custom effects cost half price
* **25% off video effects** — AI video effects are discounted too

These discounts apply automatically — no coupon needed. If you run a lot of effects, the Pro plan discount can pay for itself in a single event.

See [Understanding Basic vs Pro Plans](/en/article/understanding-basic-vs-pro-plans-1j8fcs0) for the full comparison.

---

## How Credits Are Charged

1. Guest selects an AI effect on the attraction screen
2. Guest takes their photos
3. The photo is processed by the AI with the selected effect
4. Credits are deducted from your account at the time of processing
5. The transformed photo is displayed

Credits are deducted when the effect is processed, not when it's selected.

---

## Checking Your Balance

You can view your current credit balance and usage statistics in:

1. The **web dashboard** at [photobooth.alive-pic.com/dashboard](https://photobooth.alive-pic.com/dashboard)
2. Your effects usage statistics page

[screenshot: Credit balance display]

---

## Pay-As-You-Go

There are no monthly effect limits or packages. Credits are charged **automatically** each time a guest applies an effect — you don't need to pre-load or manually purchase anything. If you don't use effects, you don't pay.

* **Automatic billing** — Credits are deducted per use, charged to your payment method on file
* No pre-loading required
* No wasted subscriptions

---

## Estimating Event Costs

Here's a quick reference for planning:

| Event Size | Guests Using Effects (60%) | Estimated Cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small (50 guests) | ~30 effects | ~$4.50 |
| Medium (150 guests) | ~90 effects | ~$13.50 |
| Large (300 guests) | ~180 effects | ~$27.00 |

| Not every guest will use an AI effect. The estimates above assume about 60% of guests will use an effect.

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## Tips for Managing Costs

* **Verify your payment method before events** — Ensure your payment method is current so credits are billed automatically without interruption
* **Track usage** — Check your [Effects Usage Statistics](/en/article/viewing-your-effects-usage-statistics-ctc4qa) to understand your typical consumption
* **Curate your effect selection** — Offering fewer effects per event means guests pick faster and don't experiment as much
* **Factor it into your pricing** — Most booth operators add AI effects as a premium add-on to their event packages

|| Running out of credits during an event means AI effects stop working. Always check your balance before going live.

---

## What's Next?

* [Understanding Basic vs Pro Plans](/en/article/understanding-basic-vs-pro-plans-1j8fcs0) — Compare plans and see what's included
* [Viewing Your Effects Usage Statistics](/en/article/viewing-your-effects-usage-statistics-ctc4qa) — Track your credit usage and plan ahead for events