> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://litprotocol-feature-cpl-357-docs-revamp.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pricing

> Credit-based pricing for Lit Chipotle — management operations, Lit Action execution, and how to top up your account.

## Overview

Lit Chipotle uses a **credit-based billing model**. Credits are pre-purchased and drawn down as you use the API. There are no subscriptions, no per-seat fees, and no charges for read-only operations.

***

## What's Free

All **read-only** dashboard and API operations are free of charge. These include:

* Viewing groups, wallets, and IPFS actions
* Listing usage API keys
* Checking your account balance
* Any `GET` request that does not modify on-chain state

***

## Metered Operations

The following operations consume credits each time they are called:

| Operation                                                                     | Cost                       |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Management call (create/update/delete group, wallet, action, usage key, etc.) | \*\*\$0.01 per second \*\* |
| Lit Action execution                                                          | \*\*\$0.01 per second \*\* |

Management calls include: `create_wallet`, `add_group`, `remove_group`, `add_action`, `delete_action`, `add_action_to_group`, `remove_action_from_group`, `update_group`, `update_action_metadata`, `add_pkp_to_group`, `remove_pkp_from_group`, `add_usage_api_key`, `remove_usage_api_key`, `update_usage_api_key`, `update_usage_api_key_metadata`.

Note that while management calls may take several seconds to respond while Chipotle confirms blocks, there is no charge for this wait time - management calls are effectively 1 second.

Common features like signing generally take less than a second to execute, and thus standard ECDSA signatures ( used for common blockchains and bitcoin transactions ) are effectively charged at \$0.01 USD.

***

## Purchasing Credits

### Paying with a Credit Card (via Stripe)

Credits can be purchased directly in the dashboard using a credit card. Stripe processes the payment — your card details are sent directly to Stripe and are never stored on Lit's servers.

**To add funds:**

1. Log in to the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.chipotle.litprotocol.com/dapps/dashboard/).
2. Click **Add Funds** in the top-right corner.
3. Select a credit package from the table below.
4. Enter your card details and click **Pay**.

Credits are applied to your account immediately after payment is confirmed.

### Credit Packages

| Package  | Price       | Credits included |
| -------- | ----------- | ---------------- |
| Starter  | **\$5.00**  | 500 credits      |
| Basic    | **\$10.00** | 1,000 credits    |
| Standard | **\$25.00** | 2,500 credits    |
| Pro      | **\$50.00** | 5,000 credits    |

The minimum top-up is **\$5.00**. All packages are one-time purchases with no expiry.

### Paying with Crypto

You can pay with cryptocurrency (ETH, USDC, SOL, and other tokens) via Stripe's crypto payment integration. See the [Crypto Payments](/management/crypto) guide for full instructions on paying from the dashboard or via the API.

### Paying with LITKEY (25% discount)

Paying with the **LITKEY** token gets you a **25% discount** vs. credit card pricing. LITKEY is paid directly on-chain (Base mainnet) — no Stripe involved. See the [LITKEY](/management/litkey) guide for where to acquire it and how to pay.

***

## Enterprise Pricing

Need higher volume, custom terms, or dedicated support? Reach out for enterprise pricing by filling out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBVsg-NhdMIC1H1mozh2zaVX0V4WtmEPSPrtmqVtnj_3qqNw/viewform) and our team will get in touch.

***

## Credit Balance

Your current balance is always visible in the top-right corner of the dashboard once you're logged in. A negative balance (displayed as a credit) means funds are available. Credits are depleted as you make metered API calls.

If a call is made when your balance is exhausted, the API returns a `402 Payment Required` error. Top up your account to resume normal operation.

***

## Billing Identity

Your billing account is tied to the **wallet address derived from your account API key**. This wallet address is used as the Stripe customer identifier. If you provide an email address when creating your account, it is forwarded to Stripe for your customer record and for payment receipts.

In **ChainSecured (sovereign) mode** there is no account API key — billing is tied to the account's **billing wallet** instead. This wallet is fixed at account creation and preserved across conversion to ChainSecured and across ownership transfers, so your Stripe credit balance follows the account even as the admin wallet rotates.

***

## Billing in ChainSecured (sovereign) mode

[ChainSecured mode](/management/account_modes) splits billing across two rails, and the split is worth calling out explicitly:

| What you do                                                 | API mode                                                                  | ChainSecured (sovereign) mode                                                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Admin write (create group, add action, mint usage key, ...) | \$0.01 credit charged via Stripe; the server relays the tx and covers gas | **Not charged to Stripe.** You sign and submit the tx yourself and pay **Base gas** from your connected wallet |
| Lit Action execution                                        | \$0.01/second via Stripe                                                  | \$0.01/second via Stripe — **identical to API mode**                                                           |

In other words, converting to ChainSecured moves only the **admin-write** half of billing off Stripe (onto your wallet's gas). Lit Action **execution** is metered against your Stripe credit balance in both modes, because execution always runs through the server. A ChainSecured account that performs admin writes but no executions can legitimately show **zero** Stripe charges — admin-write gas is paid on-chain and never reaches Stripe.

This is the expected behavior, not a billing fault: there is no `$0.01` management charge for sovereign admin writes because those writes never pass through the server's metered endpoint.