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AI credits: prepaid vs on-demand

Choose the right credit mode for your team

Written by Trace Team Updated 14-04-26

Credit modes in Trace

Trace supports two ways to fund Ask Trace usage:

  • Prepaid credits: buy credit packs in advance.
  • On-demand: allow usage past prepaid balance, controlled by a monthly cap.

When to use prepaid

  • You want strict spend control.
  • You have predictable monthly usage.
  • You prefer topping up manually.

When to use on-demand

  • Your usage is variable.
  • You do not want questions blocked when prepaid balance reaches zero.
  • You want smoother experience for larger teams.

How caps work

  1. Open Settings → AI Credits.
  2. Enable on-demand billing.
  3. Select a monthly cap level (including unlimited if allowed).
  4. Save and monitor usage during the month.

What happens at cap limit

  • Ask Trace requests can be blocked until next billing cycle or until cap is raised.
  • You can still add prepaid credits to resume usage immediately.

Troubleshooting

  • Cap reached unexpectedly: review team usage patterns and increase cap if needed.
  • On-demand toggle unavailable: check billing status and active payment method.
  • Usage still blocked after top-up: refresh the page and retry the request.

Still need help?

Contact our support team and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

support@usetrace.io