How are video seconds billed after the plan quota?
AnswerVideo meters seconds. Free includes 0 seconds—no render. Starter includes 15s, Pro 60s, Team 240s, Scale 720s, Agency 3600s. Included seconds use Mini 480. Costlier render models debit $0.071 per second from the first second, same wallet as images and rank. Articles do not spend these seconds. Write-only: Can I only write articles and skip video?.
Seconds are spent on the render
Shots live in scripts, renders in video. Generate, cut, and caption spend seconds. Article to cut: How do I turn an article into a short video?.
Dubbing is a weekly character pool, not video seconds; see How is AI voiceover priced—per character or per minute?. The plan table: How is writing quota billed?.
Wallet and checkout
Plans and top-ups go through Stripe in USD; see How do I pay for a plan or wallet—is it Stripe?. Larger packs credit more, up to 30%.
This is not a local editor membership. Seconds are cloud renders. Contrast: How is Dianwu different from CapCut?.
Do this
- Open plans and read remaining seconds.
- Lock the draft and shots before you render, so you do not burn seconds.
- If seconds run out, top up or upgrade instead of re-rendering a new topic mid-way.
Render seconds (public plans)
| Plan | Included | Overage |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 0s | No render |
| Starter | 15s | $0.071 / s from wallet |
| Pro | 60s | $0.071 / s from wallet |
| Team | 240s | $0.071 / s from wallet |
| Scale | 720s | $0.071 / s from wallet |
| Agency | 3600s | $0.071 / s from wallet |
Short answers
- Does a failed render spend seconds?
- Count a successful file. Read the error and retry; do not assume the meter already moved.
- Do paid media placements spend seconds?
- No. Placement and ads are separate; see Are paid media and ads included in the plan?.