# AI credits, in practice

> Public channel — documentation of app 3.6.3. Follow the availability notices of each service.

Source: [AI credits, in practice](/en/offres/credits-ia/)

An app version earlier than 3.0.0 cannot spend credits.

A credit is the unit of account for asset generations: images, icons, 3D models, music, and sound effects. Credits **do not pay for your agents’ work**. That work is paid for by your AI subscription, with its provider.

## Two ways to pay for a generation

Each generation goes either to **your own API keys**, or to **your VibeStarter credits**. With a subscription or usable top-up credits, credits are the default. You choose in the app, in the “Who pays for generations” section of the API keys screen, with one switch per type of generation (images and icons, 3D models, music and sound effects): Use my Gemini key, for example.

Under each type, the app says who pays:

-   your key is saved and selected: `“Your {{service}} key · no credits”`;
-   your key is saved but not selected: `“VibeStarter credits · {{cost}}”`;
-   no key is saved: `“VibeStarter credits · {{cost}} · no {{service}} key”`.

Without a subscription or top-up credits, the app does not show these switches: your keys are used automatically.

The details of the screen are in [Your API keys and your credential store](/en/application/reglages/cles-et-trousseau/).

## What each generation costs

This price list is fixed: it does not depend on your tier or on the time.

| What you generate | Credits | Label shown in the app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| An image or an icon | **15** | “15 credits” |
| An AI Studio image, Standard quality | **15** | “Standard (15 credits/image)” |
| An AI Studio image, Max quality | **45** | “Max (45 credits/image)” |
| A 3D model | **60**, plus 15 if it starts from a text | “60 credits (+15 from a prompt)” |
| Split a 3D model into parts | **80** | shown in the splitting window |
| A sound effect of 12 seconds or less | **5** | “5 credits (≤ 12 s) · 12 beyond” |
| A longer sound effect, or one with no duration set | **12** | same |
| A piece of music | **30** | “30 credits” |

Splitting a model therefore costs more than the model itself. This is intended: they are two different operations. See [Split a model to animate it](/en/application/assets/decouper-un-modele/).

**Two operations do not accept a personal key**: splitting a 3D model into parts, which is paid in credits only, and AI Studio visuals, which accept credits or a ChatGPT account.

## Monthly credits and top-up credits

Your balance can hold two kinds of credits, which follow different rules.

|  | Monthly credits | Top-up credits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where they come from | From the Plus or Pro subscription | From packs bought one at a time |
| Lifespan | Reset to zero at each renewal | **They never expire** |
| Carry-over of leftovers | None | Not applicable |
| Subscription required | Yes | **No** |
| Spending order | Spent first | Spent afterward |

The app says so on screen: “Top-up credits never expire, unlike monthly credits.” and `“Reset to {{credits}} at every renewal — the leftover does not carry over”`.

Packs cost **€10 for 400 credits**, **€25 for 1,000 credits**, and **€50 for 2,000 credits**. You buy them on the app’s Subscription page, in the “Credit top-ups” section, with the Buy button, without a subscription: “No subscription, pay as you go. They never expire.”

Before you pay for a pack, the “Before you pay” window asks you to check a separate box for immediate access to the credits, then Continue to payment opens the payment page. For 14 days after the purchase, you can withdraw and be refunded for the part of the pack you have not used: see [Withdraw within 14 days](/en/offres/retractation/).

Prices as of September 17, 2026

The amounts shown in the app, on the Subscription page, are the authoritative ones.

## Where you see your balance

-   In your account menu, a badge shows the number of credits left.
-   On the Subscription page: “Available credits,” `“{{sub}} / {{total}} monthly credits”` and `“+{{n}} top-up”`.
-   Before a generation that costs too much, the refusal gives the exact figures: `“You are short {{missing}} credits: this request costs {{cost}} and you have left…”`.
-   When an agent requests a generation that your balance no longer covers, the notification “AI credits exhausted” appears, with the Top up credits button.

For 3D models and their splitting paid in credits, the credits are reserved at launch, then debited when the generation succeeds, even if you close the app without retrieving the result. A confirmed failure releases the reservation. If the result is still uncertain, the credits stay reserved during verification; contact support if this persists.

## Limits

-   **A failed subscription payment blocks all generations on our servers**, even if your account holds top-up credits. See [Cancel, or what to do if a payment fails](/en/offres/resilier/).
-   **Unused monthly credits are lost** at renewal.
-   **After a subscription ends, the remaining monthly credits can no longer be used.** Top-up credits, on the other hand, stay available.
-   **An app version earlier than 3.0.0 cannot spend credits**: it falls back to your own keys. See [Update the app](/en/application/premiers-pas/mises-a-jour/).
-   VibeStarter credits have no link to the credits of your third-party AI providers: they are different units, on different accounts.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do my agents use up my credits when they code?** No. Coding is paid for by your AI subscription. Credits only move when an asset is generated.

**Can I use credits without a subscription?** Yes, with packs: they work on their own and never expire.

**Do my unused credits carry over to next month?** No for monthly credits, which go back to their cap at renewal. Yes, with no time limit, for top-up credits.

**Can I pay for my generations with my own keys?** Yes, for images, 3D models, and audio, by saving your keys in the app. Two operations are exceptions and accept only credits.

**Does a failed generation cost me credits?** A confirmed failure releases the reserved credits. A connection drop or a result that is no longer available is not enough to confirm that the generation failed: the credits may stay reserved while its result is checked.

## Go further

-   [The VibeStarter Plus and Pro subscription](/en/offres/abonnement/)
-   [Assets: search before you create](/en/application/assets/)
-   [The AI Studio: create it yourself](/en/application/assets/atelier-ia/)
-   [What VibeStarter costs](/en/offres/)