Understanding Credits

Magic Hour uses a credit-based system to measure how much you can create. Whether you're generating a single image or creating hours of video, credits determine your capacity on any plan. This guide explains what credits are, how they work, and how to manage them effectively.

Credits give you flexibility: use them as fast or slow as you want. On paid plans, your credits refresh monthly, and you decide which tools to spend them on.

Credits are the unit of consumption for all Magic Hour tools. Each image generated, video created, or upscale performed costs a certain number of credits. The cost varies by tool and the complexity of the output.

Think of credits like a monthly allowance: spend them however you want, on whichever tools match your workflow. Once you understand the credit cost for each tool, you can plan your content creation strategy.

Magic Hour offers 4 subscription tiers, each with a different monthly credit allowance:

Save 17% on Creator and Pro plans, or 50% on the Business plan when you pay annually.

Video tools typically consume more credits than image tools because they produce longer outputs. Here's the approximate output you can create per credit by tool:

Image tools consume fewer credits per output. Here's what your credits can produce:

On all paid plans (Creator, Pro, Business), your credit balance resets on the same day each month. This gives you a predictable monthly allowance to work with.

Credits do not roll over to the next month. Any unused credits expire when your billing cycle renews. Plan your content calendar strategically or upgrade if you consistently undershoot your monthly allowance.

If you're not ready to commit to a subscription, or you need extra credits beyond your plan, you can purchase a credit pack. A single pack of 2,000 credits costs approximately $8–10 (pricing varies by region) and never expires—use them anytime.

Credit packs are perfect for testing the platform or extending a specific project. Unlike subscriptions, they don't come with watermark removal or other paid-tier benefits unless you're already on a paid plan.

If you exhaust your credits mid-month, you have two options:

Free-tier users cannot create more content once their 400 credits are spent. You must upgrade to a paid plan or purchase a credit pack to continue.

Your remaining credits display in the top-right corner of the Magic Hour dashboard. Before starting a large project, verify you have enough credits to complete it.

Use video tools (Face Swap Video, Lip Sync) for hero content and save image tools for batch assets. Video typically consumes more credits per unit of content, so plan accordingly.

If you're on a smaller plan, batch multiple images in one session (e.g., 20 headshots) to maximize efficiency. The total output cost is the same whether you generate them together or separately.

Refine your prompts and settings on the free plan or with a small credit investment before committing to large batch jobs. Poor prompt writing wastes credits without meaningful output.

Your subscription renews on the same date each month (or year if annual). The charge appears on the payment method on file. You can manage billing or change your payment method in your account settings.

If you downgrade from a higher plan to a lower one, you immediately lose access to the higher tier's features and resolution. Any unused credits at the time of downgrade are forfeited. Your billing period doesn't change unless you modify it manually.

You can cancel anytime from your account settings. After cancellation, your paid plan features expire at the end of your current billing cycle. Your Basic plan access remains active indefinitely.

If you've used fewer than 500 credits on your plan, you're eligible for a refund within a reasonable timeframe. Contact support to request one.

You own all assets you generate on Magic Hour. You can use them for personal, commercial, or resale purposes without additional licensing fees.

Free and Basic plans include a watermark on all outputs. All paid plans (Creator, Pro, Business) remove the watermark, giving you clean, professional files.

Your generated assets and uploads are private to your account. Magic Hour encrypts them during processing and deletes uploads after generation is complete. Your content is never used to train models or sold to third parties.

Magic Hour offers usage-based pricing for API users, separate from plan-based pricing. API pricing tiers scale with monthly credit consumption, starting at $0.90 per 1,000 credits and dropping to $0.45 per 1,000 credits for high-volume users (50+ million credits monthly). Volume discounts are available—contact sales for custom enterprise pricing.

If you're building an app or embedding Magic Hour into your product, API access provides fine-grained control and scales with your user base. Your standard subscription is not eligible for API use; you must enroll in the usage-based API program separately.

Purchase a credit pack for immediate use, or wait for your subscription to renew. If you frequently run out, consider upgrading to a higher plan for more monthly allowance.

Your reset date aligns with your subscription renewal date, not the calendar month. Check your account settings for your renewal date.

No, subscriptions are non-prorated. If you downgrade, you retain access to your current plan until your next billing date; you won't receive a partial refund.

Yes, the Basic plan is free forever. You can continue to use the product and claim 100 free credit daily, as long as you maintain your account.

If you have questions about credits, billing, or plan selection, contact support through Intercom (in-app chat). Provide your account email, the tool you were using, and the issue you encountered. Our team typically responds within 24 hours.