> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://x-preview-mintlify-93ac23a1.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# X API pay-per-usage pricing and credits

> The X API uses pay-per-usage pricing with no subscriptions. Buy credits, set spending limits, and earn up to 20% back in free xAI API credits.

export const Button = ({href, children}) => {
  return <div className="not-prose">
    <a href={href}>
      <button className="x-btn">
        <span>{children}</span>
        <svg width="3" height="24" viewBox="0 -9 3 24" class="h-6 rotate-0 overflow-visible"><path d="M0 0L3 3L0 6" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.5" stroke-linecap="round"></path></svg>
      </button>
    </a>
  </div>;
};

The X API uses **pay-per-usage** pricing. No subscriptions—pay only for what you use.

<Button href="https://developer.x.com/#pricing">View pricing & purchase credits</Button>

***

## How it works

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Credit-based" icon="https://mintcdn.com/x-preview-mintlify-93ac23a1/AO3BvOiXS-lYJQ8t/icons/xds/icon-coins.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=AO3BvOiXS-lYJQ8t&q=85&s=a98612e5c766e791338ec9118cac0585" width="24" height="24" data-path="icons/xds/icon-coins.svg">
    Purchase credits upfront in the Developer Console. Credits are deducted as you make API requests.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Per-endpoint pricing" icon="https://mintcdn.com/x-preview-mintlify-93ac23a1/AO3BvOiXS-lYJQ8t/icons/xds/icon-code.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=AO3BvOiXS-lYJQ8t&q=85&s=1f5bd3f2c9da04a9409be944c25de90f" width="24" height="24" data-path="icons/xds/icon-code.svg">
    Different endpoints have different costs. View current rates in the Developer Console.
  </Card>

  <Card title="No commitments" icon="unlock">
    No contracts, subscriptions, or minimum spend. Start and stop anytime.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Real-time tracking" icon="gauge-high">
    Monitor usage and costs live in the Developer Console.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Earn free [xAI API](https://docs.x.ai) credits when you purchase X API credits—up to 20% back based on your spend. [Learn more](#free-xai-api-credits)
</Tip>

***

## Credit consumption details

All prices are per resource fetched (reads) or per request (writes/actions). [Purchase credits](https://console.x.com) in the Developer Console.

### Read operations

Charged per resource returned in the response.

| Resource | Unit cost |
| :- | :- |
| **Posts: Read** | \$0.005 per resource |
| **User: Read** | \$0.010 per resource |
| **DM Event: Read** | \$0.010 per resource |
| **Following/Followers: Read** | \$0.010 per resource |
| **List: Read** | \$0.005 per resource |
| **Space: Read** | \$0.005 per resource |
| **Community: Read** | \$0.005 per resource |
| **Note: Read** | \$0.005 per resource |
| **Like: Read** | \$0.001 per resource |
| **Mute: Read** | \$0.001 per resource |
| **Block: Read** | \$0.001 per resource |
| **Profile Update: Read** | \$0.005 per resource |

<Note>
  Pay-per-usage plans are capped at **3 million Post reads per monthly billing cycle**. If you need higher volume, upgrade to an [Enterprise plan](/forms/enterprise-api-interest).
</Note>

### Write operations

Charged per request.

| Action | Unit cost |
| :- | :- |
| **Post: Create** | \$0.015 per request |
| **Post: Create (with URL)** | \$0.200 per request |
| **Post: Create (summoned)** | \$0.010 per request |
| **DM Interaction: Create** | \$0.015 per request |
| **User Interaction: Create** | \$0.015 per request |
| **Interaction: Delete** | \$0.010 per request |
| **Content: Manage** | \$0.005 per request |
| **List: Create** | \$0.010 per request |
| **List: Manage** | \$0.005 per request |
| **Bookmark** | \$0.005 per request |
| **Media Metadata** | \$0.005 per request |
| **Privacy: Update** | \$0.010 per request |
| **Mute: Delete** | \$0.005 per request |
| **Counts: Recent** | \$0.005 per request |
| **Counts: All** | \$0.010 per request |
| **Trends** | \$0.010 per request |

