How AI usage is metered across QuantLogix — a single monthly credit allowance per tier, tier-priced refill packs, and auto-recharge. One meter powers every AI surface: QL Intelligence, Research, and Portfolio AI analysis. Plan credits reset monthly; purchased credits never expire.
A credit is the unit of AI work. Every AI interaction (your prompt + the AI's full response, including reasoning and tool-use rounds) consumes credits in proportion to how much compute it actually used — longer conversations, bigger documents, and heavier model settings consume more. Every plan comes with one monthly credit allowance — no separate caps to juggle.
Plan credits are included with your subscription and reset on the 1st of each month — unused plan credits expire and do not roll over. Purchased credits (refill packs) never expire and are drawn down only after your plan credits are exhausted.
Every AI surface — QL Intelligence company chat, Research tab reports & follow-ups, Portfolio AI analysis — draws from the same monthly credit pool. Heavier requests just consume more credits and naturally self-ration under the allowance.
Custom credit budgets, dedicated rate limits, white-label, SOC 2 / GDPR DPA. From $1,499/mo. Talk to sales →
| Meter | Free | Starter | Pro | Institutional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan credits (reset monthly — unused credits expire) | 50 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 | Custom |
| Refill packs ($20/$50/$100 · purchased credits never expire) | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto-recharge | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Every AI surface inside QuantLogix shares a single credit meter. You can see live counters on your profile page under AI Credits & Billing.
| Surface | Approx credit cost |
|---|---|
| Due Diligence analysis (Research tab) | 3–10 credits |
| Monte Carlo simulation | 3–8 credits |
| Portfolio AI analysis (full tool loop) | 20–60 credits |
| QL Intelligence company AI (every company page) | 5–25 credits per turn |
| Research tab follow-ups | 5–25 credits per turn |
| Portfolio follow-ups | 8–30 credits per turn |
| Signal engine scoring · indicator lookups · charts | Free (non-AI) |
| 5-factor signals · Day/Swing signals · news & sentiment | Free (non-AI) |
Credit costs include the AI's extended reasoning, tool-use rounds (market-data lookups, web-search, chart rendering, up to 6 rounds) that grow the working context as results accumulate, and the final answer. Heavy multi-tool turns with web-search + multiple chart renders can push a single QL Intelligence or follow-up turn past 40 credits. Reports are cheaper because they pre-build the bulk of the page in JavaScript and use the AI only for a short commentary layer. Credits are cost-true: a request on a heavier model class consumes proportionally more credits than the same request on the standard class.
Every QL Intelligence chat runs on the base model by default — fast, capable, and included on every plan. Pro and Institutional members can flip a single toggle in the chat header to the ⚡ Pro model for noticeably deeper, more deliberate reasoning on hard questions (complex valuations, multi-step trade theses, tricky tradeoffs).
The pro model does more thinking per answer, so a pro-model turn draws against your monthly allowance at a higher rate: 8× credits on Pro, 6× on Institutional. The toggle is sticky, shows an active banner with the multiplier, and tags each pro answer with a small ⚡ Pro chip. If a single pro turn would exceed your remaining balance, the chat tells you up front and you can switch back to the base model or refill — you're never charged for a turn that doesn't run.
| Model | Who | Credit cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base model | All plans (default) | 1× credits | Everyday research, signal questions, quick lookups |
| ⚡ Pro model | Pro (8×) · Institutional (6×) | multiplied | Deep due diligence, hard valuations, multi-step reasoning |
Blown through your monthly budget before the calendar renews? Any paid tier can top up with a one-click refill pack. Higher tiers get a cheaper per-credit rate, so the same $20 / $50 / $100 buys you more credits on Pro than Starter, and more again on Institutional. Purchased credits never expire and are drawn down after your monthly plan credits are exhausted.
| Tier | Monthly base | Effective plan rate / credit | Refill rate / credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49 · 500 credits | $0.070 | $0.100 |
| Pro | $149 · 1,000 credits | $0.065 | $0.080 |
| Institutional | $299 · 2,000 credits | $0.065 | $0.060 |
Refill rates keep the upgrade ladder honest: a Starter buying $100 of refills still pays more per credit and ends up with fewer total credits than just upgrading to Pro.
| Pack | Starter | Pro | Institutional |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | 200 | 250 (+25%) | 333 (+67%) |
| $50 | 500 | 625 (+25%) | 833 (+67%) |
| $100 | 1,000 | 1,250 (+25%) | 1,670 (+67%) |
Free tier uses the Starter rate when refilling, though Free users usually refill rarely (no Stripe card on file from a prior subscription).
