# AI & credits

> How AI credits work in Convia Pro, what each AI action costs, how to buy top-up packs, and what happens when you run out.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.conviapro.com/llms.txt).

Convia Pro's AI features run on credits. Every AI action has a set cost, and each workspace has its own credit balance, made up of a monthly allowance from your plan plus any top-up packs and bonus credits. This page explains where credits come from, what they're spent on and what happens when you run out.

## How AI credits work

- **Credits belong to a workspace.** Each workspace has its own balance and its own plan. Credits aren't shared or moved between workspaces, so if you belong to several, each shows a different balance.
- **Each AI action has a cost.** Writing a post, generating a thumbnail or transcribing an episode spends credits from the workspace you're working in. See [What each AI action costs](#what-each-ai-action-costs).
- **Work you do by hand is free.** Creating, editing, scheduling and publishing never cost credits.

## Where credits come from

| Source | How you get it | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | Your plan adds credits on the 1st of each month. The amount depends on your plan (see [Plans, trials & billing](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/plans-and-billing.md)) | Until the end of the month, unless your plan includes rollover |
| Rolled-over credits | On plans that include rollover, unused monthly credits carry into the following month or months | For the extra months your plan allows |
| Top-up packs | One-time purchases you make from Billing | 12 months from purchase. Packs never roll over |
| Bonus credits | 75 starter credits at signup for guided setup, credits returned and awarded when you finish guided setup, rewards for some setup milestones, and refunds for failed generations | 365 days from when they're added |

Your free trial includes your plan's monthly allowance, and a new workspace receives its plan's full monthly allowance as soon as its plan starts. A free plan, where one is offered, has no monthly allowance: AI features on it run on credits you already have or buy.

If your plan includes unlimited AI credits, Billing shows no limit on your monthly credits and top-up packs aren't offered.

## Check your credit balance

Owners and managers can see the full picture on the **Billing** page, under **Workspace** in the launcher:

- **Credits available** shows your total and how it breaks down: **Monthly allocation**, **Rolled over**, **Top-up packs** and **Bonus credits**.
- **Usage & Quotas** shows **AI Credits (this month)** against your plan's monthly amount.
- **AI Credit Usage History** lists each AI action with its date and **Credits Used**. Filter it to **Last 7 days**, **Last 30 days** or **All time**.
- **Top-up purchases** lists the packs bought for this workspace.

A banner warns you when credits are running low, so you can top up before you run out.

## The order credits are spent in

When an AI action runs, Convia takes credits in this order:

1. Your monthly allowance, oldest month first, so rolled-over credits go before this month's.
2. Credits we've added for you, such as refunds and milestone rewards.
3. Top-up packs.
4. Your signup and guided-setup credits.

Monthly credits are spent first because they expire soonest.

## What each AI action costs

These are the standard costs. Credit costs can change, and where an action shows its cost in the app, that figure is current.

| Area | Action | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Episode and video | Transcription | 1 per minute of audio or video, rounded up |
| Episode and video | Episode Insights | 30 |
| Episode and video | Chapter Markers | 20 |
| Episode and video | YouTube Titles | 15 |
| Episode and video | Generate Description | 15 |
| Episode and video | Conversation Outline | 20 |
| Content creation | Generate Post | 10 |
| Content creation | Generate Article | 25 |
| Content creation | Posts from Clip | 15 |
| Content creation | Content Suggestions | 10 |
| Content creation | Promotion Post | 10 |
| Images and Content Lab | Generate Thumbnail | 25 |
| Images and Content Lab | Refine Thumbnail | 10 |
| Images and Content Lab | Infographic | 20 |
| Images and Content Lab | Quote Card | 15 |
| Images and Content Lab | Brand Graphic | 20 |
| Ideas and scripts | AI Idea from Trend | 10 |
| Ideas and scripts | Script from Idea | 20 |
| Ideas and scripts | Script from Trend | 15 |
| Ideas and scripts | Chat Script Dev (per message) | 5 |
| Campaigns and trends | Campaign Setup | 25 |
| Campaigns and trends | Magic Campaign | 20, plus 5 per platform and 15 per article |
| Campaigns and trends | Trend Discovery | 15 for 1 topic, 25 for 2 to 3 topics, 35 for 4 to 5 topics |
| Campaigns and trends | Magic Repurpose, full run on a new episode | About 100 to 150 |
| Clipping | Managed Clipping (add-on) | 2 per minute of source video, with a minimum of 20 per job |

Worked examples:

- A 45-minute episode costs 45 credits to transcribe.
- A [Magic Campaign](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/magic-campaign.md) for 3 platforms with 1 article costs 20 + 15 + 15 = 50 credits.
- A 6-minute video sent to Managed Clipping costs the 20-credit minimum.
- [Magic Repurpose](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/magic-repurpose.md) runs several AI steps in one go, so its cost is the sum of those steps. Its "skip existing" option lowers the cost by not redoing what the episode already has.

