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

# How Billing Works

> Per-request billing with full transparency.

## Per-request billing

Every API call is billed individually. After each request completes, we:

1. **Measure** the original and compressed token counts
2. **Calculate** the cost difference (savings)
3. **Charge** the actual LLM cost + 20% of savings (router mode) or just the 20% fee (BYOK)
4. **Deduct** from your prepaid balance
5. **Log** the full breakdown in your dashboard

## Billing formula

```
original_cost = original_input_tokens × input_price + estimated_original_output × output_price
actual_cost   = compressed_input_tokens × input_price + actual_output_tokens × output_price
savings       = max(0, original_cost - actual_cost)
fee           = savings × 0.20

# Router mode
total_charged = actual_cost + fee

# BYOK mode
total_charged = fee
```

## What you see in the dashboard

Each request in your usage history shows:

| Field            | Description                  |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Model            | The model used               |
| Input tokens     | Original → compressed        |
| Output tokens    | Actual tokens generated      |
| Compression rate | % of input tokens saved      |
| Savings          | Dollar amount saved          |
| Charged          | Amount deducted from balance |

## Balance protection

* If your balance reaches \$0, API requests return `402 Insufficient balance`
* We never charge more than your available balance
* No surprise charges — you control how much you deposit

## Monitoring usage

Track your spending in real time:

* **Dashboard:** [opencompress.ai/dashboard](https://www.opencompress.ai/dashboard) shows balance, monthly stats, and per-request logs
* **API:** Usage data is included in the `usage` field of every response