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

# Billing & Payments

> Understand Nova Cloud pricing, payment methods, and billing features.

Nova Cloud uses a **prepaid credit** system. You add funds to your account balance and compute costs are deducted automatically as you use GPU resources.

## How Billing Works

### Billing Cycle

Costs are calculated and deducted by the second for running VMs:

* **GPU cost** — Based on GPU type, count, and rental type (on-demand, interruptible, or reserved rate)
* **Storage cost** — Based on allocated disk size, charged even when the VM is stopped
* **Network cost** — Based on data transfer at \$2/TB

### Viewing Your Costs

You can view your costs at any time in the console:

1. Go to **Billing** in the left sidebar
2. Your current **balance** and **hourly spend rate** are shown at the top
3. Scroll down to see your **usage history** and **transaction history**

<Frame caption="Billing dashboard showing balance, hourly spend, and transaction history">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/novacloudservicesinc/vyZyT77P0XaT78JA/images/guides/billing-dashboard.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vyZyT77P0XaT78JA&q=85&s=c0a383b5c83ac4d75ceee020b2df527e" alt="Billing dashboard with balance, spend rate, and recent transactions" width="2126" height="930" data-path="images/guides/billing-dashboard.png" />
</Frame>

Monthly PDF invoices are generated automatically and available for download in the Billing section.

## Adding Credits

### Credit Card (Stripe)

The fastest way to add credits:

1. In the console, go to **Billing**
2. Click **Add Credits**
3. Enter the amount you want to add (minimum **\$5**)
4. Complete payment with your credit card

<Frame caption="Add Credits window with preset amounts and card payment">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/novacloudservicesinc/vyZyT77P0XaT78JA/images/guides/add-credits.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vyZyT77P0XaT78JA&q=85&s=1cd389d9427cc363246bcb9731cb467d" alt="Add Credits window showing preset amounts and card payment form" width="1338" height="1616" data-path="images/guides/add-credits.png" />
</Frame>

### Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency payments via Crypto.com Pay are **coming soon**. This option will allow you to pay with BTC, ETH, USDC, and more.

### Signup Bonus

New accounts get a **first-deposit match**: we match your first deposit dollar-for-dollar, up to **\$25 in bonus credit**. Email verification is required to be eligible.

| Deposit      | Bonus credit |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| \$5          | \$5          |
| \$15         | \$15         |
| \$25 or more | \$25 (max)   |

## Auto Billing

Auto billing automatically adds credits when your balance drops below a threshold. This prevents your VMs from being stopped due to insufficient balance.

### Setting Up Auto Billing

1. Go to **Billing** in the console
2. Make sure you have a saved payment method (credit card)
3. Click **Auto Billing** and enable it
4. Choose your threshold (when to trigger) and amount (how much to add)

<Frame caption="Auto Billing settings with threshold and amount configuration">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/novacloudservicesinc/vyZyT77P0XaT78JA/images/guides/auto-topup-settings.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vyZyT77P0XaT78JA&q=85&s=1ac996eedeac33281a18abd7b504ab1d" alt="Auto Billing configuration showing threshold and amount dropdowns" width="2074" height="568" data-path="images/guides/auto-topup-settings.png" />
</Frame>

| Setting   | Options                        | Default |
| --------- | ------------------------------ | ------- |
| Threshold | \$2, \$5, \$10, \$25, \$50     | \$5     |
| Amount    | \$10, \$25, \$50, \$100, \$250 | \$25    |

<Note>
  If the auto billing charge fails (e.g., card declined), the system will retry. After multiple failures, auto billing is temporarily disabled.
</Note>

## Low Balance Notifications

Get an email alert when your balance drops below a threshold. Configure this in **Billing** → **Notifications** in the console.

Notifications are sent at most once every 24 hours to avoid spam.

## What Happens When Balance Reaches Zero

When your credit balance drops to \$0:

1. All running **on-demand** and **interruptible** VMs are automatically **stopped**
2. A **7-day warning** email is sent
3. A **reminder** email is sent at day 4 (72 hours before destruction)
4. If you don't add credits within 7 days, all stopped non-reserved VMs are **destroyed**

<Warning>
  Add credits or enable auto billing to prevent VM destruction. Reserved instances continue running from their deposit balance and are not affected by zero credit balance.
</Warning>

## Pricing Reference

### GPU Pricing

GPU prices vary by model and rental type. Current pricing is always visible on the **Dashboard** when browsing available GPU offers.

You can also view pricing without an account at [api.nova-cloud.ai/pricing](https://api.nova-cloud.ai/pricing).

### Storage Pricing

Storage is billed per second based on allocated disk size. The rate applies uniformly to all VMs and continues while a VM is stopped.

### Network Pricing

Network transfer is billed at **\$2 per TB**.

### Reserved Discounts

| Commitment | Discount |
| ---------- | -------- |
| 1 month    | 3.33%    |
| 3 months   | 10.00%   |
| 6 months   | 20.00%   |

See [Rental Types](/guides/rental-types) for full details on reserved pricing.