How Credits Work

This guide explains Deutero's credit system, including how credits are calculated, consumed, and managed across different plan tiers and models.

September 26, 2026

Overview

Credits are Deutero's unit of compute. They power all AI-driven features including interviews, simulations, and analysis. Understanding how credits work helps you optimize usage and manage costs effectively.

Credit Rates by Model

Deutero supports three model tiers, each with different credit costs:

Open Weights Models

Rate: 1 credit per 5 interview questions
Description: DeepSeek V4 Flash, an open-weights model that performs well for most user and market research studies. Text only — it cannot read image uploads, so image-upload questions are unavailable on plans limited to this tier.
Best for: Standard interviews, basic analysis
Availability: All plans including Hobby

Standard Models (Kimi K2.7)

Rate: 3 credits per 5 questions
Description: Kimi K2.7 with image understanding capabilities
Best for: Interviews requiring visual analysis, faster responses
Availability: Solo, Pro, and Team plans
Note: Not available on Hobby plan

Premium Models (Claude Sonnet 5)

Rate: 10 credits per 5 questions
Description: Claude Sonnet 5 offers slightly more natural responses and advanced image understanding
Best for: Expert interviews on complex topics, nuanced analysis
Availability: Pro and Team plans
Note: Not available on the Hobby or Solo plans

Credit Multipliers

Different activities consume credits at different rates:

Simulated Interviews

Multiplier: 2×
Description: Double the live interview rate
Reason: Simulations require additional AI processing to generate realistic persona responses
Availability: Not available on Hobby plan

Analysis + Presentation

Multiplier: 2×
Description: Thematic analysis with deliverables
Reason: Comprehensive analysis across multiple interviews requires significant compute
Unit: charged per interview analysed, at the model's rate per five questions of the study — the same block size interviews are priced in

Standard Interviews

Multiplier: 1×
Description: Base rate for live participant interviews
Notes: Scale and multiple choice questions with no follow-up aren't counted

Voice and Video Interviews

Voice and video interviews cost the base model/questions rate plus a modality surcharge, charged once per interview:

Cloud Voice

Surcharge: +1 credit per interview
Description: Flat charge, regardless of how long the interview runs

Video

Surcharge: +1 credit per 5 minutes of interview
Description: Metered; a started 5-minute block counts as a whole block, with a 1-credit minimum
Billed: On completion, against the actual length of the interview

Text chat interviews carry no surcharge. When a video interview starts, Deutero reserves credits against your study's estimated interview length (the same "x-y min" estimate shown on the Questions page, using its upper bound); the reservation is trued up to the real length when the interview finishes.

Switching modality mid-interview

Participants can move between chat, voice and video while an interview is running, and credits follow them:

Time is charged where it was spent — an interview that ran eleven minutes on video and then dropped to chat pays for eleven minutes of video, not for the whole interview.
Voice and video are never billed together. An interview that used both pays the larger of the two charges, because video already includes its audio.
Switching up (chat to voice or video) reserves the extra credits for the remaining runtime only. If your balance cannot cover it, the participant is told and the interview continues in its current modality — it is never cut short.
Switching down frees credits after a short delay, so a participant whose camera drops for a moment can switch straight back without being blocked.

Credit Calculation Examples

Example 1: Basic Interview (Open Weights)

Model: Open Weights
Questions: 5 text chat questions with follow-up
Type: Standard interview
Calculation: 1 credit × 1 (standard) = 1 credit

Example 2: Standard Interview (Kimi K2.7)

Model: Kimi K2.7 + images
Questions: 10 questions
Type: Standard interview
Calculation: 3 credits × 2 (10 questions) = 6 credits

Example 3: Simulated Interview (Open Weights)

Model: Open Weights
Questions: 5 questions
Type: Simulation
Calculation: 1 credit × 2 (simulation multiplier) = 2 credits

Example 4: Premium Interview (Claude Sonnet 5)

