Few things annoy AI users more than paying for nothing. Reviews of credit-based services on Trustpilot include people who say credits went on a request where "the bot generated absolutely ZERO output", or on a generation that failed and could not be downloaded. Whether or not each case was a bug, the question behind them is fair: when a request fails, should it cost anything?
This guide sets out what we think the answer should be, exactly how Essevin handles it, and how you can check any service, including ours.
The short answer
On Essevin, a request that fails with an error before the reply starts uses no credits. That includes an unknown model, a request the model provider rejects, and a request too large for your plan's per-message cap. If you stop a reply partway, you pay only for what was produced up to that point. The usage record in the console shows every request and what it used.
What should and should not use credits
| What happened | Fair outcome | Essevin |
|---|---|---|
| Error before any reply (wrong model name, invalid input, provider rejects the request) | Nothing charged | No credits |
| Request bigger than your plan's per-message cap | Refused up front, nothing charged | Refused with a notice, no credits |
| Request times out before a reply starts | Nothing charged | No credits |
| You stop a reply halfway | Pay for what was produced, not the whole answer | Charged for the part already produced |
| Reply completes | Pay for what was used | Charged by what the request actually used |
How we checked
In October 2026 we ran each case against our own service with a test account and compared the credit balance before and after every request. Errors before the reply, oversized requests and requests that timed out left the balance unchanged, and our records for the previous 60 days showed no credits taken for any request that ended in an error.
A reply stopped partway is charged only for the part already produced: the conversation the model read and the text it had written up to the moment you stopped.
Why stopped replies still cost something
When you stop a reply, the model has already read your whole conversation and written part of an answer, and the provider charges for that work. Charging for that part, and only that part, is the honest middle ground: you are not billed for the rest of an answer you never received, and the price of the part you did receive matches what it cost to make.
Most of that cost is usually the conversation the model had to read, not the words it wrote, which is why long chats cost more per message. Our guide to why credits run out in long chats shows the numbers.
How to check any AI subscription
Find the usage record. Every request, including failed ones, should be listed with what it used. If there is no per-request record, you cannot check anything.
Trigger a harmless error. Send a request with a deliberately wrong option, or an empty file, and look at the record. It should show the failure and no charge.
Stop a long reply early. Ask for a long essay and press stop after a few lines. The charge should be well below a full answer.
Look for a per-message ceiling. A ceiling means one request can never take a large part of your allowance by surprise.
Read the terms on refunds and credits. Know whether unused credits roll over, and how cancellation works, before you pay.
FAQ
I got an error. Did it use credits?
Not if the error came before the reply started. Open the usage record in the console: the request is listed as failed with no credits used.
I pressed stop. Why was I charged?
Because part of the answer had already been produced, and the model had already read your conversation. You are charged for that part only, not for a full answer.
What happens if my message is too long for my plan?
It is refused before it is sent, with a notice to shorten it or choose a higher plan, and no credits are used. Each plan's per-message cap is on the plans page.
Do credits I don't use carry over?
No. Monthly credits reset every month. Optional credit packs last the month you buy them and the next.
Can I cancel if it is not for me?
Yes. Cancel the renewal in the console at any time; the plan stays usable until the end of the period you paid for.
See the plans and per-message caps on the pricing page, or create an account and check the usage record yourself.