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

# AI Credits & Limits

> Understand how AI credits work, what counts toward your limits, and how model selection affects credit usage.

Vollna uses **three separate credit pools** to power AI features. Each pool tracks usage independently — running out of one does not affect the others.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="AI Proposal Credits" icon="pen-nib">
    Used when AI writes or refines a cover letter
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Qualifier Credits" icon="filter">
    Used when AI evaluates whether a job matches your criteria
  </Card>

  <Card title="Auto-Bidding Proposals" icon="robot">
    Monthly limit on proposals submitted through Auto-Bidding
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Auto-Bidding proposal limits are **not affected by model selection**. Choosing a 2x model does not reduce your auto-bidding proposal count — it only uses more AI Proposal credits per generation.
</Tip>

## How Credits Work

Each AI generation consumes credits from the relevant pool. The number of credits consumed depends on which AI model you select.

### Credit Multipliers by Model

Some models cost more credits per use. This applies to **AI Proposal** and **AI Qualifier** credits only.

| Credits per Use | Models                                                                |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **1 credit**    | Default, Gemini 3 Flash, GPT-4o Mini, Claude Haiku 4.5, Grok 4.1 Fast |
| **2 credits**   | Gemini 3.1 Pro, ChatGPT (GPT-5.2), Claude Sonnet 4.6                  |
| **4 credits**   | Claude Opus 4.6 *(AI Qualifier only)*                                 |

<Info>
  **Default model** always costs 1 credit and is optimized for the best balance of quality and speed.
</Info>

<Warning>
  **Credit multipliers apply to AI Proposal and AI Qualifier credits only.** Auto-Bidding proposal limits are not affected by model selection — each auto-bid counts as 1 proposal regardless of model.
</Warning>

### Example

You have 250 AI Proposal credits. If you select **Claude Sonnet 4.6** (2x), each proposal generation uses 2 credits — giving you **125 proposals**. With the **Default** model (1x), you get the full **250 proposals**.

## How Auto-Bidding Uses Credits

Auto-Bidding touches all three credit pools in sequence:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Job Detected">
    A new job matches your filter criteria. No credits used yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="AI Qualification">
    AI evaluates whether the job is a good fit. Uses **AI Qualifier credits** (1-4 per job, depending on model).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Proposal Generation">
    If qualified, AI writes a cover letter. Uses **AI Proposal credits** (1-2 per proposal, depending on model).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Proposal Submitted">
    The proposal is submitted on Upwork. Uses **1 Auto-Bidding proposal** from your monthly limit.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  **In practice, your Auto-Bidding proposal limit is the only number that matters.** Every Auto-Bidding plan includes significantly more AI Qualifier and AI Proposal credits than you need to fully use your monthly proposal limit — even with premium models. You'll hit your proposal cap long before running low on AI credits. The AI credit pools are there as safeguards, not as the bottleneck.
</Info>

## Extra Credits

If you run out of credits before your billing period resets, you can purchase **extra credits** for any pool directly from the [Subscription page](https://www.vollna.com/dashboard/subscription).

### Buying Credits

Click **Buy Credits** next to the pool you need, select a quantity, and complete the purchase. Credits are added to your balance immediately and are valid for 365 days — they do not reset with your billing cycle.

### Auto-Reload

Auto-Reload automatically purchases extra credits when your balance drops below a threshold you set. You configure:

* **Threshold** — when your balance falls below this number, a top-up is triggered
* **Recharge target** — the number of credits to purchase
* **Monthly spend cap** — optional limit on how much Auto-Reload can spend per month

<Info>
  If this is your first extra credit purchase, you'll be asked to complete a one-time checkout to set up your payment method. Once saved, future purchases and Auto-Reload top-ups are charged automatically.
</Info>

<Note>
  Auto-Reload only activates after your first payment is confirmed. If you close the checkout without paying, your settings are saved but Auto-Reload stays off until you complete the payment.
</Note>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do credits reset every month?">
    Yes. All credit pools reset at the start of each billing period. Unused credits do not roll over.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="If I upgrade mid-cycle, do I get more credits?">
    Yes. Your limits update immediately to match your new plan. Already-used credits are not refunded.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does choosing a premium model affect my auto-bidding limit?">
    No. Model selection only affects **AI Proposal** and **AI Qualifier** credit consumption. Your auto-bidding monthly proposal limit stays the same regardless of model.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why are AI Proposals and AI Qualifier credits separate?">
    They serve different purposes. AI Qualifier evaluates jobs (high volume, low cost per call). AI Proposals writes cover letters (lower volume, higher cost per call). Separate pools ensure heavy filtering doesn't eat into your proposal budget.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when I run out of AI Proposal credits?">
    You can no longer generate AI cover letters until credits reset. AI Qualifier and manual proposals still work. You can purchase extra credits or enable Auto-Reload to avoid interruptions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when I run out of AI Qualifier credits?">
    AI job qualification stops working. Auto-Bidding will pause qualification for new jobs. You can still write proposals manually or with AI for jobs you've already qualified. Extra credits or Auto-Reload can keep things running.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do extra credits expire?">
    Yes. Extra credits are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. They do not reset with your billing cycle.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do extra credits stack with my plan credits?">
    Yes. Extra credits are used after your plan credits are exhausted. They appear as a separate balance on your subscription page.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>