> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.embedder.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Usage and billing

> Inspect your current plan, usage window, credit balance, upgrade eligibility, and account access gates from the Embedder /usage panel.

Run `/usage` (also `/status`) to open the usage and billing view for your current account:

```text theme={"system"}
/usage
```

The view reads live account data. Allowances, credit packages, upgrade eligibility, offers, and reset times can vary by account and organization.

## What /usage shows

For an account with a billing plan, the panel can show:

* current plan;
* usage consumed from the plan allowance;
* the allowance reset time;
* purchased credit usage;
* credit packages returned for that account;
* an upgrade action or active account offer when available.

For a free-tier account, the panel shows a usage percentage and reset time instead of a credit count. It can also show the number of projects used against the account's project limit.

<Note>
  Free-tier usage is intentionally percentage-only. Embedder does not expose its internal cost-denominated credit amount or a monetary conversion in the client.
</Note>

You can also inspect terminal usage without opening the interactive panel:

```bash theme={"system"}
embedder status
```

This command requires an authenticated account.

## How allowance and credits are applied

For paid and legacy billing responses, Embedder treats the daily allowance as the first usage pool. Usage above that allowance is measured against purchased credits:

```text theme={"system"}
allowance used = min(usage today, daily allowance)
credits used = max(0, usage today - daily allowance)
```

The usage view displays each pool as used over total. It does not define a universal exchange rate between a displayed credit, a model token, and currency. The account service supplies those values.

When overages are disabled, the session reaches its daily limit after usage consumes the allowance and purchased-credit pool. Embedder shows a **usage limit reached** message. When the free usage window is exhausted, the message shows the reset countdown when one is available.

Usage already incurred remains recorded after an undo, rewind, or conversation deletion.

## Purchase credits

Credit packages appear only when the account service returns packages for the current non-free plan. Package labels and credit amounts come from the live response. Selecting a package starts the account's purchase flow and refreshes `/usage` after a successful purchase.

If no packages are returned, the purchase section is absent. Do not infer that an account supports credit purchases from its plan name alone.

## Open the upgrade flow

Run:

```text theme={"system"}
/upgrade
```

Aliases are `/claim` and `/offer`.

The command opens the web subscription flow. If the account has an active offer with its own subscription URL, the VS Code usage action opens that offer. Otherwise, it requests the account's default checkout or upgrade flow.

The usage panel shows an **Upgrade** action only when the returned account and plan data allow it. Free-tier views do not show a self-service upgrade button, although `/upgrade` can still open the subscription page directly.

<Info>
  Available plans, package terms, taxes, currencies, and prices are defined in the web flow. This page does not duplicate values that can change by account or region.
</Info>

## Account access gates

Embedder checks account and project status before enabling chat. The UI shows the action supported for the returned status.

| Gate                        | What it means                                              | What you can do                                                                                                   |
| --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sign-in required            | No valid stored login is available.                        | Complete device sign-in or switch accounts.                                                                       |
| Subscription required       | The account has no active billing plan.                    | Open the supplied activation URL, then select **Check status**.                                                   |
| Payment failed              | The latest subscription charge was declined.               | Update the payment method. Existing credits become available after the charge clears.                             |
| Evaluation expired          | The evaluation period ended.                               | Contact your Embedder representative, then check status.                                                          |
| Evaluation license required | The account does not have the required evaluation license. | Use the supplied contact action or sign out and use another account.                                              |
| Legal acceptance required   | Current terms and privacy policy have not been accepted.   | Review both documents, accept them, and continue.                                                                 |
| Account suspended           | The backend has suspended the account.                     | Contact `help@embedder.dev` or sign out.                                                                          |
| Project limit reached       | The account cannot create another project.                 | On free tier, delete an existing project. On an eligible paid plan, open the upgrade flow.                        |
| Usage limit reached         | The current usage window or available pool is exhausted.   | Wait for the shown reset, purchase credits when offered, or use the account action provided by your organization. |

The **Check status** action asks the backend again. Use it after completing payment, activation, licensing, or evaluation changes in the browser.

## Free-tier feature gates

Free-tier limits are returned by the account service. In addition to the usage window and project count, they can restrict:

* which models you can select;
* which schematic import tools you can use.

If a model is unavailable, the error lists the allowed free models when the backend supplies them. Switch with `/model`. If a free-tier cost rate is temporarily missing for one model, select another model or retry later.

These gates do not imply a fixed plan ladder. Your organization can have account-specific access, licensing, or project policy.

## Troubleshoot billing status

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The usage panel does not load">
    Confirm that you are signed in and the CLI is connected. Run **Embedder: Show CLI Process Output**, then retry `/usage`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A payment or activation change is not reflected">
    Finish the browser flow, return to Embedder, and select **Check status**. Restart the session if the status remains stale.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Credits were purchased but the session is still blocked">
    Reopen `/usage` to refresh the account response. If the purchase result succeeded but the available pool did not change, keep the local logs and contact support.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="No upgrade or credit action appears">
    The account service did not return that action for your account. Use `/upgrade` to open the subscription page, or contact your team administrator for organization-managed access.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>