> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sterlinglabs.co/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sterlinglabs.co/the-analyst/usage-balance.md).

# Usage balance

Analyst questions draw on a balance measured in U.S. dollars. Your balance is shown in the **Usage** panel of your account settings, with a range selector for the last day, month, or year. It updates after every answer.

## Allowance and credits

Your balance has two parts.

| Part          | Where it comes from                            | Behavior                                                                    |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Allowance** | Your subscription: **$30** each billing period | Refilled at the start of every period. Unused allowance does not roll over. |
| **Credits**   | Purchased in packs from the plan panel         | Roll over indefinitely. Can go negative.                                    |

The allowance is spent first. Credits are used once the period's allowance is gone.

Questions asked during a trial do not draw on a balance.

## Running out

When the balance reaches **$0 or below**, the next message is blocked. A banner explains that the balance is exhausted and offers **Buy credits**, which opens the plan panel with credit packs. Because a balance is charged when an answer completes, a single long answer can carry it slightly below zero before the block applies.

At subscription renewal there is a short grace period, so a renewing subscription is not charged to credits while the payment settles.

## Managing spend

* Standard questions cost less than Deep Research. Turn Deep Research off unless you want a full report.
* Attaching large documents adds to the cost of the answer that reads them.
* The Usage panel shows spend over time so you can see which days or conversations were expensive.


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