Credits
The Tools.FAST network uses a unified credit system. One credit wallet powers every tool -- Convert.FAST, Compress.FAST, and all future tools. Credits are deducted when you submit a job and automatically refunded if the job fails.
How credits work
- Deducted at submission. When you POST a file, credits are deducted immediately based on the job type and file characteristics.
- Refunded on failure. If a job fails during processing, credits are returned automatically.
- Shared wallet. Your credit balance is the same across all Tools.FAST tools. Converting a file on Convert.FAST and compressing a file on Compress.FAST both draw from the same pool.
Tiers
| Tier | Who | Credits | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest | No account | 100 credits/day | 50 MB max file, 50 files/batch, 3 parallel jobs |
| Free | Signed-up, no subscription | 100 credits/day + 500 signup bonus wallet credits | 50 MB max file, 50 files/batch, 3 parallel jobs |
| Pro | Paid subscription | 12,000 credits/month (1 seat) | 1 GB max file, 1,000 files/batch, 6 parallel jobs |
Guest tier
No account required. You get 100 daily credits that reset at midnight UTC. Suitable for trying out the service.
Free tier
Create a free account at accounts.tools.fast to get:
- 500 bonus wallet credits on signup (one-time, never expire)
- 100 daily credits that reset at midnight UTC
Wallet credits are consumed first, then daily credits. This means your first 500 operations are effectively free with no daily cap.
Pro tier
Subscribe at accounts.tools.fast for:
- 12,000 credits/month per seat (base)
- Additional seats at volume discounts ($5/seat for 2-10, scaling down to $1/seat for 51+)
- 1 GB max file size
- 1,000 files per batch
- 6 parallel jobs
- Unused credits roll over (capped at your monthly allocation)
Pay as you go credits
Need more credits without a subscription? Purchase credits as a one-time top-up:
- 500 credits per dollar (base rate)
- 20% bonus on purchases of $10 or more (6,000 credits for $10)
- 50% bonus on purchases of $20 or more (15,000 credits for $20)
- Minimum purchase: $5
- Maximum purchase: $250
- Pay as you go credits never expire
Purchase credits at accounts.tools.fast.
Credit costs
Credit costs vary by operation type and complexity:
Costing strategies
| Strategy | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Flat cost per job, regardless of file size | Image conversions: 1 credit |
| Per-page | Cost multiplied by page count | PDF to JPG: 1 credit per page |
| Per-megabyte | Cost based on input file size | Large file processing |
Most image and audio conversions cost 1 credit. Document conversions involving OCR or multi-page processing cost more. Check each tool's API docs for specific costs:
- Convert.FAST pricing -- Per-converter credit costs
- Compress.FAST pricing -- Per-compressor credit costs
Cost estimation
Convert.FAST provides a cost estimation endpoint so you can check the cost before submitting:
curl -sS "https://api.tools.fast/convert/estimate/pdf/jpg?fileSizeBytes=5242880&pageCount=12" \
-H "X-Fast-Api-Key: $API_KEY"
Invoke-RestMethod "https://api.tools.fast/convert/estimate/pdf/jpg?fileSizeBytes=5242880&pageCount=12" `
-Headers @{ "X-Fast-Api-Key" = $env:API_KEY }
{
"creditCost": 12,
"costingStrategy": "PerPage",
"breakdown": "1 credit x 12 pages"
}
Monthly credit refresh
Pro subscribers receive their full credit allocation on each billing cycle. Credits that were not used carry over, up to a cap equal to your monthly allocation (e.g., 12,000 monthly credits means a maximum rollover balance of 12,000).
Checking your balance
Query your current credit balance from any tool in the network:
curl -sS "https://api.tools.fast/convert/entitlements/me" \
-H "X-Fast-Api-Key: $API_KEY"
Invoke-RestMethod "https://api.tools.fast/convert/entitlements/me" `
-Headers @{ "X-Fast-Api-Key" = $env:API_KEY }
Pro account response
{
"planId": "pro",
"planName": "Pro",
"tier": "pro",
"totalCredits": 11847
}
Free account response
{
"planId": "free",
"planName": "Free",
"tier": "free",
"totalCredits": 342,
"dailyLimit": 100,
"dailyUsed": 15,
"resetDate": "2026-02-21"
}
Guest response (no API key)
{
"planId": "guest",
"planName": "Guest",
"tier": "guest",
"totalCredits": 100,
"dailyLimit": 100,
"dailyUsed": 0,
"resetDate": "2026-02-21"
}
Credit deduction errors
If you don't have enough credits, the API returns 402:
{
"error": "entitlements.insufficient_credits",
"detail": "Insufficient credits. Required: 5, Available: 2"
}
For free and guest tiers, exceeding the daily limit returns:
{
"error": "usage.daily_limit_exceeded",
"detail": "Daily usage limit exceeded. Used: 100/100"
}