Understanding Usage & Billing
Simple, Transparent Pricing
ForecastAPI uses usage-based pricing. You only pay for what you use, with automatic volume discounts and a generous free tier to get started.
How Billing Works
ForecastAPI charges based on your actual API usage each month. Our transparent pricing model ensures you know exactly what you're paying for, with no hidden fees or complex calculations.
Billing Cycles
Your billing cycle starts on the day you create your team and runs for one month. For example:
- Team created on January 15th → Billing cycle: 15th of each month
- Team created on March 1st → Billing cycle: 1st of each month
- Team created on May 30th → Billing cycle: Last day of each month (adjusted for shorter months)
At the end of each billing cycle, your usage resets and a new cycle begins. Your invoice is generated based on the total API calls and datapoints processed during that period.
Understanding API Call Pricing
Tiered Pricing Structure
ForecastAPI uses a tiered pricing model where the cost per API call decreases as your usage increases. This means you automatically get volume discounts without needing to negotiate or change plans.
| Tier | Monthly Usage Range | Price per Call |
|---|---|---|
|
Free
|
0 - 1,000 | Free |
|
Starter
|
1,001 - 50,000 | $0.0030 |
|
Growth
|
50,001 - 1,000,000 | $0.0020 |
|
Scale
|
1,000,001 - ∞ | $0.0010 |
Free Tier Included
Every billing cycle includes 1,000 free API calls. Perfect for testing, development, and small projects. No credit card required to get started.
Minimum Billable Amount
When you exceed the free tier, a minimum charge of $1.50 applies.
This means that if your calculated usage is below this amount, you'll be charged the minimum instead. For example, if your usage calculates to $0.75, you'll be billed $1.50.
How Pricing Tiers Work
Example Calculation
Let's say you make 55,000 API calls in a month:
Datapoint Pricing
In addition to API calls, ForecastAPI also considers the volume of data processed. Datapoints are the individual time series datapoints you send for analysis.
Frequency Modifiers
Different data frequencies have different processing costs, reflected in frequency modifiers:
Note: Higher frequency data (daily) requires more processing power than lower frequency data (yearly), which is reflected in the modifiers.
Batch Discounts
Save 50% with Batch Processing
When you use our batch API endpoints to process multiple entities at once, you receive a 50% discount on your API costs.
Usage Dashboard
Access your team's usage dashboard to monitor your API consumption and manage spending limits. The dashboard is available to team administrators under your team's section in the sidebar.
What You'll See
Current Billing Cycle
View your current billing period dates and see how many days remain until the cycle resets.
API Call Usage
Track your total API calls, broken down into free tier usage and billable usage. See which pricing tier you're currently in.
Datapoints Processed
Monitor the total number of datapoints processed during the current billing cycle and their associated cost.
Estimated Cost
See your current estimated monthly bill, updated in real-time as you use the API.
Endpoint Breakdown
View detailed statistics showing which API endpoints you're using most frequently.
Pricing Tier Information
Understand your current tier, the rate you're paying, and see all available tiers at a glance.
Spending Limits
Take control of your costs by setting monthly spending limits. When your usage reaches the limit, API requests will be automatically blocked until the next billing cycle or you increase the limit.
Three Spending Options
No Limit (Unlimited)
This is the default setting. Your API usage is unlimited and you'll be billed for actual usage each month. Best for production applications where uptime is critical.
Free Tier Only ($0)
Restrict your usage to only the free tier (1,000 calls/month). Any billable usage will be blocked. Perfect for development, testing, or if you want to ensure zero costs.
0 in the spending limit field and save
Custom Limit ($1.5+)
Set a specific monthly spending cap. When you reach this limit, API requests will be blocked until the next cycle. You'll receive warnings at 80% usage. Minimum limit is $1.50.
50.5, 149.0)
Spending Limit Warnings
When you set a spending limit (other than $0 or unlimited), you'll receive visual warnings in the dashboard:
- Warning at 80%: An amber alert appears showing your current usage percentage and remaining budget
- Exceeded at 100%: A red alert appears and new billable API requests are blocked
- Progress Bar: Visual progress indicator changes color based on usage (green → amber → red)
Billing & Invoices
Monthly Invoicing
At the end of each billing cycle, you'll receive an invoice via email with:
- Total API calls (free + billable)
- Total datapoints processed
- Pricing tier breakdown
- Total amount due
- Payment method charged
Invoices are automatically generated and payment is processed using your saved payment method.
Best Practices
Monitor Usage Regularly
Check your usage dashboard weekly to understand your consumption patterns and avoid surprises.
Use Batch Processing
When processing multiple entities, always use batch endpoints to save 50% on costs.
Set Spending Limits for Development
Use the $0 limit for development/testing environments to ensure they never incur costs.
Optimize Your Requests
Cache forecast results when appropriate and avoid unnecessary API calls to keep costs down.
Start with the Free Tier
Test ForecastAPI thoroughly with the 1,000 free calls before scaling up. No credit card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I exceed my spending limit?
When you reach your spending limit, new billable API requests will return a 429 (Too Many Requests) error until the next billing cycle begins or you increase your limit. Free tier usage (within 1,000 calls) continues to work even if you've set a $0 spending limit.
Can I change my spending limit mid-cycle?
Yes! You can update your spending limit at any time. Changes take effect immediately. If you increase your limit, blocked API requests will resume. If you decrease your limit below current usage, new requests will be blocked.
How accurate is the estimated cost in the dashboard?
The estimated cost is calculated in real-time based on your current usage and is very accurate. However, the final invoice may differ slightly if you have usage at the very end of the billing cycle that hasn't been fully processed yet.
Do I need a credit card to use the free tier?
No! You can use the 1,000 free API calls every month without providing payment information. A credit card is only required when you want to exceed the free tier.
What's the difference between API calls and datapoints?
An API call is one request to our service. Datapoints are the individual time series values you send in that request. For example, one API call might contain 100 datapoints (100 months of sales data). Both are factored into pricing, with API calls being the primary cost driver.
Related Resources
Pricing Calculator
Estimate your monthly costs based on expected usage with our interactive pricing calculator.
Batch Processing
Learn how to use batch endpoints to save 50% on API costs.
API Reference
Complete API documentation with examples for all endpoints and usage patterns.
Understanding Entities
Learn how entities help you organize and track your forecasting data.
Need Help?
Have questions about billing or pricing? Contact our billing team or check out our support resources.