Billing System

Overview

ActumX uses a credit-based prepaid billing system. You add credits to your account, then credits are automatically deducted as you use paid API endpoints.

Key Concepts

Credits: Prepaid balance stored in cents (USD)
Payment Intents: Top-up transactions that add credits
Credit Ledger: Double-entry accounting log of all credits/debits
Usage Events: Records of API usage and costs
x402 Transactions: Payment records for paid requests

All monetary values in ActumX are stored in cents (USD) to avoid floating-point precision issues.

Credit-Based Model

How It Works

Top Up: Add credits to your account via payment intent
Use API: Make requests to paid endpoints (e.g., x402 protected routes)
Auto Deduct: Credits are automatically deducted when you settle x402 payments
Track Usage: View your balance, top-ups, and usage in real-time

Balance Calculation

Your balance is computed from the credit ledger:

// Balance = Sum(credits) - Sum(debits)
const balanceCents = 
  totalTopUps - totalUsage;

Source Reference: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/services/credits.service.ts (inferred from usage in billing/service.ts:88)

Payment Intents

Payment intents represent top-up transactions.

Payment Intent Structure

interface PaymentIntent {
  id: string;                // Unique intent ID (prefixed with "pi_")
  userId: string;            // Your user ID
  amountCents: number;       // Top-up amount in cents
  status: string;            // "pending" | "settled" | "failed"
  providerReference: string | null; // External payment provider ref
  createdAt: string;         // ISO 8601 timestamp
  updatedAt: string;         // ISO 8601 timestamp
}

Database Schema

CREATE TABLE payment_intents (
  id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
  user_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  amount_cents INTEGER NOT NULL,
  status TEXT NOT NULL,
  provider_reference TEXT,
  created_at TEXT NOT NULL,
  updated_at TEXT NOT NULL
);

CREATE INDEX idx_payment_intents_user_id ON payment_intents(user_id);

Source Reference: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/db/schema.ts:18-28

Creating a Payment Intent

Top up your account:

curl -X POST https://api.actumx.com/api/v1/billing/top-up \
  -H "Cookie: your_session_cookie" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "amountCents": 1000
  }'

Request Constraints:

Minimum: 100 cents ($1.00 USD)
Maximum: 100,000 cents ($1,000.00 USD)

Response:

{
  "paymentIntentId": "pi_abc123",
  "addedCents": 1000,
  "balanceCents": 1500
}

Currently, ActumX uses a dummy payment provider for development. In production, this would integrate with Stripe, PayPal, or similar.

Payment Intent Flow

// Create payment intent (source: service.ts:68-76)
await db.insert(paymentIntents).values({
  id: newId("pi"),
  userId: auth.user.id,
  amountCents: payload.amountCents,
  status: "settled",  // Auto-settled in dev mode
  providerReference: `dummy_${newId("provider")}`,
  createdAt: timestamp,
  updatedAt: timestamp,
});

// Add credit to ledger (source: service.ts:78-86)
await db.insert(creditLedger).values({
  id: newId("ledger"),
  userId: auth.user.id,
  direction: "credit",
  amountCents: payload.amountCents,
  source: "top_up",
  referenceId: intentId,
  createdAt: timestamp,
});

Listing Payment Intents

View your top-up history:

curl https://api.actumx.com/api/v1/billing/payment-intents \
  -H "Cookie: your_session_cookie"

Response:

{
  "intents": [
    {
      "id": "pi_abc123",
      "userId": "user_xyz",
      "amountCents": 1000,
      "status": "settled",
      "providerReference": "dummy_provider_abc",
      "createdAt": "2026-03-03T20:00:00Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-03-03T20:00:01Z"
    }
  ]
}

Intents are sorted by creation date (newest first), limited to 50 results.

Credit Ledger

The credit ledger is a double-entry accounting log of all balance changes.

