Credits & Usage
Vector Data Loader uses a credits-based billing model where you pay for what you sync. This page explains how credits work, what they cost, and how to monitor your usage.
How Credits Work
Instead of subscription tiers with fixed limits, you purchase credits that are consumed when you sync documents. This pay-per-sync model lets you scale usage up or down without changing plans.
Key benefits:
- Pay for what you use — no wasted capacity on quiet months
- Usage-based credits — sync within your available balance and applicable service limits
- Predictable costs — each operation has a fixed credit cost
Credit Balance
Your credit balance is always visible in the sidebar widget at the bottom of the navigation panel.
Balance Components
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Credits | Combined startup + purchased credits available |
| Startup Credits | One-time 250 credits granted on signup |
| Purchased Credits | Credits you've bought (never expire) |
Balance Indicators
The balance display uses color coding to help you stay informed:
| Color | Condition | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | Balance > 100 | Healthy balance |
| 🟡 Yellow | Balance < 100 | Consider purchasing more |
| 🔴 Red | Balance < 20 | Low balance warning |
Click the balance widget to navigate directly to the Billing Settings page.
Startup Credits
Every new organization receives a one-time grant of 250 free startup credits when the account is created.
Startup Credit Rules
- One-time only — Startup credits are granted once and do not renew
- No credit card required — Create an account; configure providers before syncing
- 12 standard document syncs, with 10 credits remaining — Enough to evaluate the platform with real data
Startup credits are perfect for evaluating the platform. For ongoing usage, purchase credit top-up packs or review any currently available Lifetime Deal in Billing Settings.
Credit Costs
Each billable operation consumes a fixed number of credits:
Document Sync Costs
| Operation | Credits | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Sync | 20 | Full document processing (parsing, chunking, embedding) |
| Enhanced Sync | 40 | Standard + Contextual Retrieval (LLM-enhanced chunks) |
| Re-sync (Unchanged) | 5 | Document detected as unchanged since last sync |
Storage Costs
| Operation | Credits | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 200/GiB/month | Monthly charge for uploaded files and extracted images |
The base reference rate is $0.01 per credit. Purchased packs may have lower unit costs. Credits consumed and the cash price of a one-time pack are different amounts. External embedding, LLM, OCR, and vector-store provider charges are separate.
Sync Cost Indicators
Before syncing documents, you'll see the estimated credit cost displayed in sync dialogs.
Pre-Sync Cost Display
When selecting documents to sync, the dialog shows:
- Number of documents selected
- Estimated total credit cost
- Your current balance
- Whether you have sufficient credits
Low Balance Warnings
The system provides proactive warnings to prevent sync failures:
| Warning Level | Trigger | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Balance < cost of selection | "Insufficient credits for this sync" |
| Warning | Balance < 100 OR remaining after sync < 20 | "Low balance warning — consider purchasing more credits" |
If you have insufficient credits, the sync will be blocked until you purchase more.
Document Status
Your documents have sync states that affect credit usage:
| Status | Description | Re-sync Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Synced | Successfully processed, up to date | 20/40 if content changed, 5 if unchanged |
| Pending | Awaiting initial sync | 20/40 (first sync) |
| Stale | Source changed, needs re-sync | 20/40 |
| Error | Failed to process | 20/40 to retry |
Sync Activity
Monitor your sync history on the Usage page:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Jobs | All-time sync job count |
| Last 7 Days | Recent sync activity |
| Successful | Jobs completed without errors |
| Failed | Jobs that encountered errors (credits not charged on failure) |
If a document fails to sync, no credits are charged. You can retry without losing credits.
Purchasing Credits
When your balance runs low, purchase credit packages from Settings → Billing.
Package examples verified September 7, 2026. Check live pricing for current availability and prices.
Packages offer volume discounts:
- Starter — 500 credits for $5
- Standard — 3,000 credits for $25 (17% savings)
- Value — 7,500 credits for $50 (33% savings)
- Bulk — 18,000 credits for $100 (44% savings)
Purchased credits never expire and are added instantly after payment.
See Billing Settings for complete purchasing instructions.