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

# How credits work

> Credits are Chief's single unit of value.

Credits are Chief's single unit of value. Instead of juggling per-model prices or seat counts, you spend credits as Chief works — and you always see your balance. The smarter the intelligence you ask for, the more credits a task uses. That's the whole model: pay for what you actually use.

## Where credits come from

* **A welcome grant.** When you register, you receive a [one-time grant of free credits](/help/getting-started/free-credits-what-you-get-on-signup) to get started. *(This grant is currently 10,000 credits in the app, but that figure is set on the frontend — treat it as indicative and verify the live amount.)*
* **A daily refill (Explore).** On the [free Explore plan](/help/plans-credits-billing/plans-overview-explore-pro-power-user-enterprise), your credits top up a little each day. *(Shown as 300/day in the app; this is a frontend value — verify the live amount.)*
* **Your plan's monthly allowance.** Pro and Power User include a large block of credits each billing period.
* **Refills you buy.** You can [purchase more credits](/help/plans-credits-billing/refilling-credits) anytime. On paid plans you earn a bonus on every refill.

## What makes credits go faster

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/chief-2d405d1a/BBGD1uH7sfT84ugx/images/help/gs-intelligence-levels.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=BBGD1uH7sfT84ugx&q=85&s=e0b3876a72fee1b8c84a2cba58ce83db" alt="Chief credits - Expert and Deep Intelligence modes use more credits" width="1300" height="601" data-path="images/help/gs-intelligence-levels.png" />
</Frame>

Not every request costs the same. The [**intelligence level**](/help/plans-credits-billing/credit-cost-by-mode) you choose changes how many credits a task uses. From the prompt bar's intelligence menu:

* **Auto** and **Fast** — baseline cost. Auto switches between Fast and Expert based on your prompt.
* **Expert** — Uses \~3x the credits. Deeper reasoning, a bit slower.
* **[Deep Intelligence](/help/answer-depth-chiefs-agents/deep-intelligence-research-mode)** — Uses \~5x the credits. Deploys a fleet of long-running agents across LLMs that collaborate to finish bigger jobs. Available on paid plans.

<Tip>
  💡 **Tip:** For everyday questions, leave the intelligence level on Auto — Chief will pick Fast when that's enough and Expert when the prompt is complex, so you don't overspend.
</Tip>

## Refill bonuses

When you buy credits on a paid plan, you get more than you pay for:

* **Pro** — 15% credit refill bonus.
* **Power User** — 25% credit refill bonus.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why did one task cost so many more credits than another?">
    Because of the intelligence level. Expert uses about 3x the credits of a baseline request, and Deep Intelligence about 5x. If a task ran on a higher intelligence level — either because you chose it or Auto escalated to Expert for a complex prompt — it spends more.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I ran out of credits mid-task. What happens?">
    Chief stops and shows an "Out of credits" message with a way to refill. On Explore you can also wait for your daily refill. See [What happens when you run out of credits](/help/plans-credits-billing/what-happens-when-you-run-out-of-credits) for the full walkthrough.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>