# Understanding Pricing and Credit Costs

> Learn how tool pricing works on AgentPMT, how vendors set prices, and how to estimate costs.

Content type: documentation
Source URL: https://www.agentpmt.com/docs/payments-and-billing/understanding-pricing-and-credit-costs
Markdown URL: https://www.agentpmt.com/docs/payments-and-billing/understanding-pricing-and-credit-costs?format=agent-md
Category: Payments & Billing

---

# Understanding Pricing and Credit Costs

Every tool on AgentPMT has a credit price set by its vendor. Here's how pricing works and how to manage costs.

---

## How Pricing Works

- Each tool has a **credit cost per call** set by the vendor who built it
- When your agent calls a tool, that cost is deducted from your balance
- **100 credits = $1.00 USD**
- Failed calls are free -- you only pay for successful results

---

## Price Tiers

Tools on AgentPMT range widely in price depending on what they do:

| Tier | Credit Range | USD Equivalent | Examples |
|------|-------------|----------------|----------|
| Free | 0 | $0.00 | Basic lookups, simple utilities |
| Low | 1-10 | $0.01-$0.10 | Text processing, data formatting |
| Medium | 10-100 | $0.10-$1.00 | API calls, web scraping, image generation |
| High | 100-1,000 | $1.00-$10.00 | Complex analysis, large data processing |
| Premium | 1,000+ | $10.00+ | Physical goods, specialized services |

---

## Free Trials

Some tools offer a **free trial** -- a limited number of free calls so you can test the tool before committing credits. Free trial information is shown on the tool's marketplace listing.

---

## Where to See Prices

Tool prices are visible in several places:

- **Marketplace**: Each listing shows the credit cost prominently.
  - **Budget Settings**: See costs for all tools in your budget at a glance.
  - **Agent Activity**: Review the cost of each tool call your agent has made.

---

## Estimating Costs

To estimate what a task will cost:

1. **Identify the tools** your agent will likely use
2. **Check each tool's price** in the marketplace
3. **Estimate call count** -- how many times each tool will be called
4. **Multiply** price per call by estimated call count

**Example:**

| Tool | Price | Estimated Calls | Subtotal |
|------|-------|----------------|----------|
| Web Search | 5 credits | 3 | 15 credits |
| Summarizer | 2 credits | 3 | 6 credits |
| Email Sender | 10 credits | 1 | 10 credits |
| **Total** | | | **31 credits ($0.31)** |

---

## Controlling Costs

**Spending Caps** -- Set a maximum spending limit on each budget. Your agent stops making tool calls when the cap is reached.

**Choose Wisely** -- If multiple tools do similar things, compare prices. A cheaper tool might meet your needs just as well.

> TIP: Check the activity tab
>
> Review your Agent Activity regularly to understand your spending patterns. This helps you optimize which tools your agent uses.

---

## Vendor Pricing

Vendors set their own prices based on:

- The cost of running the underlying service
- The value the tool provides
- Market rates for similar tools

Prices can change, but your budget's spending cap protects you from unexpected increases.

---

## Next Steps

- [Setting Spending Caps](/docs/payments-and-billing/setting-spending-caps) - Limit how much your agent can spend
  - [How to Buy Credits](/docs/payments-and-billing/how-to-buy-credits) - Purchase credits to fund tool calls