Set AI Usage Limits Before You Use Pay-Per-Use (Protect Your Wallet)
Pay-per-use AI is charged as it is used. Set spending limits in AI Suite → Plans & Limits for every pay-per-use sub-account so AI usage cannot empty the wallet.
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Short answer: before any sub-account uses Ask AI, AI Studio or Managed Agents on pay-per-use, set a spending limit for it in AI Suite → Plans & Limits. Without a limit, usage is charged as it happens with no ceiling, and the wallet can be emptied.
This is not optional. If you do not want surprise AI bills on pay-per-use, you must set up limits. Otherwise your wallet can be emptied by AI usage you did not plan for.
Why limits matter
- Since September 1, 2026, Ask AI, AI Studio and Managed Agents are paid products.
- On pay-per-use, every question, studio session and agent run is charged as it happens.
- A single busy user, or an automated Managed Agent, can run up a large bill quickly.
- Charges come out of the wallet. When the wallet is empty, other paid services that rely on it can stop too.
How to set limits
- In the agency view, open AI Suite.
- Go to Plans & Limits.
- Find each sub-account on pay-per-use.
- Set a spending limit you are comfortable losing in a bad month, not your best-case estimate.
- Save, then check Usage Dashboard after a few days to see whether the limit fits real use.
- Repeat for every new sub-account you create on pay-per-use.
Set limits on extra usage for AI Assistant Seats too
AI Assistant Seats include an allowance, and extra usage is off by default. If you turn extra usage on so users can keep working past their allowance, it is billed to the agency wallet or to the sub-account its rebilling settings point to. Put a limit in place first. See AI Assistant Seats.
Good practice checklist
- Every pay-per-use sub-account has a limit. No exceptions.
- Heavy users are moved to an AI Employee plan (usage included) instead of an ever-higher limit. Compare the options in AI Suite plans and pricing.
- Staff who only need Ask AI and AI Studio across many clients get an AI Assistant Seat.
- Keep the wallet topped up, with auto-recharge only if you also have limits.
- Review the Usage Dashboard monthly.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need limits on pay-per-use?
Yes. Pay-per-use is charged as it happens with no built-in ceiling. Without a limit, AI usage can empty the wallet.
Where do I set AI spending limits?
In the agency view: AI Suite → Plans & Limits.
What happens when a sub-account hits its limit?
The limit stops further paid AI usage for that sub-account until the limit resets or you raise it, so the wallet is protected.
Do AI Employee plans need limits?
Usage on an AI Employee plan is included up to the plan allowance. Limits matter most for pay-per-use and for any extra usage you turn on.
Can extra usage on an AI Assistant Seat drain the wallet?
Only if you turn extra usage on; it is off by default. When it is on, it bills the agency wallet or the sub-account, so set a limit first.
How do I know which limit to choose?
Start from last month's figures in AI Suite → Usage Dashboard, set a limit slightly above normal use, and review it after a week.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need limits on pay-per-use?
Where do I set AI spending limits?
What happens when a sub-account hits its limit?
Do AI Employee plans need limits?
Can extra usage on an AI Assistant Seat drain the wallet?
How do I know which limit to choose?
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