Billing & Charges — Common Questions
Was I charged for a failed generation?
Section titled “Was I charged for a failed generation?”It depends on when the failure happened:
| Failure point | Charged? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before submission — validation error, missing media, API key invalid | No | The request never reached fal.ai |
| During queue / startup — model timed out, server error | Usually no | fal.ai typically does not charge for generations that produce no output |
| During generation — content policy flag, model crash | Usually no | Most models only bill on successful output |
| After generation — download failed, import failed | Yes | The generation completed on fal.ai’s side. The result may still be cached — retrying the download will not charge again |
When in doubt, check your fal.ai billing dashboard for the actual charge. modelBridge shows “Were you charged?” guidance on every error in the Error Reference.
Why does the cost in modelBridge differ from my fal.ai dashboard?
Section titled “Why does the cost in modelBridge differ from my fal.ai dashboard?”Three common reasons:
-
Estimate vs. actual. The cost badge before generation is an estimate based on the best available pricing data. The actual charge from fal.ai may differ — especially for models where pricing depends on output complexity or internal provider logic, not just input parameters. After generation, the Billing tab shows the confirmed actual cost when fal.ai reports billing units.
-
“From” badge. When the cost badge says “From $X.XX,” this is the minimum starting price. Audio, higher resolution, or longer duration can increase the actual charge above the displayed minimum. See what “From” means.
-
Currency conversion. If you display costs in a non-USD currency, the converted amount may differ from the USD amount on fal.ai’s dashboard due to exchange rate timing. modelBridge uses daily rates from the European Central Bank.
fal.ai’s billing is always the source of truth for the actual charge. The Billing tab’s Billed badge (green) reflects fal.ai’s confirmed billing units — this is the most reliable cost data available.
How do I set a spending limit on fal.ai?
Section titled “How do I set a spending limit on fal.ai?”fal.ai supports spending limits directly on their platform:
- Go to fal.ai/dashboard/billing
- Look for the spending limit or budget cap settings
- Set a monthly or total limit
When your balance or limit is reached, generations will fail with a “Balance empty” error. modelBridge will show a clear message with a direct link to add funds.
modelBridge does not enforce spending limits itself — this is controlled entirely by your fal.ai account.
Where do I see my total spending?
Section titled “Where do I see my total spending?”Inside modelBridge: Open the Billing tab. The running total at the top shows your cumulative AI spending across all generations. Filter by project to see per-client costs. See Billing Tab for the full walkthrough.
On fal.ai: Your fal.ai billing dashboard shows the authoritative transaction history and current balance.
Export: The Billing tab supports CSV export and HTML report generation for accounting and client invoicing. See Cost Tracking & Reports.
What happens to my fal.ai credits if I cancel modelBridge?
Section titled “What happens to my fal.ai credits if I cancel modelBridge?”Nothing. Your fal.ai account is completely independent from your modelBridge subscription. Cancelling modelBridge does not affect your fal.ai balance, API keys, or account in any way. You can continue using fal.ai through their website, API, or other tools.
See Subscription & Account for full details on what happens when you cancel.
Can I get a refund for a generation I am unhappy with?
Section titled “Can I get a refund for a generation I am unhappy with?”Refunds for AI generation costs go through fal.ai, not modelBridge. modelBridge does not handle or process the payment for generations — fal.ai charges your account directly.
If a generation failed due to a platform error (not your input), fal.ai typically does not charge. If you were charged for a genuinely broken result, contact fal.ai support.
For modelBridge subscription refunds, see the Refund Policy.
Why was I charged more than the estimate showed?
Section titled “Why was I charged more than the estimate showed?”The most common reasons:
- Audio was enabled. Many video models charge significantly more with audio generation. Check whether audio was toggled on.
- Resolution surcharge. Higher resolution tiers (1080p, 4K) cost more than the minimum. The “From” badge reflects the lowest tier only.
- Duration scaling. Longer durations multiply the per-second rate. A 10-second clip costs roughly twice as much as a 5-second clip.
- Provider pricing changed. fal.ai can update model pricing at any time. modelBridge refreshes pricing data automatically, but there may be a brief window between a price change on fal.ai and modelBridge reflecting it.
To minimize surprises: prefer models with the Estimated badge (most accurate pre-generation tier), check the cost breakdown before generating, and run a short test generation at lower resolution before committing to expensive settings.
Why can’t I see my fal.ai balance inside modelBridge?
Section titled “Why can’t I see my fal.ai balance inside modelBridge?”modelBridge does not display your fal.ai account balance. The fal.ai API does not expose balance information to third-party tools, and we consider this appropriate — your balance and transaction history should only be accessible where your credentials are already authenticated.
If your balance runs out mid-session, modelBridge will detect this when a generation fails and show a clear message with a direct link to top up your fal.ai credits. Once topped up, return to modelBridge and try again.
To check your balance: fal.ai/dashboard/billing