<Note>
  Prices are subject to change. Current rates are always available in the [Developer Console](https://console.x.com) and on the [developer.x.com pricing page](https://developer.x.com/#pricing).
</Note>

### Webhook events

Webhook events delivered through the [X Activity API](/x-api/activity/introduction) are billed per event delivered, using the same event names shown in the Activity API docs. You are charged once per billable event, deduplicated within the same 24-hour UTC window as other resources.

| Event | Cost per event |
| :- | :- |
| `post.create` | \$0.005 |
| `post.delete` | Not billed |
| `follow.follow` | \$0.010 |
| `follow.unfollow` | \$0.010 |
| `mute.mute` | \$0.001 |
| `mute.unmute` | \$0.001 |
| `block.block` | \$0.001 |
| `block.unblock` | \$0.001 |
| `profile.update.*` | \$0.005 |
| `chat.received` | \$0.010 |
| `chat.sent` | Not billed |
| `chat.conversation_join` | Not billed |
| `dm.received` | \$0.010 |
| `dm.sent` | Not billed |
| `dm.read` | Not billed |
| `dm.indicate_typing` | Not billed |
| `news.new` | \$0.005 |
| `spaces.start` | \$0.005 |
| `spaces.end` | \$0.005 |

***

## Owned Reads

Owned Reads are requests made by your own developer app for your own data (posts, bookmarks, followers, likes, lists, and more). These endpoints are priced at **\$0.001 per resource** (1,000 resources for \$1).

The following endpoints qualify for Owned Read pricing when `{id}` matches the authenticated user and that user is the owner of the developer app:

| Endpoint | Description |
| :- | :- |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/tweets` | Your own posts |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/mentions` | Your mentions |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/liked_tweets` | Posts you liked |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/bookmarks` | Your bookmarks |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/followers` | Your followers |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/following` | Accounts you follow |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/blocking` | Accounts you blocked |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/muting` | Accounts you muted |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/owned_lists` | Lists you own |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/followed_lists` | Lists you follow |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/list_memberships` | Lists you belong to |
| `GET /2/users/{id}/pinned_lists` | Your pinned lists |

<Tip>
  Owned Reads make it significantly cheaper to build apps that work with a user's own data, such as dashboard apps, personal analytics, or account management tools.
</Tip>

***

## Deduplication

All resources are deduplicated within a **24-hour UTC day window**. If you request and are charged for a resource (such as a Post), requesting the same resource again within that window will not incur an additional charge.

This means:

* Requesting the same Post multiple times in a day counts as one charge
* The deduplication window resets at midnight UTC
* This applies to all billable resources (Posts, users, etc.)

<Note>
  Deduplication is a **soft guarantee**. While it occurs in the vast majority of cases, there may be specific edge cases like service outages that result in resources not being deduplicated.
</Note>

***

## Credit balance

Your credit balance is displayed in the Developer Console. Credits are deducted in real-time as you make API requests.

<Warning>
  Monitor your credit balance regularly to avoid service interruptions. Add credits before your balance reaches zero to ensure uninterrupted API access.

  ***Note:** It is possible for an account credit balance to go slightly negative. In this case, API requests will be blocked until you add credits to cover the negative balance.*
</Warning>

### Auto-recharge

Enable auto-recharge to automatically top up your credit balance and avoid service interruptions. Configure this in the Developer Console:

| Setting | Description |
| :- | :- |
| **Recharge amount** | The amount to add when auto-recharge triggers (e.g., \$25) |
| **Trigger threshold** | Auto-recharge activates when your balance falls below this amount (e.g., \$5) |

#### When the trigger fires

Auto-recharge triggers the first time your balance drops below the trigger threshold after having been **at or above** it. A balance exactly equal to the threshold counts as armed: if you purchase \$5 of credits with a \$5 trigger threshold, your very first spend takes the balance below the threshold and a top-up is triggered.

