TL;DR: AgencyPro AI runs on a simple credit system. 1 credit ≈ 1 simple interaction. Complex tasks use 2-5 credits. Each plan includes a monthly allocation (500 / 2,000 / 10,000 on Basic / Pro / Plus). Top up 1,000 credits for $10 anytime. Credits refresh monthly. One credit pool powers AI Assistant, AI Agents, and AI Chatbot.
We get one question more than any other since launching AI in AgencyPro: how do credits actually work? This post explains it in detail with a per-task breakdown.
Quick-Scan Summary:
- One simple credit system powers all three AI capabilities (Assistant, Agents, Chatbot).
- Simple tasks (a question, a tag, a short draft) use 1 credit.
- Complex tasks (full copywriting, SEO audits, multi-step agents) use 2-5 credits.
- Plans include 100 (trial) / 500 (Basic) / 2,000 (Pro) / 10,000 (Plus) / custom (Enterprise) credits per month.
- Credits refresh monthly. No rollover. Buy 1,000 additional credits for $10 anytime.
- Per-task credit cost table below.
What is an AI credit?
A credit is the unit of measurement for AI usage inside AgencyPro. One credit roughly equals one simple AI interaction.
We use a credit system instead of charging per-request or per-token because:
- It is predictable. Your team knows that an Assistant query is "about 1 credit" without having to think about token counts.
- It is transparent. The credit cost per task type is documented (see below). No hidden multipliers.
- It is fair. A simple question costs less than a complex multi-step task. You only pay for what you use, but in human-readable units.
How credits are consumed by task type
Here is the approximate credit cost for each common AI task in AgencyPro:
| Task | Approx. Credits | What it includes | |---|---|---| | Quick question to AI Assistant | 1 | Asking a simple factual question, looking up a record, status check | | Draft a short client response | 1-3 | Drafting a reply to a single message, status update, brief acknowledgement | | Categorize / tag a request | 1 | AI agent reads the request and applies the right service tag and priority | | Summarize a thread | 1-2 | AI agent reads 10-30 messages and outputs key points + action items | | Estimate hours | 1-2 | AI agent reviews scope and estimates against past similar projects | | Generate a chart on demand | 1-2 | Assistant pulls data and renders a visualization | | Draft a long client response | 2-3 | Multi-paragraph response with context from past thread history | | Full copywriting draft | 2-5 | Blog post, ad copy variants, landing page copy, email sequence | | SEO audit (on-page) | 3-5 | AI agent reviews a page and produces an audit with recommendations | | Design / QA review | 2-4 | AI agent reviews a design file or deliverable against quality criteria | | Chatbot conversation | 1-3 per exchange | Each visitor-message + AI-response pair on the website chatbot | | Multi-step custom agent task | 3-8 | Complex tasks that involve research + analysis + output |
These are the approximate ranges. The exact cost depends on the input length, the model used, and the complexity of the task. You see the credit cost for each task in real time as you use it.
Credits included per plan
| Plan | Monthly AI credits | Cost per credit (effective) | |---|---|---| | Free trial | 100 | $0 (included in trial) | | Basic ($39/mo) | 500 | ~$0.078 | | Pro ($79/mo) | 2,000 | ~$0.040 | | Plus ($149/mo) | 10,000 | ~$0.015 | | Enterprise | Custom (5,000+) | Custom | | Top-up pack | 1,000 | $0.010 ($10/pack) |
Higher plans get a much better effective rate per credit. Top-ups are the cheapest per credit (since they are not bundled with platform features).
When do credits refresh?
Credits refresh on your billing date each month. If you are on monthly billing and pay on the 15th, your credits reset on the 15th. Annual plans refresh monthly as well (your annual fee is paid upfront but credits still cycle monthly).
Credits do not roll over. Unused credits in one month do not carry to the next. We picked this model because:
- It keeps the pricing simple and predictable.
- It prevents stockpiling that would distort capacity planning.
- It matches how most agencies actually use AI (steady-state, not burst).
If you regularly hit your monthly cap, the right move is usually to upgrade your plan tier (which provides much better effective per-credit cost) rather than top up repeatedly.
What happens if I run out of credits?
When your monthly allocation is depleted:
- AI features stop responding to new requests until either (a) your monthly refresh, or (b) you buy a top-up pack.
- The rest of the platform is unaffected. Client portal, billing, projects, time tracking, documents, messaging, all continue normally.
- In-progress tasks complete. A multi-step agent task already running will finish even if it pushes you over the cap, but you cannot start new AI tasks until topped up.
- You can buy credits instantly. From your workspace settings, buy a 1,000-credit pack for $10. Credits are available within seconds.
How to top up
Top-ups are available from your workspace billing settings:
- Go to Settings → Billing → AI credits
- Click "Buy credits"
- Confirm the 1,000-credit pack ($10) and pay via your existing card on file
- Credits available instantly
No commitment. No auto-renew. You buy when you need them.
How to monitor usage
The workspace shows AI credit usage in real time:
- Total used this cycle (e.g., 1,247 / 2,000)
- Breakdown by AI capability (Assistant vs Agents vs Chatbot)
- Breakdown by team member (who is using AI most)
- Daily usage chart (trend over the month)
- Estimated runway (at current pace, when you will hit your cap)
You can also set alert thresholds (e.g., notify the admin at 80% usage) to prevent surprises.
