Credits: how pricing actually works
Why we use held-then-committed credits instead of charging per token, and how to estimate costs for a 10-shot Studio render.
Clipie charges in credits, a single unit that works across every model. Image generation, video generation, upscale, and inpaint all draw from the same balance. Here's why β and how to reason about your spend.
Hold, commit, refund
- Submit β the estimated cost is heldfrom your balance. Can't hold? Job is rejected up front.
- Render β provider runs. If this step fails, the hold is immediately refunded in full.
- Commit β on success, the actual cost is deducted. For fixed-cost models this equals the hold; for duration-billed models (video) it can be slightly lower.
The big win: experimentation is cheap. A failed render costs you nothing.
Estimating a 10-shot Studio render
Studio's 4-frame preview step uses Seedream Γ 4 = 4 Γ 6 β 24 credits. The final video step (5s Seedance) is 8 base + 5 Γ 6 = 38 credits. Total for one full pass: ~62 credits. Ten shots of the same prompt = ~620 credits, comfortable on Pro ($29 / 1,600 mo).
Why not per-token?
Because video doesn't have tokens in any meaningful sense, and mixing billing units across modalities is how you end up with a bill that looks like a cell phone plan. One unit, one ledger, one refund path.