# Plans, requests & credits

## What's a request?

A **request** is the unit Lune bills. Most tool calls cost one request however
many results they return: a paper search, a full-text read, a citation lookup,
a venue's paper list, or a guidance search.

The four batch tools cost one request per item instead:

- `search_papers_many`: per query variant
- `extract_from_papers`: per paper
- `verify_claims`: per claim
- `gather_evidence`: per search it runs

A batch tool reserves its full count when the call starts and refunds the items
it never reaches. A call that fails, for example with invalid arguments, an
unknown paper, a missing scope, or a server error, is refunded in full.

Listing the tools, `list_conferences`, signing in, managing keys and teams, and
billing actions are free and never count against your allowance.

## Plans

| Plan | Monthly                                   | Yearly                                  | Daily requests                             |
| ---- | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Free | $0 | Not offered                             | 10 |
| Pro  | $4.99  | $47.90 | 300  |
| Max  | $9.99  | $95.90 | 600  |

A yearly plan costs 20% less than
twelve monthly payments.

The daily allowance resets at midnight UTC for everyone. On every plan, once
it's used up, requests draw on credits. When credits run out too, requests
pause until the reset. Each call is paid entirely from the allowance or
entirely from credits, never split between them.

A short burst guard stops runaway scripts. Through the hosted MCP server it
allows about 15 tool calls a second per team. If you trip it, wait a second and
retry.

## Credits

Credits cover requests after the daily allowance runs out, one credit per
request. **$0.99 buys 300 credits.**

- New accounts start with 300 welcome
  credits on the personal team, once per email address.
- Credits **never expire**.
- Credits belong to a team, and everyone on it draws from the same balance.
- Any member can buy credits for the team, on any plan. It doesn't take
  plan-management permission.

Requests count against the team your credential bills.
[Which team pays](https://luneresearch.com/docs/concepts/orgs-and-keys#which-team-pays) explains how
that's decided.

## Plan changes

The dashboard's
[Billing page](https://luneresearch.com/dashboard/settings/billing) handles
every plan change.

- **Going from Free to Pro or Max.** Every move from Free to a paid plan goes
  through Stripe Checkout.
- **Pro to Max, or Max to Pro.** Upgrades take effect immediately and
  prorate. Downgrades take effect at the end of the current billing period,
  and you keep the higher allowance until then.
- **Monthly to yearly, or back.** Switching to yearly takes effect
  immediately. Switching to monthly takes effect at the end of the current
  period.
- **Cancel.** Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period. You
  keep the paid allowance until that date and return to Free afterwards.

Owners and admins can reverse a scheduled downgrade or cancellation on the
same page, at no charge, until it takes effect. None of these changes needs a contact form.

## Daily allowance, no monthly meter

There's no monthly meter and no overage charge. You get the same allowance
every day and top up when you need more. The Billing page shows your plan,
today's usage, and your credits.

## When something looks off

- The dashboard shows your current plan, today's remaining allowance, and your
  credit balance at the top. Trust the dashboard over the assistant's own
  report.
- If your assistant says it's out of requests but the dashboard disagrees, the
  AI app may be showing an older response. Restart the app or start a new chat.
- If you were charged but a plan change doesn't show up, give the payment
  confirmation a minute to arrive. If it's still wrong after a few minutes,
  email support@luneresearch.com.