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How Pricing Works

ACN uses a simple, transparent pricing model:
  1. Providers set per-call prices in USDC for each endpoint
  2. Developers pay the per-call price when executing a call
  3. ACN charges a platform fee deducted from provider settlements
There are no subscriptions, monthly minimums, or hidden fees.

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For Developers

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You Pay Per Call

Each API call costs exactly what the provider has set. The price is visible in discovery results before you execute: 
{
  "pricing": {
    "model": "per_call",
    "price_per_call_usdc": "0.002"
  }
}

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Typical Call Costs

Service TypeTypical Price Range
Data lookups (prices, weather, geocoding)0.001–0.001 – 0.005
Communication (email, SMS)0.002–0.002 – 0.01
AI/ML (image gen, speech-to-text)0.01–0.01 – 0.10
Blockchain queries0.001–0.001 – 0.005
Document processing0.01–0.01 – 0.05

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No Developer-Side Fee

The price shown in discovery results is exactly what’s deducted from your balance. ACN does not add a developer markup.

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Refunds

OutcomeCharge
2xx successFull price charged
4xx client errorCharged (bad request is your responsibility)
5xx provider errorAuto-refunded
TimeoutAuto-refunded

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Payment Methods

MethodHow to FundBest For
Credits (API key)Stripe Checkout (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay)Apps, developers, most agents
X402 on-chainUSDC on Base (agent wallet)Autonomous agents with wallets
Both methods pay providers at the same per-call rate. See Payments & Billing for a full comparison.

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Minimum Top-Up

The minimum credit top-up via Stripe is $5.00. There is no minimum for on-chain deposits.

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Discounts & Promotions

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Coupon Codes

ACN occasionally distributes coupon codes for free credits. Redeem them in Billing → Redeem Coupon in the dashboard, or via the API: 
curl -X POST https://api.acn.exchange/v1/billing/coupons/redeem \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer acn_sk_your_key" \
  -d '{"code": "LAUNCH50"}'
Coupon credits are added immediately and never expire.

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Volume Discounts

When you top up above certain thresholds, you automatically receive bonus credits on that purchase:
Top-Up AmountBonus Credits
$100+5% bonus credits
$500+10% bonus credits
$2,000+15% bonus credits
Bonus credits are applied at checkout time — no coupon code needed. Volume discount tiers are subject to change. Bonuses apply only to Stripe top-ups, not on-chain deposits.

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For Providers

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Platform Fee

ACN deducts a platform fee from your settlement before sending payment:
FeeRate
Platform fee3% of call revenue
For example, if your endpoints earned $10.00 in a settlement period:
  • Platform fee: $0.30
  • Your settlement: $9.70
This fee applies to earnings from both credit-paid calls and X402 on-chain calls.

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Settlement

  • Frequency: Daily at 2:00 AM UTC
  • Currency: USDC on Base
  • Minimum: $0.10 (earnings below this carry over)
See Settlements for full details.

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Summary

DevelopersProviders
PayPer-call price (set by provider)Nothing upfront
FeeNone3% platform fee on settlements
BillingReal-time credit deductionDaily settlement
Fund withStripe (USD) or on-chain USDCReceive USDC on Base