Flexible billing models including elastic billing, subscription plans, and payment processing

Billing System

CoAI.Dev provides flexible billing options to meet diverse user needs, from pay-as-you-go models to comprehensive subscription plans with enterprise features.

Overview

CoAI.Dev supports multiple billing methods designed for different use cases:

🔄 Elastic Billing: Pay-per-use with credits system
📋 Subscription Plans: Fixed monthly/yearly plans with quotas
💳 Payment Processing: Support for multiple payment gateways
📊 Usage Analytics: Detailed billing and usage tracking

Billing Modes

Elastic Billing is the foundational billing method for all models, while Subscription Plans provide additional value and quota management on top of the credit system.

Elastic Billing (Credits System)

How It Works

Elastic billing uses a credits-based system where users purchase credits (points) and consume them based on actual usage. This flexible model supports:

Per-Request Billing: Fixed cost per API call
Token-Based Billing: Cost based on input/output tokens
Free Tier Models: No billing required
Anonymous Access: Optional free access without login

Credit Requirements

To prevent abuse, minimum credit requirements are enforced:

No Restrictions

Free models have no minimum credit requirements
Can be used without authentication if anonymous access is enabled
Useful for public demos and basic features

Pricing Configuration

Access Pricing Settings

Navigate to Admin Panel → Billing → Pricing Configuration

Configure Model Pricing

For each model, set:

Billing Type: Per-request, token-based, or free
Input Token Price: Cost per 1K input tokens
Output Token Price: Cost per 1K output tokens
Anonymous Access: Allow usage without login

Import Price Templates

Use built-in templates or sync from upstream:

Built-in Templates: Pre-configured pricing for popular models
Upstream Sync: Import pricing from other CoAI.Dev instances
Custom Rates: Set custom exchange rates for different currencies

Test and Apply

Test pricing with sample requests
Monitor billing accuracy
Adjust rates based on usage patterns

User Initial Credits

Security Recommendation

Don't set initial credits too high to prevent abuse from mass registrations. Moderate initial credits help control resource usage while allowing new users to test the platform.

Configure initial credits for new users in System Settings → Operations → User Initial Credits:

New User Credits: Credits given to newly registered users
Verification Bonus: Additional credits for verified accounts
Referral Rewards: Credits earned through referrals

Subscription Plans

Plan Structure

Subscription plans are built on top of the credit system, providing:

Fixed Monthly/Yearly Pricing: Predictable costs for users
Quota Management: Usage limits per model
Tier Benefits: Progressive features and access
Upgrade/Downgrade Logic: Flexible plan changes

Plan Tiers

CoAI.Dev supports four subscription tiers:

Tier	Level	Description	Target Users
Free	0	Basic access with limited quotas	New users, testing
Basic	1	Entry-level paid plan	Individual users
Standard	2	Enhanced features and quotas	Small teams
Professional	3	Full access with premium support	Enterprises

Subscription Items

Each plan consists of multiple Items, where each item defines:

{
  "id": "gpt4_access",
  "name": "GPT-4 Access",
  "models": ["gpt-4", "gpt-4-turbo"],
  "quota": 1000,
  "icon": "🤖",
  "description": "1000 GPT-4 requests per month"
}

Models: Which AI models are included
Quota: Monthly usage limit (-1 for unlimited)
Icon: Display icon for the feature
Description: User-friendly explanation