AI credits are separate from your plan, and that surprises people. A plan unlocks content — lessons, exams, the studios. Credits pay for the things that call a live AI model on your behalf, one use at a time. This article explains what a credit is, where your balance came from, and the two or three moments where it moves without you obviously asking it to.
What a credit actually is
A credit is a slice of real AI spend. Every feature that talks to a model on your behalf — answering you in the speaking studio, scoring your pronunciation, marking your handwriting, drafting your study plan — costs us money per use.
This is why credits exist rather than being folded into the subscription. Reading a lesson costs the same whether one person does it or ten thousand; a model answering your particular sentence does not. Metering the variable part separately is what keeps the fixed part affordable.
Where your balance came from
Credits are granted, never conjured by the app. There are exactly three ways your balance goes up.
- A starter grant when you sign up — A free account starts at 215 credits. Pro starts at 3,000, Pro Plus at 12,000.
- A grant when your plan changes — Upgrading grants the new plan’s allowance. Starting a trial grants a pro-rated share of it up front, so a 7-day Pro trial arrives with 700 credits rather than a full month’s worth.
- A pack you bought — Credit packs are a one-off purchase that sits on top of whatever your plan grants, rather than replacing them.
Why your balance went down
Credits are debited at the moment a feature calls a model. Nothing is charged for browsing, reading, taking an exam or reviewing flashcards — none of those touch an AI at all.
The three drops people notice, and write to us about:
- −15, right after signing up — The study plan generated at the end of onboarding. This is the one the extra 15-credit grant covers, so your balance should read 200 afterwards, not 185.
- −9, after a handwriting check — Reading what you actually wrote and marking it. The costliest thing you can do after a study plan, and the second drop people notice.
- A credit or two at a time, while practising — A message to your tutor costs 1, pronunciation scoring 4, grading an open exam answer 3. Individually trivial; across a long session they add up quietly.
The full price list is in what each AI feature costs.
What happens when you run out
The AI feature you tried to use declines, with a message saying you are out of credits and what that action would have cost. Nothing else changes: you stay signed in, your plan stays active, and every non-AI part of the site behaves exactly as it did before.
From there you can wait for your next plan grant, or buy a pack.
Common questions
The study plan generated at the end of onboarding costs 15 credits. It runs automatically as the last step, which is why it looks like an unprompted deduction. Free accounts are granted 215 rather than 200 specifically so the balance lands on 200 once it has run.