# Tokens and AI billing

> Understand the shared Token balance that pays for AI, calls, texts, and email, see the current rates, buy a pack, set up auto-refill, and read the itemized ledger.

- Product: Workspace369
- Documentation version: 2026.3
- Section: Automation and AI
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Canonical source: https://docs.workspace369.com/v/2026.3/automation/tokens-and-ai-billing/

---

Tokens are the workspace's shared balance for metered work: Ask AI conversations, AI writing help, calls and voicemail, text messages, email delivery, connected AI apps, and AI imports. Each plan includes a monthly allowance, and you can top up at any time. Every completed charge is written to an itemized ledger.

## Where the balance shows

The Token badge sits in the Ask AI header. Tap it to open the **Token ledger** popup, which shows the workspace-wide balance with a status of **Available** or **Low**, and links to **Add tokens**, **Usage** by teammate and tool, **How tokens are charged**, **History**, and **Auto-refill**.

A dash in the badge means the balance could not be refreshed. It is never a stale number and never zero by default. During a free trial the badge reads **Free Trial**, and the full Token balance becomes available when the trial converts to a paid plan.

## What uses Tokens

| Work | How it is charged |
| --- | --- |
| Ask AI conversations | By the actual AI work in each turn, with a small minimum per turn. Steps inside a turn are not charged separately. |
| Voice input in Ask AI | About one Token per 15 seconds. |
| AI write, rewrite, translate, and summarize in the inbox | By actual usage. |
| Connected AI apps over MCP | A flat rate per action: read, create or update, or send. |
| Text messages | Per carrier segment for SMS, per message for MMS. Long messages, emoji, and non-Latin text can use more than one segment. |
| Calls and voicemail | Per minute, rounded. Voicemail recording and transcription are separate rates. |
| Email | Per email sent or received. |
| AI imports | By the analysis performed. A failed import charges nothing beyond the analysis. |

The current rates live in the app under **How tokens are charged**. Every card there reads the live rate card, so the numbers are always the ones your workspace is charged. Subscription fees, purchases, grants, and refunds appear separately in the ledger and do not count as usage.

## Monthly allowance by plan

| Plan | Included Tokens per month |
| --- | --- |
| Cadet | 10,000 |
| Voyager | 30,000 |
| Specialist | 60,000 |
| Commander | 120,000 |

Unused Tokens do not roll over.

## Buy Tokens

1. Open the Token badge and choose **Add tokens**, or choose **Get more Tokens** when a low-balance notice appears.
2. Pick a pack. Larger packs include bonus Tokens: Starter has no bonus, Pro adds 10 percent, and Power adds 25 percent.
3. Choose **Buy now** and complete checkout. On mobile the purchase goes through the app store; on the web it goes through card checkout.

The purchase is a one-time charge and the Tokens are added immediately. Buying needs the **Purchase Tokens** permission under Workspace AI.

## Set up auto-refill

Auto-refill tops up the balance automatically when it drops below a threshold, so a busy day does not stop messages or AI mid-way.

1. Open **Auto-refill** from the Token ledger popup or from Billing.
2. Save a card. There is no charge at this step.
3. Choose the **Refill pack** and the **Trigger when balance drops below** threshold: 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, or 10,000 Tokens.
4. Turn auto-refill on and choose **Save**.

The card shows the state at a glance: active, enabled but no card on file, off, or paused because a payment failed. Turning auto-refill off keeps the saved card on file so you can turn it back on later.

## When the balance runs out

Metered work stops until the balance covers it. Ask AI replies that you have run out of Tokens and offers **Get more Tokens**, voice input reports it needs more Tokens, and connected AI apps receive a message asking for a top-up. Nothing is charged for a refused action. A low-balance notice appears in Ask AI before the balance reaches zero.

## Review usage and history

- **Usage** shows Tokens by teammate and by tool for a chosen period.
- **History** lists purchases, grants, refunds, and adjustments.
- Calls made by connected AI apps and by Ask AI appear in the AI Connections analytics under Settings, AI, with the Tokens each one charged.

> Tokens are the only user-facing term for this balance. If a screen or message refers to AI credits, report it so the wording can be corrected.