Go to /profile → AI Credits & Billing card → pick one of the three pack tiles ($20 / $50 / $100). The credit count shown on each tile reflects your current tier rate. Secure checkout via Stripe using your card on file. Credits land in under a minute, no subscription change. See recent purchases + history directly on the card.
POST /api/research/credits
Content-Type: application/json
{
"user_id": "<your-clerk-id>",
"action": "purchase",
"pack_usd": 20 // 20 | 50 | 100 (default 20)
}
→ returns {
"checkout_url": "https://checkout.stripe.com/...",
"pack_usd": 20,
"pack_tokens": 250000, // = 250 credits; tier-aware, computed server-side
"tier": "pro"
}
Tier is resolved server-side from your Clerk session / Supabase user_profiles.tier — never trusted from the client. Invalid pack_usd values (anything not 20/50/100) return 400.
Turn on auto-recharge and we'll automatically apply the $20 refill pack the moment your remaining balance drops below a threshold you pick. Credits granted follow your current tier (Starter 200 / Pro 250 / Institutional 333 credits), same Stripe card on file, zero interruption to any in-flight AI request.
| Threshold | Who it's for |
|---|---|
25 credits | Light users — only want a backstop after a heavy burst. |
50 credits | Typical — recharges when a small working buffer remains. |
100 credits (default) | Active users — guarantees headroom for a full deep-dive analysis. |
150 credits | Power users — always keep a fresh refill in reserve. |
Card expired, declined, or insufficient funds → the auto-charge fails and a warning banner appears on the profile card. Update your payment method, click Buy Credits once to confirm the new card works, and auto-recharge re-arms. You're never cut off silently — we log the error so you know.
On /profile in the AI Credits & Billing card, flip the Auto-Recharge toggle on. Pick a threshold from the dropdown (25 / 50 / 100 / 150 credits) — we remember it forever. Turn it off anytime; one-click refills always stay available.
PATCH /api/research/credits
Content-Type: application/json
{ "user_id": "<your-clerk-id>", "auto_recharge": true, "auto_recharge_threshold": 100000 }
→ returns { "ok": true, "auto_recharge": true, "auto_recharge_threshold": 100000 }
Every AI endpoint checks your remaining credits before calling the model. If you're out of monthly plan credits but have purchased credits, we draw from those automatically. If you're out of both and auto-recharge is off, the request returns 402 Payment Required with a JSON body pointing at the refill link.
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
200 | Request served, credits deducted. | Keep going. |
402 | Plan credits + purchased credits both exhausted. | Buy a $20 refill or enable auto-recharge. |
403 | Feature requires a higher tier (e.g. Portfolio AI on Free). | Upgrade on /pricing. |
Admin accounts and Enterprise seats bypass all credit limits. Per-user limits can also be overridden server-side on any paid account.
No. Plan credits reset on the 1st of each month; purchased credits roll forever until used.
No — plan credits expire at the end of each month. Only purchased (refill) credits roll over.
Credits track the actual work performed: conversation length, documents attached, tool rounds, and the model class serving the request all change the cost. The ⚡ Pro model in particular bills at a multiplied rate because it does more thinking per answer.
Yes. Click any pack tile ($20 / $50 / $100) as many times as you want — each purchase adds credits at your tier rate. Auto-recharge also fires as many times as your threshold is tripped.
No — the bots use a separate command-count meter (5 / 50 / 500 / 5,000 per month by tier). The AI credit allowance covers only the web dashboard's Research, Portfolio, and QL Intelligence surfaces.
Yes — /profile shows Credits Left, Bonus Credits, a Credit Budget bar, the plan-credit expiry date, recent purchase history, and the last 5 auto-recharges (if enabled).