Model: Claude Sonnet 5
Questions: 15 questions
Type: Standard interview
Calculation: 10 credits × 3 (15 questions) = 30 credits

Example 5: Analysis + Presentation

Model: Claude Sonnet 5
Study: 15 questions
Input: 10 interviews
Type: Analysis
Per interview: 10 credits × 3 (15 questions) × 2 (analysis multiplier) = 60 credits
Calculation: 60 × 10 interviews = 600 credits

Example 6: Voice Interview (Standard)

Model: Standard
Questions: 10 text chat questions with follow-up
Modality: Cloud voice
Calculation: 3 credits × 2 (10 questions) + 1 (voice) = 7 credits

Example 7: Video Interview (Standard)

Model: Standard
Questions: 10 text chat questions with follow-up
Modality: Video, 22 minutes long
Calculation: 3 credits × 2 (10 questions) + 5 (22 min → five 5-minute blocks) = 11 credits

Credit Sources

Your total credit limit comes from three sources:

1. Base Plan Credits

Monthly allocation based on your subscription tier
Resets at the start of each billing period
Hobby: 15 credits / month
Solo: 100 credits / month
Pro: 400 credits / month
Team: custom credit packages

2. Rollover Credits

Unused credits from previous periods
Automatically carried forward to the next period
Subject to plan-specific limits
Help smooth out usage variations month-to-month

3. Purchased Credits

Additional credits bought via auto top-up
Available immediately upon purchase
Do not expire during the billing period
Not available on Hobby plan

Credit Usage Flow

1. Credit Reservation

When you start an interview or simulation: - Credits are reserved based on estimated usage - Reservation prevents other activities from using those credits - Reservations expire after 2 hours if not converted

2. Credit Consumption

As the activity progresses: - Actual credits are calculated based on real usage - Reserved credits are converted to used credits - Any unused reserved credits are released back

3. Credit Priority Order

Credits are consumed in this order: 1. Trial credits (if trial is active) 2. Base plan credits 3. Rollover credits 4. Purchased credits

Trials

All paid plans offer a 14-day free trial, started from the billing page.

Where a trial credit allowance applies it is consumed before any paid credits, and the usage ledger shows trial and billable amounts separately for each event.

A new organization that has not subscribed starts on Hobby, which is not a trial but the free tier: 15 credits a month, open-weights model only, no simulations. It renews monthly rather than expiring.

When trial credits run out

The system moves to your base plan credits automatically
No interruption in service
Feature access follows your plan tier

Credit Monitoring

Usage Dashboard

Monitor your credit consumption: - Used: Credits consumed in current period - Available: Remaining credits (Total - Used - Reserved) - Reserved: Credits held for active interviews - Total Limit: Sum of base, rollover, and purchased

Progress Indicators

Visual warnings help manage usage: - Green/Blue (0-75%): Normal usage - Yellow (75-90%): High usage warning - Red (>90%): Critical usage alert

Usage Ledger

Detailed transaction log showing: - Time: When credits were consumed - Type: Activity type (interview, simulation, analysis) - Reference: Link to specific resource - Credits: Total deducted - Reserved: Amount initially reserved - Actual: Actual consumption - Trial: Credits covered by trial - Billable: Credits charged to account

Auto Top-Up

Automatically purchase additional credits when needed:

How It Works

Triggers when available credits reach zero
Purchases 30 credits per top-up pack
Charges payment method automatically
Credits available immediately

Pricing by Plan

Hobby: Not available
Solo: $10 per 30-credit pack
Pro: $8 per 30-credit pack
Team: custom

Monthly Spend Cap

Set limits on auto top-up spending: - Configure maximum monthly spend - Prevents unexpected charges - Resets at billing period start - Leave blank for no limit

Plan-Specific Features

Hobby Plan

Free tier: 15 credits / month
1 open study at a time
Open weights models only
No simulations
No auto top-up
No standard or premium models
No image-upload questions (the open weights model cannot read images)

