Billing & Payments

This guide explains how the billing system works in Binom.Router, including credit management, balance top-ups, and usage tracking.

How Billing Works

Binom.Router uses a token-based billing system, not a request-based system. You are charged based on the number of tokens consumed by AI models, not the number of API requests you make.

Token-Based Pricing Explained

Each AI model consumes tokens differently:

Input Tokens: Tokens sent to the model (your prompt)
Output Tokens: Tokens generated by the model (the response)

Example: A single API request with 1,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens will cost more than a request with 100 input tokens and 50 output tokens, even though both are single requests.

Why Token-Based Billing?

Token-based billing provides several advantages:

Fair Pricing: You pay only for the actual computational resources used
Transparency: Costs are directly tied to model usage
Flexibility: Different models have different token costs, allowing you to optimize based on needs
Predictability: Token counts are returned with each API response for accurate cost tracking

Cost Calculation

Model prices are configured by the administrator through ModelPricing. Prices are global per model alias and may be updated at any time.

For text models, cost is calculated as:

\[ \text{Total Cost} = \frac{\text{Input Tokens}}{1{,}000{,}000} \times \text{Input Price} + \frac{\text{Output Tokens}}{1{,}000{,}000} \times \text{Output Price} + \text{Requests} \times \text{Request Price} \]

Prices are stored per 1 million tokens plus a per-request price. Non-text models use per-item or per-second pricing configured in the same ModelPricing row.

Example:

Request to a text model:
- Input: 1,000 tokens @ InputPrice per 1M tokens
- Output: 500 tokens @ OutputPrice per 1M tokens
- Request price: RequestPrice per request
- Total: calculated from the formula above

InputPrice, OutputPrice, and RequestPrice are configured by the administrator through ModelPricing for each model alias. Check the Billing page for current rates.

Credits

Credits are the currency used in Binom.Router to pay for API usage. 1 Credit = $1 USD.

What Are Credits?

Credits represent your account balance that can be used to pay for token consumption. When you make API requests, the system:

Processes your request through the AI model
Counts the tokens consumed (input + output)
Calculates the cost based on the current ModelPricing for that model
Deducts the cost from your credit balance

Viewing Your Balance

Your current credit balance is displayed in multiple locations:

Location	Description
Dashboard	Main balance card shows available credits
Billing Page	Detailed balance with transaction history
API Response	Each response includes updated balance

Balance Information Displayed:

Available Credits: Current balance in USD
Last Updated: When the balance was last synchronized

How Credits Are Deducted

Credits are deducted in real-time after each successful API request:

{
  "id": "chatcmpl-123",
  "object": "chat.completion",
  "usage": {
    "prompt_tokens": 1000,
    "completion_tokens": 500,
    "total_tokens": 1500
  },
  "billing": {
    "cost": 0.061,
    "currency": "USD",
    "balance_before": 100.00,
    "balance_after": 99.94
  }
}

Insufficient Credits

If your balance is insufficient to cover a request:

The request will be rejected with HTTP 402 (Payment Required)
No tokens will be consumed
You will receive an error message indicating the required amount

Error Response:

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Insufficient credits. Required: 0.12, Available: 0.05",
    "type": "insufficient_credits_error",
    "code": "insufficient_credits"
  }
}

Adding Funds

You can add funds to your account using the payment methods enabled by the administrator.

Deposit Fee

A deposit fee may be applied when topping up your balance. The fee is dynamic and configurable by the administrator.

Default settings:

Deposit fee: 5% by default (BillingSettings.DepositFeePercentage)
Minimum deposit: $5 by default (BillingSettings.MinDepositAmount)

These values are configurable by the administrator. The fee and minimum deposit are calculated and displayed before you finalize any top-up.

Supported Payment Methods

Binom.Router supports the following payment options when enabled by the administrator:

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency deposits are enabled by default. The exact currencies and networks available depend on the CryptoProcessor configuration.

Benefits:

Automatic crediting after network confirmations
Global availability
Privacy-focused

Stripe

Credit card payments through Stripe are optional. They are disabled by default and must be enabled by the administrator.

How to Top Up Your Balance

Step-by-Step Guide

Navigate to Billing Page
- Click "Billing" in the main menu
- Or visit /billing directly
Enter Amount
- Enter the amount you want to add (minimum $5 by default, configurable via BillingSettings.MinDepositAmount)
- Review the estimated credits you'll receive
Select Payment Method
- Choose an enabled payment method
Complete Payment
- For Cryptocurrency: Scan the QR code or copy the wallet address
- For Stripe: Enter payment details and confirm
Wait for Confirmation
- Cryptocurrency: Wait for network confirmations
- Stripe: Wait for payment processor confirmation
Balance Updated
- Credits are automatically added to your account

Transaction History

The Billing page displays a transaction history that records credit purchases and API usage charges.

Transaction Types

Your transaction history includes:

Type	Description	Impact on Balance
Credit Purchase	Funds added to account	+ (Increase)
API Usage	Tokens consumed by models	- (Decrease)

Transaction Details

Each transaction record displays:

Field	Description
Date & Time	When the transaction occurred (UTC)
Type	Transaction type (purchase, usage)
Amount	Amount in USD
Description	Additional context (model used, payment method)
Status	Completed, pending, or failed

Support

If you have billing-related questions or issues:

Email: billing@binom.run
In-App Support: Click the help icon on any billing page

FAQ

Q: Are there any hidden fees?

A: No. You are charged per-token usage. Network fees for cryptocurrency payments are paid by you directly to the network. A deposit fee may apply when topping up; it is shown before confirmation.

Q: How accurate is the cost estimation?

A: Cost estimation is based on token counts and the current ModelPricing configuration. Actual costs may vary if the administrator updates prices.

A: Yes, all API keys share the same account balance. Usage is tracked per key but billed to the same account.

Q: What happens if I exceed my balance during a request?

A: The request will be rejected with HTTP 402. No tokens are consumed, and no charges are applied.

Q: What is the minimum deposit?

A: The minimum deposit is configurable by the administrator via BillingSettings.MinDepositAmount. The default is $5.

Q: What deposit fee is charged?

A: The deposit fee percentage is configurable by the administrator via BillingSettings.DepositFeePercentage. The default is 5%.