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

# Billing and reporting

Use this page to match a billing question to the record that answers it. Buy credit before running
paid work: start with a paid $25 purchase, then add more only when you choose. Lithi holds the
approved maximum, consumes accepted usage and releases the unused hold when the work is settled.
Buying credit does not approve a job or raise your spending limits.

## How do I get from access to a statement?

First [check your account and access](/docs/compute/access). Buy credit in the intended account and
confirm it is available, then review a current signed quote and approve the work within your limits.
After settlement, match accepted usage and the unused hold release to the monthly statement. The
paid purchase invoice records the earlier credit purchase; the statement is not a second bill.

Your work tool's included allowance, any purchased credits for that tool and its API billing are
separate from Compute credit. Compare the relevant path in [Cost fit](/docs/compute/cost-fit) before
deciding where to run the work.

## Start with the billing question

| Question | Guide |
| --- | --- |
| What is the quoted billing unit/rate? | [Pricing and units](/docs/compute/billing/pricing-and-units) |
| Which accepted work produced this statement? | [Usage and statements](/docs/compute/billing/usage-and-statements) |
| How do I buy credit and check the paid invoice? | [Invoices and payment](/docs/compute/billing/invoices-and-payment) |
| How do I assign costs internally? | [Cost allocation](/docs/compute/billing/cost-allocation) |
| How do I dispute a charge? | [Adjustments and disputes](/docs/compute/billing/adjustments-and-disputes) |
| Does my process require a PO? | [Purchase orders](/docs/compute/billing/purchase-orders) |
| How do I map records into accounting? | [Finance Sync](/docs/compute/billing/finance-sync) |

## Keep the commercial records separate

Use the record that answers the question you are reviewing:

| Question | Record to read |
| --- | --- |
| What might this cost? | Free estimate |
| What work and maximum charge? | Signed quote |
| When is capacity reserved? | Reservation, when requested |
| What funds the work? | Confirmed credit purchase and available account credit |
| What work counted? | Accepted usage charged against the original hold |
| What was recorded for a period? | Monthly credit and usage statement, with no further amount due |
| What did I purchase? | Paid credit-purchase invoice |
| What confirms payment? | Reconciled purchase payment and credit read-back |

These records connect to one another; they are not amounts to add together. An estimate is not a
signed quote, and a signed quote is not approval to run the work. Accepted usage is not an invoice,
and an invoice is not payment. A free estimate is non-binding and grants no access or execution
authority. A signed quote sets the reviewed scope and maximum charge. A credit hold funds that work;
a capacity reservation describes timing or compatible capacity. The paid purchase invoice records
the credit purchase. The monthly statement explains how credit was used and is not another bill. The [Compute paper's billing appendix](/papers/compute#app-billing) shows the same separation from metering through settlement.

New prepaid work has no automatic top-up, overage or debt. Historical invoices keep their original
terms; provider earnings and payouts remain separate from customer credit.

Execution approval belongs in the [Quotes guide](/docs/compute/quotes). A physical Mac attempt is
not a customer billing unit. Several attempts can support the same logical task, and retrying that
task does not create several accepted customer charges.

## Booking and priority can affect the quote

Scheduling mode and priority are quoted choices about timing and feasibility. A reserved future
window and urgent priority are different controls. Neither authorizes work beyond the approved
quote.

Review them in [Booking and priority](/docs/compute/booking) before approving the quote.

## Keep your impact report separate {#impact-reporting-is-separate-from-billing}

The monthly [Compute impact report](/docs/compute/impact-report) follows work, physical energy and
community evidence. It is separate from your purchase invoice and usage statement. Buying credit
does not itself create provider earnings or measured energy impact. Energy can include failed
attempts that used electricity even when they added no charge.

Don't pay from an impact report or file it as an invoice or billing statement.