Astra credits and usage billing
Astra usage is measured in credits. Every plan includes a monthly allotment of credits, a conversation uses 100 credits for up to 10 minutes, a text Astra sends during a call uses 30 credits per segment, and everything is visible in Settings → Usage billing on the web.
What uses credits
Only Astra's own work uses credits — Astra answering an inbound call, Astra placing a call for you (from the app, the API or an AI assistant), a text Astra sends to a caller during a call (an AI action), and a text the AI agent sends on its own in reply to a customer (Business AI Texting). Calls your team answers, voicemails, texts your team sends, call summaries and suggested replies never use credits.
| What happened | Credits |
|---|---|
| Nobody picked up (no answer, busy, failed) | 0 |
| Connected, but the call ended in under 15 seconds (hang-ups, misdials) | 10 |
| A conversation of up to 10 minutes | 100 |
| Each additional started minute after 10 | +10 (a 12-minute call is 120 credits) |
| A text the AI agent sends on its own in reply to a customer's text (Business AI Texting) | 30 per segment — a one- or two-sentence reply is usually one segment (30); skipped texts and hand-offs without a reply cost nothing |
| A text Astra sends to the caller during a call | 30 per segment — a sentence with a link is one segment (30); 161–306 characters is two (60); messages with emoji count 70 characters per segment. The action editor shows the count as you type |
| AI Contact fills in a contact's details | 30 per contact filled in. Lookups that find nothing are free, and one phone call is charged at most once |
AI Contact charges appear in Settings → Usage billing as AI Contact · contact details filled in. An admin can turn the feature off in Settings → Contacts: see Let Ody fill in your contacts' details.
Included credits and when they renew
- Every plan includes a monthly allotment of credits. Your allotment and how much of it you've used are shown at the top of Usage billing ("Included this month").
- Included credits renew on your billing renewal date — the top card tells you exactly when:
- Monthly plan: on your next renewal.
- Annual plan: the same day each month as your yearly renewal.
- Free trial: the day your trial ends ("Included credits renew when your trial ends on …").
- If you haven't subscribed yet, there is no renewal date, and the line isn't shown.
- Unused included credits don't roll over.
- Your allotment follows the plan you last paid a renewal for. Changing plans mid-cycle doesn't change this cycle's included credits; the new plan's allotment applies from your next billing renewal.
- Credits are used in this order: included credits first, then purchased credits.
See your usage
- On the web, click Settings in the sidebar, then Usage billing (on your phone: More → Settings → Usage billing).
- The top card shows credits left, the split between included and purchased credits, and the date your included credits renew (your billing renewal, or the end of your trial).
- Usage shows credits used per hour for the last 24 h, or per day for 7 days / 30 days — switch with the control on the right.
- Activity lists every credit movement, newest first: each AI call with its time and credits, each text Astra sent ("Astra texted +1 ••• 1234 · Send booking link"), plus purchases, auto-recharges and renewals. Click Show older for more (the tab keeps the last 30 days).
If your workspace hasn't made or received an AI call yet, the tab shows No AI usage in this workspace yet — there's nothing to bill until Astra is published and takes a call.
Auto-recharge
Auto-recharge is on by default. When fewer than 100 credits remain, Ody charges the card on file for the amount you've chosen ($15 by default; $15 to $105 in $15 steps) and adds the credits, so a call is never interrupted for billing. Owners and admins can turn it off or change the amount in the Auto-recharge row of the top card.
If a recharge is declined, the tab shows a notice and auto-recharge pauses until a purchase goes through. Update your card under Settings → Billing and buy a pack, or buy a pack with another card, to clear it.
If auto-recharge is off
Turning auto-recharge off means Ody never charges your card on its own. Here is what happens instead:
- Your included credits run out. Astra keeps answering, and your balance goes below zero as each call is charged. Every member of the workspace receives an email, "{Your workspace} has used its included AI credits (auto-recharge is off)", with the balance and what to do. Owners and admins see a notice at the top of Usage billing; nothing is charged to your card.
- The balance reaches 500 credits below zero. AI calls pause: Astra stops answering (calls follow each line's team and voicemail settings instead), calls Astra places for you can't be started, and texts Astra sends during a call stop. Everything your team does, calls, texting, the inbox, voicemail, recordings and call summaries, keeps working. Every member gets a second email, "AI calls are paused for {Your workspace}", and the tab shows AI calls are paused with the reason.
