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Phala Cloud Billing

Last updated: October 6, 2026

How charges work, how to pay, and what happens when your Balance runs out.

For prices, see the Pricing page.

How Billing Works

Phala Cloud has two billing models, one for each product type:

CPU Instances

Prices are shown per hour. We charge by the minute, and charges are taken from your account automatically.

Compute and storage are billed separately:

  • Compute is charged only while the machine runs.
  • Storage is charged while the machine runs and also while it is stopped.

GPU Rental

You pay up front when you place a rental order. One hourly rate covers the GPU, CPU, memory, and disk. There are no separate storage charges.

Stopping a Machine

CPU Instances

When you stop a CPU machine:

  • Compute charges stop the moment you send the stop request. The machine then takes a little while to shut down, because it must wipe its memory. That time is not billed.
  • Storage charges continue, because your disk data is kept.
  • To stop all charges, delete the machine.

Stop a machine to save money when you do not need it. Your disk and settings stay.

GPU Rental

A GPU rental cannot be paused to save money. The GPU stays set aside for you even while the machine is stopped.

  • On-Demand: stopping the machine ends the rental and deletes the machine. The disk is deleted too, so your data is not kept.
  • Commitment: you can stop and start the machine, but the term is already paid.
  • If the machine gets stuck in an error state, charges continue until you delete it.
  • Prepaid amounts are not refunded if the rental ends early.

Can Gifted credits pay for Private AI?

No. Gifted credits pay for CPU instances and GPU rentals only. Private AI is paid from your Balance.

Your workspace can hold two kinds of money. Gifted credits are credits we give you. Balance is the money you top up, plus any welcome credit that goes to Balance. Having plenty of one does not mean every product can spend it.

CPU instances and GPU rentals use Gifted credits first, then your Balance. Private AI uses only your Balance.

Can I get a refund for a top-up?

Yes, within 24 hours of paying it, for the part you have not used yet. Email us from your registered email to ask for it.

Do top-ups and credits expire?

Yes. Each top-up expires one year after the day you paid it. Welcome credits, Gifted credits, and credits from promotion codes expire one year after we give them to you.

Why did the API reject a call?

Private AI runs on money that we move from your Balance into your Private AI account. We check every 5 minutes and move more when it runs low. A call is rejected when that account is empty and cannot be refilled, usually because your Balance is too low. Gifted credits cannot refill it. Your API keys stay on.

Top up your Balance, and the API answers again within about 5 minutes. The Billing page tells you when your Balance is too low to keep Private AI running.

Is there a welcome credit?

Some workspaces are offered a welcome credit when they add a card. Your workspace shows the amount, where it goes, and what it can pay for before you claim it. A workspace and a card can each claim it once, and we check every claim for abuse.

How do I try Private AI?

Top up your Balance, then create an API key. There is no minimum top-up. Models and prices are in the Private AI docs. A welcome credit pays for Private AI only if your workspace says it goes to Balance.

When Your Account Goes Overdue

What happens depends on how you pay.

Prepaid (you top up first):

  • We email you when your Balance gets low.
  • When your Balance reaches $0, we stop your machines.
  • Auto-topup on the Billing page can charge your card when your Balance drops below an amount you choose. It checks every hour.

Post-paid (you add a card and pay for usage after it happens):

  • Gifted credits and your Balance pay first. Usage beyond them is an amount you owe.
  • When what you owe reaches a cap, we charge your card. We adjust this cap for each account by hand, based on actual usage.
  • We send you an invoice each month. If it is still unpaid after 30 days, we stop your machines.

After your machines are stopped, in both modes:

  • We keep the data of stopped machines for 30 days. After that, we may delete it.
  • Top up or pay what you owe within those 30 days to get everything back.

What happens if an account breaks the Terms of Service?

If an account breaks section 7.4 (acceptable use) of our Terms of Service, we disable the account right away.

Payment Options

We offer several ways to pay:

  • Card: Pay through Stripe
  • Cryptocurrency: Pay with crypto, also through Stripe
  • Wire Transfer: Available for business accounts with annual contracts

Why is there a $1 charge when I add a card?

It is a card check. We charge $1 to check the card and refund it right after. Your bank may take a few business days to show the refund. The check shows that the card works, and it helps us stop fraud.

Enterprise Options

For larger teams, we offer:

  • Annual billing
  • Volume discounts
  • Custom payment terms
  • Detailed reports

Email us at [email protected] for enterprise options or if you have questions about unexpected charges.