Ledger Entry Structure

interface LedgerEntry {
  id: string;           // Unique ledger entry ID (prefixed with "ledger_")
  userId: string;       // Your user ID
  direction: "credit" | "debit";  // Credit (add) or debit (subtract)
  amountCents: number;  // Amount changed in cents
  source: string;       // "top_up" | "api_request"
  referenceId: string | null;  // ID of related payment intent or x402 tx
  createdAt: string;    // ISO 8601 timestamp
}

Database Schema

CREATE TABLE credit_ledger (
  id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
  user_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  direction TEXT NOT NULL,
  amount_cents INTEGER NOT NULL,
  source TEXT NOT NULL,
  reference_id TEXT,
  created_at TEXT NOT NULL
);

CREATE INDEX idx_credit_ledger_user_id ON credit_ledger(user_id);

Source Reference: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/db/schema.ts:30-40

Ledger Entry Types

Credit Entry (Top-Up)

{
  "id": "ledger_abc123",
  "userId": "user_xyz",
  "direction": "credit",
  "amountCents": 1000,
  "source": "top_up",
  "referenceId": "pi_abc123",  // Payment intent ID
  "createdAt": "2026-03-03T20:00:00Z"
}

Debit Entry (API Usage)

{
  "id": "ledger_xyz789",
  "userId": "user_xyz",
  "direction": "debit",
  "amountCents": 10,
  "source": "api_request",
  "referenceId": "x402tx_abc",  // x402 transaction ID
  "createdAt": "2026-03-03T22:30:00Z"
}

Balance Calculation

Your current balance is computed by summing all ledger entries:

// Conceptual balance calculation
const credits = await db
  .select({ sum: sql`SUM(amount_cents)` })
  .from(creditLedger)
  .where(and(
    eq(creditLedger.userId, userId),
    eq(creditLedger.direction, "credit")
  ));

const debits = await db
  .select({ sum: sql`SUM(amount_cents)` })
  .from(creditLedger)
  .where(and(
    eq(creditLedger.userId, userId),
    eq(creditLedger.direction, "debit")
  ));

const balanceCents = (credits.sum || 0) - (debits.sum || 0);

The ledger provides an immutable audit trail of all financial transactions.

Usage Events

Usage events record each API request and its cost.

Usage Event Structure

interface UsageEvent {
  id: string;              // Unique usage ID (prefixed with "usage_")
  userId: string;          // Your user ID
  apiKeyId: string;        // API key used for request
  endpoint: string;        // API endpoint path
  method: string;          // HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.)
  units: number;           // Number of units consumed (e.g., 1 request)
  costCents: number;       // Cost in cents
  x402TransactionId: string; // Related x402 transaction
  createdAt: string;       // ISO 8601 timestamp
}

Database Schema

CREATE TABLE usage_events (
  id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
  user_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  api_key_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES api_keys(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  endpoint TEXT NOT NULL,
  method TEXT NOT NULL,
  units INTEGER NOT NULL,
  cost_cents INTEGER NOT NULL,
  x402_transaction_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES x402_transactions(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  created_at TEXT NOT NULL
);

CREATE INDEX idx_usage_events_user_id ON usage_events(user_id);

Source Reference: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/db/schema.ts:60-72

Usage Tracking

Usage events are created when x402 payments are consumed:

// Track usage after payment consumption (source: x402/service.ts:412-422)
await db.insert(usageEvents).values({
  id: newId("usage"),
  userId: apiKey.userId,
  apiKeyId: apiKey.id,
  endpoint: X402_PAID_ENDPOINT,
  method: "GET",
  units: 1,
  costCents: transaction.amountCents,
  x402TransactionId: transaction.id,
  createdAt: timestamp,
});

This enables:

Detailed usage analytics
Cost attribution per API key
Usage trends over time
Billing dispute resolution

Billing Summary

Get an overview of your billing status:

curl https://api.actumx.com/api/v1/billing/summary \
  -H "Cookie: your_session_cookie"

Response:

