# How does API.market charges me?

### **Understanding billing and charges on API.market**

API.market offers multiple pricing plans per API product, including FREE, Basic, Pro, Ultra, Mega, and custom plans. Understanding how you're charged helps you manage costs effectively.

***

### 🎯 Key Charging Principle

**API.market only charges for successful API calls.**

{% hint style="success" %}
✅ **What counts as a charge:**

* Only API calls that return **"200 OK"** status code are charged
* Error responses (4xx, 5xx) are **NOT charged**
* Failed requests are **NOT counted** in your usage
* You only pay for successful API executions
  {% endhint %}

***

### 💳 Two Main Billing Models

#### 1. 📅 Monthly Pre-Paid Subscriptions

<figure><img src="https://979396929-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJpzXHBiEL3zWqYljGVxS%2Fuploads%2FCkkbo6ApmHjpyJkxkQ1D%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=937e6e74-4e43-4ae9-a96f-4484bd0af8df" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**How it works:**

* Pay a **monthly fee upfront** (e.g., $8, $45, $89)
* Includes a specific number of API calls per month
* **Overage charges** apply if you exceed your included calls
* Billed once per month at renewal

**Billing Formula:**

```
Total Charge = Monthly Fee + Overage Charges
Overage = (API Calls Made - API Call Limit) × Price Per Call
```

**Example:**

```
Plan: Pro Plan ($49/month)
- Included: 10,000 calls/month
- Overage: $0.005 per call
- Usage: 12,000 calls
- Charge: $49 + (2,000 × $0.005) = $59.00
```

***

#### 2. ⚡ Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Plans

<figure><img src="https://979396929-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJpzXHBiEL3zWqYljGVxS%2Fuploads%2FC2ycJhp1iOJYiYeznRKR%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=fd651865-efa3-4bc8-a438-e9c2fb4d707d" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**How it works:**

* **No monthly fee** ($0 upfront)
* Pay only for actual API usage
* Charged based on successful calls
* Billing happens every 10 minutes (cumulative)

**Billing Formula:**

```
Total Charge = Total API Calls × Price Per Call
```

**Example:**

```
Plan: PAYG Plan
- Price Per Call: $0.02
- Usage: 500 calls
- Charge: 500 × $0.02 = $10.00
```

{% hint style="info" %}
💡 **Cumulative Billing:** PAYG uses cumulative billing to prevent double-charging. The system calculates total usage since subscription start and charges only the difference from what's already been charged.
{% endhint %}

***

### 📊 Plan Comparison

| Feature               | Monthly Pre-Paid    | Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) |
| --------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------- |
| **Monthly Fee**       | Yes (e.g., $9-$499) | No ($0)              |
| **Included Calls**    | Yes                 | No                   |
| **Billing Frequency** | Monthly             | Every 10 minutes     |
| **Overage Charges**   | Yes (if exceeded)   | All usage charged    |
| **Best For**          | Predictable usage   | Variable usage       |

***

### 💰 Overage Charges (Monthly Plans)

If you exceed your included API calls on a monthly plan:

**Overage Calculation:**

```
Overage Calls = Total Calls Made - Included Calls
Overage Charge = Overage Calls × Price Per Call
```

**Limit Types:**

* **HARD Limit**: API stops when limit reached (no overage)
* **SOFT Limit**: API continues, overage charges apply

***

### 💳 Payment Methods

* **Stripe** - Credit/debit card payments
* **User Wallet** - Pre-loaded funds
* **Wallet Debt** - Small amounts (< $5) may become wallet debt

***

### 📊 Monitoring Your Charges

**View Usage:**

* Go to **Analytics & Logs** in your dashboard
* See total API calls and costs
* Monitor usage trends

<figure><img src="https://979396929-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJpzXHBiEL3zWqYljGVxS%2Fuploads%2FF4r5hwz3sEv7TMKArSbg%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=858fe560-34d5-488e-b65a-964059501090" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Check Billing & Transaction History:**

* Visit **Billing & Payments** page
* View transaction history
* Monitor wallet balance

<figure><img src="https://979396929-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJpzXHBiEL3zWqYljGVxS%2Fuploads%2FmE5C7UURfzLBQOwaEfe0%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=8fa11e45-77d7-4ab3-af99-3a2070d9f107" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

### 🆘 Need Help?

* **💬 Live Chat:** Click the chat widget in the bottom right corner
* **📧 Email:** <hello@magicapi.com>
* **📅 Book a Call:** [Schedule a demo](https://calendly.com/magicapi)