Billing & Credits
flashbay uses a credit-based billing system. Sessions consume credits while they're running — whether you're actively using the board or not.
How credits work
- 1 credit is deducted when you start a session
- Credits continue to be consumed at a regular interval while the session is active or idle
- The board stays reserved until the session ends, so idle sessions still cost credits
- Credit rates vary by board type and are shown in the dashboard
Free credits
New accounts start on the free tier with 20 credits. This is enough to try the platform — start a session, flash some firmware, interact via serial.
Free-tier limitations:
- Sessions capped at 10 minutes
- No API key creation (web UI only)
Buying credits
To add credits:
- Go to Billing in the dashboard
- Enter the number of credits you want
- Complete payment via Stripe
Your first purchase automatically upgrades you from the free tier, unlocking API keys, longer sessions, and CLI/SDK access.
What happens when credits run out
If your balance hits zero during a session, the session ends automatically. The board is released and returned to the available pool. You'll get a notification in the web UI or via WebSocket if connected programmatically.
You can't start a new session with zero credits — the API returns 402 Payment Required.
Checking your balance
Web UI: Your credit balance is always visible in the dashboard.
API:
curl https://api.fbay.io/v1/auth/me \
-H "Authorization: Bearer key_..."The response includes your current balance_credits.
Tiers
| Tier | Price | Included credits | Max session length | Concurrent sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — | 20 (one-time) | 10 minutes | 1 |
| Top Up | — | — | Unlimited | 1 |
| Team | €19/mo | 200 | Unlimited | 2 |
| Pro | €90/mo | 1,000 | Unlimited | 5 |
All paid tiers can purchase additional credits at the same rate. Team and Pro tiers include a premium on their included monthly credits (5% and 10% respectively).