> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mobilerun.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Limits and costs > How credits are spent, how to estimate a job before running it, and what stops a run from getting out of hand. ## How credits are spent Credits are the currency behind everything the assistant does. 1 credit equals \$0.01. A plain conversation with the assistant, with no device work, doesn't burn meaningful credits. Credits start moving once the assistant acts, on average around **0.5 credits per step**. A step is one unit of work the assistant takes toward your goal, not one tap on the screen. A single step can bundle several taps, screenshots, or waits together, so tightly described tasks cost less than vague, exploratory ones. Your device subscription includes a monthly credit allowance that refreshes each billing cycle. Top-up credits stay until you spend them. See [Credits](/credits) for the exact allowance per device type. ## Getting a cost estimate You can ask the assistant how much a task will cost before you run it. It gives you a rough estimate based on how many steps the task is likely to take, not a hard quote. The only exact number is what a run actually spends, which you can see on the task afterward or in your account balance. > Roughly how many credits would it cost to scrape this page every day? You can also ask the assistant to explain how credits are counted, or to show you a breakdown of your recent usage, straight in the chat. ## What makes a job expensive * **More steps.** A task that decides what to do screen by screen, using vision to figure out where to tap, takes more steps than one with a clear, repeatable path. * **Loosely described goals.** "Check my accounts" takes more exploration than "open Instagram and check my DMs." * **Extra devices.** One Cloud Phone can usually run several accounts. Add a device only when you genuinely need separate isolation, such as a dedicated proxy per account. * **Repeated retries.** If the same approach keeps failing, the assistant treats that as a signal to change tactics or stop, rather than a reason to try the exact same thing again. ## Budgets that stop runaway jobs Every task has a cap on how many steps it can take and how long it can run, so a stuck task can't burn credits indefinitely. While it works, the assistant also checks whether it's actually making progress toward your goal. If a run stops advancing, it stops itself, reports what it achieved, and tells you what's left, instead of looping. A Pay as you go device also stops billing on its own: it shuts down automatically if your credit balance runs out. ## What it refuses or hands to the dashboard The assistant never buys, subscribes, upgrades, or adds credits on your behalf. Anything involving money shows up as a card in the chat, and you complete it in the dashboard yourself. It does not quote plan prices from memory; it shows you the current pricing card. For your balance, check the Billing section of the dashboard. ## Plans, upgrades, and top-ups Ask the assistant what plans are available or how to add credits, and it shows you the relevant card. See [Credits](/credits) for how device subscriptions, credit allowances, and top-ups work. ## Related The full credit system, device allowances, and top-up pricing. What the assistant is and what it can do. How approvals and questions pause a run mid-task. Your first conversation and first result.