---
description: Clearcut api credits & pricing. Learn how to remove image backgrounds, manage jobs and work with credits in your application.
title: API Credits & Pricing | Clearcut
image: https://clearcut.sh/og/docs.png
---

GUIDES

[Quick start](https://clearcut.sh/docs)[Authentication](https://clearcut.sh/docs/authentication)[Credits & billing](https://clearcut.sh/docs/credits)[Limits & retries](https://clearcut.sh/docs/limits)[Examples](https://clearcut.sh/docs/examples)[Errors](https://clearcut.sh/docs/errors)

API REFERENCE

[POSTRemove a background](https://clearcut.sh/docs/remove-background)[GETremove.bg account info](https://clearcut.sh/docs/removebg-account)[POSTCreate an image job](https://clearcut.sh/docs/create-job)[GETGet a job](https://clearcut.sh/docs/get-job)[GETList images](https://clearcut.sh/docs/list-jobs)[DELETEDelete an image](https://clearcut.sh/docs/delete-job)[GETDownload a result](https://clearcut.sh/docs/download)[POSTExport an edited image](https://clearcut.sh/docs/export)[POSTUpload a background](https://clearcut.sh/docs/background)[POSTExport a ZIP batch](https://clearcut.sh/docs/batch-export)[POSTCopy a batch background](https://clearcut.sh/docs/batch-background)[POSTSmart Brush](https://clearcut.sh/docs/smart-brush)[POSTGenerate a scene](https://clearcut.sh/docs/generate-scene)[GETCredit balance](https://clearcut.sh/docs/account)[POSTRetry a failed image](https://clearcut.sh/docs/retry-job)[GETRecent usage](https://clearcut.sh/docs/usage)[Download OpenAPI](https://clearcut.sh/openapi.json)

Developer guide / Credits & billing

# Credits & billing

Charge for processing. Keep ordinary editing and downloads simple.

| Operation                       | Credits  |
| ------------------------------- | -------- |
| Fast removal                    | 1        |
| Fine detail                     | 2        |
| Smart Brush request             | 1        |
| Generated scene                 | 3        |
| Manual edits and repeat exports | 0        |
| Failed processing               | Returned |

## How charging works

Credits are reserved before processing starts. Success settles the reservation. A failed operation returns it once to its original grant, with its original expiry. Duplicate image submissions with the same idempotency key and options reuse the existing job.

## Grants and expiry

Verified accounts receive 30 free credits per calendar month. They renew on the first (UTC), do not roll over, and are used before purchased credits. Subscription credits expire 60 days after issue; one-time packs do not expire. Purchased credits are used in expiry order. Cancelling stops future renewals while issued credits keep their original expiry.

## Refunds and billing

Credits appear after payment is confirmed. Refunded purchases remove the corresponding credits; already-spent refunded credits reduce the next available balance. There are no automatic overages or top-ups.

[See pricing ](https://clearcut.sh/pricing)

Need help?

Prefer email? [support@clearcut.sh](mailto:support@clearcut.sh)

API Credits & Pricing | Clearcut

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://clearcut.sh/#organization","name":"Clearcut","url":"https://clearcut.sh","logo":"https://clearcut.sh/apple-touch-icon.png","email":"support@clearcut.sh","description":"An independent image background removal service operated by chern0.dev.","contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","email":"support@clearcut.sh","contactType":"customer support"}},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://clearcut.sh/#website","url":"https://clearcut.sh","name":"Clearcut","description":"Remove image backgrounds with Clearcut. Get 30 free credits every month for the website and API. Full-resolution downloads, no watermark. Packs from $3.","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@id":"https://clearcut.sh/#organization"}}]}
```