> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.payai.network/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Facilitator Pricing

> PayAI Facilitator pricing — free tier, per-transaction pricing, and credits

## Free Tier

The free tier remains free — no strings attached.

<Card title="Free" icon="gift">
  **\$0/month**

  * Up to **1,000 free settlements**
  * No API key required
</Card>

<Note>
  Free settlements are counted per receiving wallet. Requests from shared hosts or
  IP addresses (e.g. shared cloud platforms) also draw from a shared pool, so those
  deployments may reach the limit sooner — create a merchant account and top up
  credits for uninterrupted service.
</Note>

Get started immediately with zero setup. Jump to the [quickstart](/x402/quickstart) to start building.

## Beyond the Free Tier

Beyond the free tier, pricing is simple and predictable:

<Card title="Per Transaction" icon="coins">
  **\$0.001 per transaction**
</Card>

<Note>
  **Minimum transaction amount**: Transactions must be at least \$0.001. This requirement will be removed after the credit system is turned on for merchants.
</Note>

This fee is designed to cover gas and RPC costs while enabling the network to scale reliably.

### Builder friendly

At this pricing, the facilitator remains extremely builder friendly. It costs the same — even slightly less — than what merchants would otherwise pay in raw network fees and RPC costs, while preserving all the benefits of x402 for their users.

### Pricing examples

| Transactions | Cost    |
| ------------ | ------- |
| 1            | \$0.001 |
| 1,000        | \$1     |
| 100,000      | \$100   |

## Credit System

To maintain access beyond the free tier, merchants log into a dashboard and top up credits.

* **1 credit = 1 settled transaction**
* **Credits never expire**

<Card title="Top Up Credits" icon="credit-card" href="https://merchant.payai.network">
  Log in to the merchant dashboard to manage your credits.
</Card>

## Comparison

|                          | Free                   | Beyond Free                                              |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Monthly cost**         | \$0                    | \$0.001 per transaction                                  |
| **Settlements included** | Up to 1,000 (lifetime) | Unlimited (credit-based)                                 |
| **API key required**     | No                     | Yes                                                      |
| **Credits**              | Not required           | 1 credit = 1 settlement                                  |
| **Credit expiry**        | —                      | Never                                                    |
| **Dashboard access**     | Not required           | [merchant.payai.network](https://merchant.payai.network) |

## How to get started

1. Follow the [quickstart](/x402/quickstart) to start building — the free tier requires no API key
2. When you're ready to scale beyond the free tier, create a merchant account at [merchant.payai.network](https://merchant.payai.network)
3. Top up credits from the dashboard
4. Get your API key ID and secret
5. Set the environment variables in your server:

```env theme={null}
PAYAI_API_KEY_ID=your-key-id
PAYAI_API_KEY_SECRET=your-key-secret
```

If you're using `@payai/facilitator` (used throughout the TypeScript server guides), your server will automatically authenticate with the facilitator — no code changes needed.

```typescript theme={null}
import { facilitator } from "@payai/facilitator";
import { HTTPFacilitatorClient } from "@x402/core/server";

// Automatically uses API keys from environment when available
const facilitatorClient = new HTTPFacilitatorClient(facilitator);
```

<Note>
  Pricing is subject to change as PayAI continues to grow and adoption increases. For now, the focus is on sustainability at scale and building long-term value. Visit [facilitator.payai.network](https://facilitator.payai.network) for the latest pricing information.
</Note>

## Need help?

<Card title="Join our Community" icon="discord" href="https://discord.gg/eWJRwMpebQ">
  Have questions or want to connect with other developers? Join our Discord server.
</Card>