What about per-seat AI fees?
There are none. AgencyPro's AI is a workspace-level resource, not a per-user one. Whether your team is 2 people or 20, the credit pool is shared across the workspace.
This is intentional. Other agency tools charge per-seat for AI features (often $20-$50 per seat per month). At a 10-person agency, that adds $200-$500/month on top of the base subscription. We chose to bundle AI into the platform price and share the credit pool across the team instead.
Why one credit pool, not separate pools per AI capability?
We considered three options:
- Separate credit pools per AI capability (Assistant credits, Agent credits, Chatbot credits, each with their own allocation)
- One pool, but with multipliers per capability
- One pool, transparent credit costs per task
We picked option 3 because:
- It is simpler. Agency owners do not want to track three separate credit balances.
- It encourages experimentation. When the pool is unified, you try the chatbot without worrying about "running out" of agent credits.
- It matches the underlying cost structure. All three capabilities share the same underlying compute; making the price reflect that is honest.
How does this compare to other AI agency tools?
Other AI agency tools fall into three patterns:
| Pattern | What it looks like | Our take | |---|---|---| | Per-seat AI fees | "$25/user/month for AI features on top of base price" | Punishes you for growing the team. We do not charge per seat for AI. | | Per-AI-feature tiers | "AI chatbot is $X/month, AI assistant is $Y/month, AI agents enterprise-only" | Forces awkward upgrade conversations and a-la-carte buying. We include all three. | | Unlimited AI | "AI is unlimited on every plan" | Sounds great, has invisible quality throttling and rate-limiting. Not really unlimited. | | Token-based | "10M tokens included, then $X per million" | Tokens are not a human-readable unit. Agency teams should not need to calculate tokens. |
We picked the credit model because it is the most honest middle ground: predictable, transparent, and reflective of actual cost. We do not love metering, but we love hiding things from customers less.
Common questions
How much does an AI credit cost?
In AgencyPro, the effective cost per credit ranges from $0.078 (Basic plan) down to $0.015 (Plus plan), with top-up packs at $0.010 per credit ($10 per 1,000-credit pack). Higher plans deliver dramatically lower effective per-credit cost because the base subscription amortizes across more included credits. The cheapest per-credit rate is the top-up pack, which exists specifically to handle overflow without forcing a plan upgrade.
What is an AI credit per month?
An AI credit per month is your monthly allocation of AI usage units that refreshes on your billing date. AgencyPro plans include 500 / 2,000 / 10,000 credits per month on Basic / Pro / Plus respectively. The trial includes 100 credits. Enterprise plans get custom allocation starting at 5,000+. Credits do not roll over month to month.
Can you buy AI credits?
Yes. AgencyPro lets you buy additional credits at any time via 1,000-credit top-up packs for $10. There is no commitment, no auto-renew, and credits are available within seconds of purchase. Top-ups are designed for occasional overage; if you regularly exceed your monthly allocation, upgrading your plan tier provides a better effective rate.
How are AI credits calculated?
AgencyPro calculates credits based on task complexity, not raw token count. A simple AI Assistant question uses 1 credit. A first-draft client response uses 1-3 credits. A full copywriting draft uses 2-5 credits. An SEO audit uses 3-5 credits. A multi-step custom agent task uses 3-8 credits. The exact cost depends on input length, the underlying model used, and the complexity of the task. You see the credit cost for each task in real time as you use it.
How many credits will my agency actually use?
Most 5-10 person agencies use 1,500-4,000 credits per month at typical usage. That puts most agencies in the Pro plan (2,000 included) or topping up Pro with one $10 pack as needed.
Heavy AI users (agencies using AI agents extensively for content production, SEO audits, or chatbot lead capture) will use 8,000-15,000 credits per month. That fits Plus (10,000 included) or Plus + one $10 pack.
Light users (agencies using AI mostly for Assistant queries and occasional drafting) use 300-700 credits per month, comfortable in Basic (500 included).
Can I bring my own AI API keys?
Not currently. We considered it but the operational complexity, the inconsistent quality from BYO keys, and the support burden made us decide against it. We may revisit for Enterprise tiers in the future.
Are credits the same on every AI capability?
Yes. A credit is a credit. Whether you spend it on the Assistant, an Agent, or the Chatbot, the cost per task is the same and comes from the same pool.
What if I exceed my credit cap mid-task?
Multi-step agent tasks already running complete even if they push you over the cap. You will not be cut off in the middle of a draft. After that task finishes, you cannot start new AI tasks until you top up or your monthly cycle refreshes.
Do credits affect platform performance?
No. Credit usage controls AI features only. Your client portal, project management, billing, time tracking, and all non-AI features remain available regardless of credit status.
What to do next
If you are evaluating AgencyPro and want to understand whether the AI credit allocation fits your team:
- Start the free trial. 100 credits is enough to test all three AI capabilities and see real consumption rates.
- Estimate your monthly volume. Use the per-task table above to roughly project credits based on your typical activity.
- Match to a plan. Basic for solo/light AI usage, Pro for most growing agencies, Plus for heavy AI users.
The whole AI launch context is in Introducing AI Agents, AI Assistant, and AI Chatbot. The bigger strategic question about AI and agencies is in Will AI replace marketing agencies?.
If you have questions specific to your usage, reply to any onboarding email or reach out via contact. We are happy to help you map your expected volume to the right plan.
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