{
  "balanceCents": 1490,
  "topUpTotalCents": 1500,
  "usageTotalCents": 10,
  "activeApiKeys": 2,
  "x402Transactions": 1
}

Summary Calculations

// Top-up total (source: service.ts:18-21)
const [topUpTotal] = await db
  .select({ totalCents: sql`COALESCE(SUM(${paymentIntents.amountCents}), 0)` })
  .from(paymentIntents)
  .where(and(
    eq(paymentIntents.userId, auth.user.id),
    eq(paymentIntents.status, "settled")
  ));

// Usage total (source: service.ts:23-26)
const [usageTotal] = await db
  .select({ totalCents: sql`COALESCE(SUM(${usageEvents.costCents}), 0)` })
  .from(usageEvents)
  .where(eq(usageEvents.userId, auth.user.id));

// Active API keys (source: service.ts:28-31)
const [activeKeyCount] = await db
  .select({ count: sql`COUNT(*)` })
  .from(apiKeys)
  .where(and(
    eq(apiKeys.userId, auth.user.id),
    isNull(apiKeys.revokedAt)
  ));

// x402 transaction count (source: service.ts:33-36)
const [transactionCount] = await db
  .select({ count: sql`COUNT(*)` })
  .from(x402Transactions)
  .where(eq(x402Transactions.userId, auth.user.id));

Pricing

Current Costs

x402 Quote Request: 10 cents ($0.10 USD)

Pricing is configured in /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/config/constants.ts via X402_PAID_REQUEST_COST_CENTS.

Future Pricing Model

ActumX may introduce tiered pricing:

Tier	Monthly Requests	Cost per Request
Free	100	$0.00
Starter	1,000	$0.08
Pro	10,000	$0.05
Enterprise	Unlimited	Custom

Payment Flow Diagram

┌─────────────┐
│  Top Up     │
│  (User)     │
└──────┬──────┘
       │
       ▼
┌──────────────────┐      ┌──────────────────┐
│ Payment Intent   │─────▶│  Credit Ledger   │
│ (settled)        │      │  (credit entry)  │
└──────────────────┘      └──────────────────┘
                                   │
                                   │
                          ┌────────▼─────────┐
                          │  Balance Update  │
                          └────────┬─────────┘
                                   │
       ┌───────────────────────────┘
       │
       ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│  API Request     │
│  (x402 flow)     │
└──────┬───────────┘
       │
       ▼
┌──────────────────┐      ┌──────────────────┐
│ x402 Settle      │─────▶│  Credit Ledger   │
│                  │      │  (debit entry)   │
└──────┬───────────┘      └──────────────────┘
       │                           │
       │                           │
       ▼                  ┌────────▼─────────┐
┌──────────────────┐     │  Balance Update  │
│ Usage Event      │     └──────────────────┘
│ (recorded)       │
└──────────────────┘

Implementation Details

Service Layer

The billing service handles all financial operations: Key Functions:

summary(request): Get billing overview
topUp(request, payload): Add credits to account
paymentIntents(request): List top-up history

Source Reference: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/modules/billing/service.ts

Validation

Top-up amounts are validated:

// Model validation (source: model.ts:4-6)
const topUpBody = t.Object({
  amountCents: t.Number({ minimum: 100 }),
});

// Additional server-side check (source: service.ts:58-62)
if (payload.amountCents < 100 || payload.amountCents > 100000) {
  return {
    statusCode: 400,
    body: { error: "amount_must_be_between_100_and_100000_cents" },
  };
}

Credits Service

The CreditsService computes balances:

// Compute current balance
const balanceCents = await CreditsService.computeBalanceCents(userId);

Source Reference: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/src/services/credits.service.ts (inferred)

Best Practices

1. Monitor Your Balance

Regularly check your balance to avoid service interruptions:

curl https://api.actumx.com/api/v1/billing/summary

2. Set Balance Alerts

Implement client-side alerts when balance drops below a threshold:

const { balanceCents } = await actumx.get('/billing/summary');

if (balanceCents < 500) {  // Less than $5
  console.warn('Low balance! Top up soon.');
  sendEmailAlert();
}

3. Track Usage by API Key

Use different API keys for different services to track costs:

# Create separate keys
curl -X POST /api/v1/api-keys -d '{"name": "Production Bot"}'
curl -X POST /api/v1/api-keys -d '{"name": "Staging Tests"}'

Usage events will show which key incurred costs.

