Lesson 2 of 3 · 4 min
What a credit buys
You can predict roughly what a run will cost before you start it.
Credits are the unit everything in the product is priced in. You do not need to memorise a rate card, but you do need a rough feel for what things cost before you start a batch, because a batch is where the money actually goes.
Steps
- Before you generate, read the estimate shown on the generate button. It is calculated from the model and the number of outputs, not guessed.
- Run one image and note the number.
- Now open a video tool and read its estimate without running it. The gap between the two is the thing worth remembering.
- Raise the output count on a batch and watch the estimate move before you commit.
What actually drives cost
Two things: how many outputs you asked for, and how expensive the model is per output. Video costs more than images because it is generating many frames. Longer video costs more than shorter video for the same reason.
What does not drive cost is how long your brief is. Writing three more sentences of detail is free. If more detail gets you the right result on the first run instead of the third, it is better than free.
What to watch for
The number on the button is an estimate. A run that fails partway can still cost something, because work was done before it failed. This is why reading a failure message matters rather than immediately retrying: the same failure twice costs twice.