11 Billing & Credits

11.1 Current GPU Pricing#

Ariax credits pay for the GPU time used by your protein-design projects. Rates are transparent and pay as you go, with no subscription or platform fee. You do not need a sales call, queue allocation, or quota approval before starting a design.

The pricing page shows USD rates per GPU-hour. Turbo costs the applicable single-GPU rate multiplied by GPU count, with no orchestration fee. This change applies to new website and CLI allocations. Existing allocations keep their recorded rate.

The public pricing API defaults to website rates. For CLI launches, run ariax pricing --json or use the CLI pricing preview. Each API row's hourly_rate already covers the complete allocation identified by gpu_id and gpu_count. Use that total directly when estimating cost. standard_hourly_rate is the comparison rate; the response reports whether a promotion is active.

The October 2026 pricing announcement explains CLI/Agent eligibility and the offer window. Previously purchased credits qualify. A preview does not reserve a rate: billing uses the rate in effect when Ariax records the GPU allocation request. Queued jobs must reach allocation during the offer window to qualify. A replacement allocation or explicit restart receives a fresh pricing evaluation. Viewing a CLI project on the website preserves its saved rate.

Website/API previews can use fallback standard rates when the pricing service is unavailable. CLI previews return an error when current CLI pricing cannot be obtained. Retry the preview before estimating a new launch. Prices do not guarantee hardware availability.

Estimating a campaign's cost#

GPU time is prorated by elapsed seconds. For an allocation expected to run for seconds, estimate cost as hourly_rate × seconds / 3600, using the API total for the selected GPU type and count. Add the costs of all allocations across campaign attempts.

Design counts and trajectory limits do not set an exact spending cap. Use observed runtime and accepted-design yield from a representative pilot to plan further work. Recheck current rates before a new allocation or restart.

11.2 Compute Credits Explained#

Compute credits are the currency for all GPU jobs. Each credit equals $1 USD. Different GPU types consume credits at different hourly rates. Your balance shows available credits and decreases in real time as jobs run. If your credit balance is exhausted, all running projects will be paused.

11.3 Purchasing Credits#

To purchase credits with a credit card for instant access, choose one of the preset amounts (e.g. $20, $50, $100) or enter a custom dollar value (minimum $10). Add or select a payment method, then click Purchase Credits to top up your account instantly. Alternatively, you can request an official quote for a Purchase Order (see below).

11.4 Requesting a Quote for Purchase Orders#

If you prefer to pay via Purchase Order (PO), you can generate an official quote directly from the Billing page.

1. Click on the "Need a quote for a Purchase Order?" link.
2. Fill out the required information: your full name, email, institution name, institution address, and desired credit amount (minimum $250).
3. A PDF quote will be generated instantly and emailed to you. This quote will also include a link to our W9 form for easy vendor setup with your institution.
4. Submit this quote to your institution's purchasing department to obtain a PO number.
5. Once you have the PO, please send the PO document to [email protected].

Your account will be credited after the PO is processed by our team, typically within 24 hours.

11.5 Automatic Top‑Up Setup#

Enable the Automatic Top‑Up toggle to replenish your balance when it falls below a threshold. Set:

• Threshold: The minimum credit balance you're comfortable with.
• Top‑Up Amount: How many credits to add when triggered.
  Click Save Settings to apply your automatic top‑up preferences.

Note that automatic top-up functionality is only available using a credit card as a payment option.

11.6 Payment Methods#

Manage your cards securely via Stripe integration. Click Add New Card to open a secure form. Remove old cards or switch defaults anytime. Ariax never stores full card details—Stripe handles security and PCI compliance.

11.7 Transaction History & Invoices#

Switch to the Transactions tab to view all past purchases, auto‑top‑ups, and balance changes. For advanced billing management, click Billing Portal to enter Stripe's customer portal where you can download invoices and view transaction history.