- To resume, an owner or admin buys any credit pack at the bottom of Usage billing. The smallest pack ($15, 2,000 credits) more than covers the balance, and Astra answers the very next call. Turning auto-recharge back on at the same time keeps this from happening again.
A call that is already in progress is never cut off, and your included credits still renew on your billing date as usual. If AI calls were paused by the Ody team for a different reason, the email and the notice say so; reply to the email and we'll sort it out with you.
Buy credits
Owners and admins can buy credit packs at the bottom of Usage billing:
- Pick a pack — $15 gets 2,000 credits, and larger packs ($50, $100, $200, $400) include bonus credits. For another amount, click Custom amount and use the $15 stepper (up to $990).
- Click Buy, review the amount and credits, then Confirm. The card on file is charged right away and the credits are added immediately; you'll get a receipt by email.
Purchased credits don't expire while your workspace is subscribed, and they're kept if you change plans. Buying credits is web-only; the iOS and Android apps don't show the Usage billing tab yet.
Before you start
- You need an active subscription with a card on file to buy credits or use auto-recharge. Trials use their included credits but can't buy more until they convert.
- Buying credits and changing auto-recharge require the owner or admin role. Members can see the balance, chart and activity.
Troubleshooting
- The Usage billing tab isn't in Settings. It appears for every workspace in the web app; refresh the page or sign out and back in. On iOS/Android, open the web app instead.
- A short call shows 100 credits. A call that connects and lasts 15 seconds or more is a conversation, even if it reached a voicemail greeting. Calls that end before 15 seconds are 10 credits.
- A call shows more than 100 credits. The call lasted more than 10 minutes; the row shows how many extra minutes were added.
- "Your last recharge was declined." See Auto-recharge above — update the card in Settings → Billing, then buy a pack.
- "AI calls are paused" / Astra stopped answering. Your balance reached 500 credits below zero with auto-recharge off (see If auto-recharge is off). Buy any credit pack and Astra resumes immediately; no need to republish the agent.
- I got an "out of credits" email but Astra is still answering. That's expected: the first email is a heads-up while the balance goes negative. AI calls only pause at 500 credits below zero.
- I'm a member and can't buy credits. Only the owner or an admin can buy credits or change auto-recharge; they received the same email.
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Frequently asked questions
How many credits does an Astra call use?
A conversation uses 100 credits for up to 10 minutes, then 10 credits for each additional started minute. A call that connects but ends in under 15 seconds uses 10 credits. Calls nobody picks up are free.
How many credits does a text Astra sends use?
30 credits per text segment. A short message with a link (up to 160 characters) is one segment — 30 credits. Longer messages, or ones with emoji, take more segments. Only texts Astra sends during a call use credits; texts your team sends never do.
Where do I see my credits and usage?
In the web app, open Settings → Usage billing. It shows credits left, what's included this month, a usage chart for the last 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days, and an activity list with every call that used credits.
What happens when my included credits run out?
If auto-recharge is on (it is by default), Ody adds credits to the card on file so calls continue. If auto-recharge is off, Astra keeps answering for a while and your balance goes negative; every member of the workspace gets an email saying so. Once the balance reaches 500 credits below zero, AI calls pause until someone buys a credit pack. You can buy credit packs at any time; purchased credits don't expire while you're subscribed.
Why did Astra stop answering calls?
Most likely your workspace's AI credit balance reached 500 credits below zero with auto-recharge off, so AI calls are paused. Open Settings → Usage billing: the notice at the top says why. An owner or admin buys any credit pack (or turns auto-recharge on and buys a pack) and Astra answers the very next call. Your team's own calls, texts, voicemail and inbox keep working the whole time.
Do unused included credits roll over?
No — included credits renew on your plan's billing renewal date (during a free trial, when the trial ends). Purchased credits carry over.
When do my included credits renew?
On your billing renewal date, shown at the top of Settings → Usage billing. On a monthly plan that's your next renewal; on an annual plan, the same day each month as your yearly renewal; during a trial, the day the trial ends.