### Actions that never cost credits

- Creating and editing content by hand, including editing AI output
- Quick Idea from a trend
- Scheduling and publishing
- Viewing and navigating anything in the app
- Work done through your own connected OpusClip, Descript, ElevenLabs or HeyGen account. See [Credits and your own AI accounts](#credits-and-your-own-ai-accounts)

## Buy a top-up pack

Top-up packs are one-time purchases that add credits to the current workspace without changing your plan. Packs currently come in 100 credits (**Plus Pack**), 250 credits (**Pro Pack**) and 500 credits (**Power Pack**). Each pack's price is shown under **Buy credits** before you buy.

1. Click **Top up credits** in your avatar menu, or open **Billing** and find **Buy credits**.
2. Pick a pack and click **Buy Credits**.
3. Complete the one-time payment on the checkout page.
4. Back in Convia you see **Purchase confirmed** and the new credits appear in **Credits available**.

If you leave checkout without paying, Convia shows **Top-up canceled** and nothing is charged. Buying a pack doesn't affect a free trial.

Only owners and managers can buy packs. In a workspace under an agency or enterprise contract, top-ups are handled by the agency owner. See [Agencies & managed accounts](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/agencies-and-managed-accounts.md).

## When you run out of credits

If an AI action needs more credits than you have, Convia opens **AI Credits Exhausted** instead of running it. The dialog shows how many credits you've used, how many remain, how many the action needs and when your monthly credits reset. From there:

- Click **Buy Credits** to buy a top-up pack.
- Click **Upgrade Plan** to move to a plan with a larger monthly allowance.
- Or wait for your monthly allowance to refresh on the 1st.

With no credits you can still edit existing content, create content by hand, and schedule and publish posts.

> [!TIP]
> Set up your [Brand Brain](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/brand-brain.md) before you use AI features. Better brand settings mean fewer drafts to redo, so you spend fewer credits. See [How AI uses your brand](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/how-ai-uses-your-brand.md).

## Failed generations and refunds

If an AI generation fails, Convia returns its credits automatically in most cases. Failed thumbnail generations and failed Managed Clipping jobs, for example, are refunded this way.

Credits for a generation that succeeded aren't refunded, even if you delete the result. AI output is saved as a draft, so delete what you don't need. If a failed generation wasn't refunded, [contact support](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/get-support.md).

## Credits when you change plans

- Credits you already have keep their original expiry date and are spent in the usual order.
- After a mid-month change between paid plans, the new plan's monthly allowance applies from the 1st of the next month.
- If you need more credits before then, buy a top-up pack.

See [Plans, trials & billing](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/plans-and-billing.md) for how the charge itself changes.

## Credits and your own AI accounts

Work that runs on your own provider account never uses Convia credits. OpusClip clips, Descript edits, ElevenLabs voiceovers and HeyGen avatar videos made with your own connected key are billed by that provider. Convia credits pay only for Convia's own AI features, such as writing and image generation. Having Convia draft a custom prompt for an OpusClip job is one of those features, so it costs credits even when the clipping itself runs on your own key.

The exception is the **Managed Clipping** add-on, which runs clipping on Convia's OpusClip account and charges your AI credits. If you have Managed Clipping and also connect your own OpusClip key, clipping switches to your account and stops costing credits. See [Connect your AI accounts](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/connect-ai-accounts.md).

## Related

- [Plans, trials & billing](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/plans-and-billing.md): monthly credit amounts by plan, and how to upgrade.
- [Connect your AI accounts](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/connect-ai-accounts.md): use your own provider accounts instead of credits.
- [Magic Repurpose](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/magic-repurpose.md): the one-click episode workflow and what it creates.
- [How AI uses your brand](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/how-ai-uses-your-brand.md): get better results from each credit you spend.

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Source: https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/ai-credits · Section: Account & billing · Last updated: 2026-10-03