<Note>
  Auto-recharge requires a saved payment method set as your default. You can cancel anytime in the Developer Console or by contacting support.
</Note>

#### Auto-recharge safeguards

To protect you from runaway or unexpectedly large charges, auto-recharge has two built-in limits:

* **One top-up per 5-minute window.** Automatic charges can trigger at most once every 5 minutes, so a sudden burst of usage cannot stack multiple recharges back-to-back.
* **Paused at zero or negative balance.** Auto-recharge does not run while your account balance is zero or negative. Add credits manually to resume automatic top-ups.

<Warning>
  If your usage is bursty enough to drain a full recharge in under 5 minutes, you can still see "out of credits" errors even with auto-recharge on. Raise your **Recharge amount** so a single top-up comfortably outlasts a 5-minute window of your peak consumption.
</Warning>

***

### Spending limits

Set a maximum amount you can spend per billing cycle to control costs. When the limit is reached, API requests will be blocked until the next billing cycle.

| Option | Description |
| :- | :- |
| **Spending limit** | Set a specific dollar amount as your maximum spend per billing cycle |

<Tip>
  Use spending limits to prevent unexpected charges, especially during development and testing.
</Tip>

***

## Free xAI API credits

When you purchase X API credits, you can earn free [xAI API](https://docs.x.ai) credits based on your cumulative spend during a billing cycle.

<Note>
  To receive free xAI credits, you must link your xAI team to your X developer account. You can do this by visiting your account settings in the [developer console](https://console.x.com).
</Note>

### How it works

Your cumulative spend is tracked throughout each billing cycle. As you cross spending thresholds, you unlock higher reward rates. When a new billing cycle starts, your cumulative spend resets to \$0.

| Cumulative spend | Rate |
| :- | :- |
| \$0 – \$199 | 0% |
| \$200 – \$499 | 10% |
| \$500 – \$999 | 15% |
| \$1,000+ | 20% |

<Note>
  The rate applies to your **entire cumulative balance**, but you only receive the delta—what's newly owed minus what was already credited.
</Note>

### Example

Suppose you make several purchases throughout a billing cycle:

| Purchase | Rate | Total owed | Already credited | You receive |
| :- | :- | :- | :- | :- |
| \$100 | 0% | \$0 | \$0 | **\$0** |
| \$100 | 10% | \$20 | \$0 | **\$20** |
| \$150 | 10% | \$35 | \$20 | **\$15** |
| \$150 | 15% | \$75 | \$35 | **\$40** |
| \$250 | 15% | \$112.50 | \$75 | **\$37.50** |
| \$250 | 20% | \$200 | \$112.50 | **\$87.50** |
| | | | | |
| **\$1,000** | | | | **\$200** |

This is the same amount you'd receive from a single \$1,000 purchase—the order and size of purchases doesn't affect your total rewards.

<Tip>
  View your xAI credit balance and manage your account at [console.x.ai](https://console.x.ai). For more details on xAI API billing, see the [xAI billing documentation](https://docs.x.ai/docs/key-information/billing).
</Tip>

***

## Monitoring usage

Track your API usage programmatically with the [Usage endpoint](/x-api/usage/introduction):

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://api.x.com/2/usage/tweets" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BEARER_TOKEN"
```

This returns daily Post consumption counts, helping you:

* Track consumption against your budget
* Set up alerts when approaching limits
* Identify high-consumption endpoints
* Generate usage reports

***

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Developer Console" icon="grid-2" href="https://console.x.com">
    Purchase credits and view current pricing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Usage API" icon="https://mintcdn.com/x-preview-mintlify-93ac23a1/U6qfxffxbzJwOhP1/icons/xds/icon-bar-chart.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=U6qfxffxbzJwOhP1&q=85&s=590dd5999cbf51bf7362bade7f010b24" href="/x-api/usage/introduction" width="24" height="24" data-path="icons/xds/icon-bar-chart.svg">
    Monitor usage programmatically.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>