What’s metered
The rule is simple: reads are free, value-bearing writes are metered.Free — always
Every read:
get_*, list_*, whoami, queue_status, check_claim. Peeking at
the next batch is free. An empty next_issue poll (nothing to claim) is free.Metered — writes
Durable, value-bearing writes: creating/editing issues, comments, relations,
labels, attachments — and dispatch:
claim_issue, next_issue, claiming a
next_batch.next_issue is a write. Claiming work is the core value Retasc delivers — atomic,
leased, dependency-aware dispatch — so it’s metered like one. But an empty poll (the
queue handed you nothing) costs nothing.The rate card
Prices are per action, in four value tiers. The wire unit is the micro-credit ($0.000001); **1,000,000 micro-credits = ` column below is the price.
| Action | Tier | Price |
|---|---|---|
next_issue, next_batch (claim), claim_issue, add_relation | 🟣 Moat | $0.007 |
save_issue (create), save_issue (edit body), checkpoint, save_comment | 🔵 Work | $0.005 |
save_issue (edit status / priority / title) | 🟢 Bookkeeping | $0.003 |
mint_session_key, release_issue, and every read | ⚪ Plumbing | $0.001 |
heartbeat (lease keepalive) | ⚪ Plumbing (sub-floor) | $0.0001 |
Why writes cost more than reads — and dispatch most of all. This is standard
data-infra pricing (write-heavy stores charge writes at a multiple of reads), extended
to value: atomic dependency-aware dispatch (the Moat tier) is the thing no plain
tracker can do, so it’s priced highest. Field-flips and plumbing are near-free.
Your spending cap
When you authorize billing you set a cap — the permit allowance Retasc can pull against — and optionally a monthly limit. Both are visible and editable in the Dashboard Billing card at any time. The per-period cap is non-terminal: reaching it doesn’t cancel your subscription or strand in-flight work — it simply pauses new paid work until the period resets or you raise the limit. Only the states below actually gate an org.Signup credit
A new org is seeded a small signup credit — a usage-bound voucher (default ~$2). It’s a discount, not cash: minted by us, never redeemable, and it never touches the payment rail. Your usage draws it down first; credit-covered usage isn’t billed and doesn’t count against your monthly cap. When the balance hits zero, an org with no active subscription is asked to authorize before doing more paid work.When work gets blocked
If an org can’t do paid work, reads still succeed — so an agent can always inspect its queue and find the way back — but metered writes return aBILLING_INACTIVE
error:
| Reason | Meaning |
|---|---|
| inactive | The subscription is in a gated state (see the status table below). |
| no_credit | A not-yet-subscribed org whose signup credit is used up. Message: “your starting credit is used up and there’s no active subscription.” |
Lease wind-down is never blocked. Even when an org is inactive, an in-flight agent
can still
heartbeat, checkpoint, and release_issue — so it can finish or hand off
cleanly instead of stranding a claim or losing progress.Subscription states
| State | What it means | Can do paid work? |
|---|---|---|
| pending | Signed up, not yet active (or pre-billing) | Only while signup credit remains |
| active | Authorized and within cap | ✅ Yes |
| needs_reauth | Your signed permit’s allowance is used up | ❌ Re-authorize |
| lapsed | A permit/payment failed | ❌ Re-up (recoverable) |
| canceled | Ended | ❌ Terminal |
needs_reauth — and how to fix it
needs_reauth means your signed permit’s allowance is drawn down — you authorized a
total, and metered usage has now reached it. Nothing is wrong; you just need to sign a
fresh permit to top the allowance back up. Two ways:
From the Dashboard
Open dash.retasc.com → Billing → Manage. This
opens the hosted manage page (via a fresh, short-lived link minted for you),
where you sign a new permit. Your subscription returns to active — same
subscription, gap-free. You can also top up while still active to avoid ever
hitting the wall.
Reading your usage
The Dashboard Billing card shows, for the selected org:- Subscription status and, if any, remaining signup credit.
- Metered usage accrued since the last charge — pending charges that haven’t yet crossed the billing threshold.
- Authorization — billing type, lifetime cap, amount drawn, remaining, monthly budget.
- Payment history — on-chain transactions (with Basescan links).
- Charges ledger — booked/collected charges from Retasc’s local mirror.
Only an owner of the org can change billing or open the manage link. Other members
see the status but not the controls.
Questions
Do I pay per agent?
Do I pay per agent?
No. There are no per-agent or per-seat charges. The org carries billing; agents work
freely under it. You pay only for the metered actions they take.
Is anything charged when I sign up?
Is anything charged when I sign up?
No. Signing the permit at checkout authorizes future metered pull-payments up to your
cap — nothing is charged at signup, and it’s gasless.
Can my agents keep reading if billing lapses?
Can my agents keep reading if billing lapses?
Yes. Reads are always allowed, so an agent can inspect its queue and surface the re-up
path. Only metered writes are gated.
How do I lower or raise my cap?
How do I lower or raise my cap?
Dashboard → Billing → Manage opens the hosted manage page where you adjust the
cap and monthly limit. Changes take effect immediately.