Solo Plan

100 credits / month, 1 open study at a time
Standard models (Kimi K2.7) available
Simulations enabled (2× multiplier)
Auto top-up available
Rollover credits included

Pro Plan

400 credits / month, 3 open studies at a time, up to 10 team members
Standard models (Kimi K2.7) available
Premium models (Claude Sonnet 5) available
Simulations enabled (2× multiplier)
Auto top-up available
Rollover credits included

Team Plan

Custom credit packages, unlimited studies, SSO
All models including Premium (Claude Sonnet 5)
Simulations enabled (2× multiplier)
Auto top-up available
Rollover credits included

Partial Interview Charging

Credits are charged fairly based on actual usage:

Threshold: Interviews with less than 2 questions completed (excluding screening and participant characteristics collection)
Behavior: No credits deducted for very short interviews
Pro-rata charging: If 5 out of 10 questions completed, charged for 5 questions
Example: Start 10-question interview, complete 5 → charged 1 credit (if 5 out of 10 questions are completed)

Best Practices

Choose the Right Model
Use open weights for standard interviews
Reserve premium models for image-based research
Use premium models only for complex expert interviews
Optimize Question Count
Keep interviews focused (5-10 questions ideal)
Remember: 1-5 questions = 1× rate, 6-10 = 2× rate, 11-15 = 3× rate
Avoid unnecessary questions to reduce costs
Monitor Usage Regularly
Check dashboard weekly
Review usage ledger for unexpected consumption
Set up spend caps to control costs
Plan for Simulations
Remember 2× multiplier for simulated interviews
Budget accordingly when running multiple simulations
Consider using open weights models for simulations
Leverage Rollover Credits
Unused credits carry forward
Helps smooth out variable usage patterns
Plan lighter months to build rollover buffer

Troubleshooting

Insufficient Credits Error

Check current credit balance
Verify auto top-up is enabled (if available)
Check monthly spend cap hasn't been reached
Consider upgrading plan for higher allocation

Unexpected Credit Consumption

Review usage ledger for details
Check model tier used (premium uses 10× credits)
Verify simulation multiplier wasn't applied unexpectedly
Look for partial interview charges

Credits Not Replenishing

Verify billing period reset date
Check subscription status is active
Ensure payment method is valid
Contact support if issue persists

FAQ

What is a credit?

Credits are our unit of compute. 1 credit is enough for one basic interview – up to 5 text chat questions with follow-up, using open weights models. Scale and multiple choice questions with no follow-up aren't counted.

Can I change plans?

Yes, anytime. Unused paid credits never expire.

Do you offer non-profit discounts?

30% off for verified non-profits. Contact us to apply.

Do you offer education/researcher pricing?

Yes, we love to see Deutero being used for academic research! Contact us to apply.

What is your cancelation and refund policy?

Cancel any time. Full refund within 14 days if the service isn't for you, pro-rated based on credit usage. See terms for full details.

How is usage billed?

Plans are prepaid monthly/annually. Overage is billed in advance (contact us for enterprise invoicing options).

Which model do I need?

Open weights models perform well for most user and market research studies. Kimi K2.7 offers slightly more natural responses and image understanding. Claude Sonnet 5 has higher latency and is only recommended for expert interviews on complex topics.

Do you charge for partial interviews?

No credits are deducted for interviews where less than 2 questions are completed (excluding screening and participant characteristics collection). If participants don't complete a longer interview, you are charged pro rata (eg 1 credit if 5 out of 10 questions are completed).

Getting Help

For assistance with credits: - Refer to our Help Center - Contact our support team - Review the Billing Guide - Check our knowledge base

Checking your balance

Dashboard: the Credit Usage card on Billing & Usage
Before you spend: the credit estimators on study creation, Simulate and Thematic Analysis show the cost of what you are about to run against your balance
API: get_credit_balance over MCP

Last updated: September 2026