Pricing
How pricing works
Vellum uses a prepaid USD balance model: usage charges are deducted from your balance as you use the assistant. You can add funds anytime from the Billing page via Stripe Checkout. Applicable taxes may be added during checkout. We do not add a separate top-up fee line item; usage charges are based on configured per-unit rates, which can vary by provider, model, and region.
Vellum currently uses a prepaid balance model for platform usage. You keep a USD balance on your account, and usage draws from that balance over time.
In the app, your Billing screen shows an Effective Balance plus a breakdown of settled and pending amounts so you can see where your spend currently stands.
How usage is charged
Usage reduces your account balance. If your balance reaches zero (or is effectively depleted), assistant actions that require paid usage can stop until funds are added.
You may also see pending compute reflected separately from settled charges, which can make the effective amount different from settled balance alone.
How to add funds
You can add funds from the app's Billing settings:
- Open Settings and go to the Billing tab.
- Enter an amount in USD.
- Select Add funds to start checkout.
- Complete checkout in your browser.
- Return to the app and refresh/reopen Billing to see the updated balance.
A minimum top-up amount can apply, and the app will show that minimum before checkout if your entered amount is too low.
Understanding balance fields
- Effective Balance: the current amount available after pending compute is considered.
- Settled Balance: charges that have already settled.
- Pending Charges: estimated in-flight compute that may not be fully settled yet.
What happens when credits run out
When credits are exhausted, the app can show a “You've run out of credits” message with an Add Funds action that links you to Billing.
If you're using your own model API credentials, you may also see provider billing messages such as insufficient credits or invalid/expired keys. In that case, add credits with your provider or update your API key in settings.
Need help with billing?
Need help with enterprise billing? Contact support at support@vellum.ai.