4. Automate Top-Ups

Set up automatic top-ups when balance is low:

if (balanceCents < 500) {
  await actumx.post('/billing/top-up', {
    amountCents: 1000  // Add $10
  });
}

5. Review Usage Events

Periodically audit usage events for unexpected costs:

-- Query usage events (conceptual)
SELECT 
  endpoint,
  COUNT(*) as request_count,
  SUM(cost_cents) as total_cost
FROM usage_events
WHERE user_id = 'your_user_id'
GROUP BY endpoint;

Error Handling

Common billing errors:

Error	HTTP Status	Cause	Solution
`unauthorized`	401	Missing auth	Provide session cookie
`insufficient_balance`	402	Not enough credits	Top up account
`amount_must_be_between_100_and_100000_cents`	400	Invalid top-up	Use $1-$ 1000 range
`payment_not_settled`	402	Payment pending	Wait for settlement

Example Error Response

{
  "error": "insufficient_balance",
  "requiredCents": 10,
  "balanceCents": 5,
  "message": "Top up balance in dashboard before settling this x402 payment."
}

Security Considerations

Transaction Atomicity: All ledger entries are created in database transactions
Idempotency: Payment intents use unique IDs to prevent double-charging
User Isolation: All queries filter by userId to prevent cross-user access
Audit Trail: The ledger provides immutable financial history
Balance Validation: Settlement checks balance before debiting

Next Steps

Billing & Credits Guide

Step-by-step guide to managing your credits

Dashboard - Billing

View billing details in the web dashboard

API Reference

View detailed billing API endpoints

x402 Protocol

Learn how x402 payments deduct credits

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Dashboard

​Overview

​Key Concepts

​Credit-Based Model

​How It Works

​Balance Calculation

​Payment Intents

​Payment Intent Structure

​Database Schema

​Creating a Payment Intent

​Payment Intent Flow

​Listing Payment Intents

​Credit Ledger

​Ledger Entry Structure

​Database Schema

​Ledger Entry Types

​Credit Entry (Top-Up)

​Debit Entry (API Usage)

​Balance Calculation

​Usage Events

​Usage Event Structure

​Database Schema

​Usage Tracking

​Billing Summary

​Summary Calculations

​Pricing

​Current Costs

​Future Pricing Model

​Payment Flow Diagram

​Implementation Details

​Service Layer

​Validation

​Credits Service

​Best Practices

​1. Monitor Your Balance

​2. Set Balance Alerts

​3. Track Usage by API Key

​4. Automate Top-Ups

​5. Review Usage Events

​Error Handling

​Example Error Response

​Security Considerations

​Next Steps

Billing & Credits Guide

Dashboard - Billing

API Reference

x402 Protocol

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Key Concepts

Credit-Based Model

How It Works

Balance Calculation

Payment Intents

Payment Intent Structure

Database Schema

Creating a Payment Intent

Payment Intent Flow

Listing Payment Intents

Credit Ledger

Ledger Entry Structure

Database Schema

Ledger Entry Types

Credit Entry (Top-Up)

Debit Entry (API Usage)

Balance Calculation

Usage Events

Usage Event Structure

Database Schema

Usage Tracking

Billing Summary

Summary Calculations

Pricing

Current Costs

Future Pricing Model

Payment Flow Diagram

Implementation Details

Service Layer

Validation

Credits Service

Best Practices

1. Monitor Your Balance

2. Set Balance Alerts

3. Track Usage by API Key

4. Automate Top-Ups

5. Review Usage Events

Error Handling

Example Error Response

Security Considerations

Next Steps