> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tako.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Credits & billing

> How Tako meters API usage — credits, the per-item cost field, pay-as-you-go billing, and what a 402 means.

Every Tako API call consumes **credits**. This page explains how usage is metered, how to read the `cost` fields on responses, and what happens when you run out. For current per-endpoint rates, see the [Tako pricing page](https://tako.com/pricing).

## Credits

Tako meters API usage in credits: each request to Search, Answer, the Agent, and Contents deducts credits when it is served. Billing is **pay-as-you-go**: your account holds a credit balance, and each call draws down that balance based on the endpoint and the work it performs (for example, a `deep`-effort Search costs more than the default call).

## The `cost` field

Some responses report a **`cost`** in US dollars so you can see what a piece of work cost:

* **Search / Answer** — each downloadable card carries a `content` descriptor with a `cost` (USD), and the response totals them in `contents_total_cost`. Tako-native card data is `0.0`; inlining or extracting external web content may add a small cost.
* **Contents** — each `ContentItem` carries a `cost` (USD). A Tako card's CSV is free (`0.0`); web-text extraction may carry a cost.

A `cost` of `0.0` means that item was free. These fields report the USD cost of the underlying work; your credit balance is drawn down accordingly.

## Running out (`402`)

When your account is out of credits, API calls return **`402`** (insufficient balance). Top up your balance from your [Tako account](https://tako.com/console), then retry — requests succeed again once your balance is positive.