Billing and Metering Policy

This policy explains how Elios measures usage and applies prices under the Terms of Service. It applies to self-service usage and to usage under an Order unless that Order specifies a different rule. The current rate card is available on our pricing page.

#1. Usage-based charges

Elios charges for the resources and services you use or keep provisioned, according to the applicable published rate or agreed Order. Creating a standard account does not, by itself, enroll you in a monthly subscription or a seat-based plan. A reserved resource, such as a retained disk or an assigned phone number, can carry a recurring usage charge even when you are not actively making requests.

A minimum spend, prepaid purchase, usage commitment or other negotiated obligation applies only if you accept terms that expressly identify it. We do not infer a minimum spend from a forecast or a price calculator.

#2. What the applicable rate card identifies

For each billable item, the rate card or Order identifies the unit, price and the event or resource state that starts and stops charging. Where relevant, it also identifies any minimum charge, rounding interval, region, destination, rate category and included usage.

Billable items can include Computer CPU, memory and storage, Phone numbers, voice calls, SMS and MMS messages, and recordings, each as the rate card describes it.

If a customer uses its own third-party model account or other independent supplier, that supplier’s bill is separate unless Elios expressly agrees to bill it. Phone does not include a voice or language model merely because it transports a call.

#3. Units, intervals and rounding

The rate card distinguishes decimal gigabytes (GB) from binary gibibytes (GiB). One GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes and one GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. The quoted price and measured quantity must use the same unit.

Where a rate is capacity per month, the charge reflects both the measured capacity and the billable portion of the applicable period, using the disclosed proration rule. Different services may have different metering intervals. Those differences must be visible in the applicable rate card.

#4. Discounts on part of a resource

Where the rate card discounts only part of a resource, such as eligible template storage on a disk, the discount applies only to that eligible portion. Other usage of the same resource is billed at its applicable rate. The pricing page identifies the eligible portions and the current discounts.

#5. Estimates and actual bills

A calculator estimates cost from your selected quantities, configurations, activity assumptions and interval. The invoice reflects metered billable usage and the rates applicable to that usage. A displayed estimate is not a spending cap, reservation, or fixed quote unless expressly identified as one in an accepted Order.

An estimate must state whether it includes taxes, carrier fees, third-party charges and promotional credits. We do not describe a comparison with another provider as exact unless the configurations, billable dimensions and assumptions being compared are stated and supported.

Usage displays may lag completed activity. A billing alert is informational and does not stop usage unless the console expressly identifies it as an enforceable limit and explains how it behaves. You remain responsible for authorized metered usage, subject to the billing correction and dispute provisions in the Terms.

#6. Credits and discounts

Promotional credits reduce eligible charges under the Credits and Promotions Terms and the applicable offer. They are not cash, a deposit or a guarantee of a particular quantity of service. Charges outside an offer’s coverage, taxes and separately identified third-party fees are treated as stated in that offer.

Discounts and credits combine only in the order disclosed in the offer or Order. Where no other order is disclosed, discounts apply to the rate first, and the discounted charges are then paid from promotional credits, then from any purchased prepaid balance under the Prepaid Credit Terms, and then by your payment method. A startup offer must state the discount, the eligible rate base, the discount period, the credit amount, credit expiry, exclusions and whether other promotions may be combined. If the offer does not state an important term, we will clarify it before acceptance rather than infer a less favorable rule after usage occurs.

The standard new-account promotion is the usage credit shown on our pricing page and at signup. It does not expire and is subject to the eligibility and anti-abuse rules in the Credits and Promotions Terms. It is separate from an individually approved startup award.

#7. Payment and continued usage

The payment arrangement you accept identifies when payment is taken, whether a prepaid balance is required, and whether authorized usage may continue after promotional credits are exhausted. Automatic balance replenishment requires an affirmative authorization that identifies the trigger and amount.

You can buy prepaid credits that usage draws down, or enable pay as you go, where usage is charged to your payment method as it accrues. A negotiated Order can instead provide for invoicing. Running out of promotional credits does not turn your account into a paying account: paid usage continues only after you add a payment method and enable paid usage, or buy credits. If your credits run out and no paid arrangement is active, paid Services may be limited or suspended until you add one.

Automatic top-up is optional. When your balance drops below the threshold you set, your saved payment method is charged the top-up amount you chose. You can change or turn off automatic top-up at any time.

Signing out or closing a client does not necessarily stop a provisioned resource. Use the documented controls to stop, delete or release chargeable resources. Account closure and outstanding fees are governed by the Terms.

#8. Price changes, corrections and refunds

The Terms govern notice of price changes. A rate change does not retroactively change the price of usage already incurred. A fixed-price commitment in an accepted Order remains governed by that Order.

We will investigate a reasonably detailed billing question and correct verified billing errors. Paid balances, service refunds, taxes, disputed charges and mandatory legal rights are governed by the Terms and any applicable Order. Expiry of a free promotional credit does not itself create a cash refund.

For a billing question, contact billing@elios.ai and include the account, invoice or resource identifier, the period and the issue. Do not include full card numbers, passwords or authentication secrets.