How token allocation works
Tokens are allocated at the company level, not per individual user. Every team member in your workspace draws from the same shared pool. Your monthly allocation refreshes automatically at the start of each billing cycle based on your plan:| Plan | Tokens per month |
|---|---|
| Trial | 1,200 (one-time, 14-day validity) |
| Essential | 1,200 |
| Start | 10,000 |
| Elite | 30,000 |
Monthly allocations may have an expiry date. Unused tokens from a monthly allocation do not roll over to the next month. Token top-ups you purchase separately do not expire.
Token costs by feature
Vocal (audio) recording
Recording a vocal question in a survey costs 8 tokens per minute of audio captured. A 2-minute response uses 16 tokens. Tokens are consumed when the recording is saved, not when the question is displayed.Interview transcription
Transcribing an interview or focus group recording costs 8 tokens per minute of audio. A 60-minute interview uses 480 tokens.AI follow-up questions (smart questions)
Smart questions use AI to generate a contextual follow-up based on a respondent’s previous answer. Each AI generation consumes tokens. The exact amount varies depending on the length and complexity of the generated question.Response classification (Pulse Classifier)
Classifying open-ended survey responses consumes tokens per response per classification pass. The total cost depends on:- The number of responses being classified
- The number of classification passes (topic levels) configured
Viewing your current balance
Your current token balance is shown in the Token Balance indicator in the dashboard header. The number updates in real time as operations complete. To see a breakdown of allocated, used, and reserved tokens, open Settings and navigate to the Billing or Tokens section.Purchasing token top-ups
If your balance is running low, you can buy additional tokens without changing your plan.Open the top-up dialog
In the dashboard header, click Add Tokens (or the token balance indicator). The token recharge dialog opens showing your current balance and usage cost reference.
Enter a token amount
Type the number of tokens you want to purchase, or select one of the quick options: 100, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 tokens. The price in your local currency is shown immediately.Tokens are priced at 20 tokens per 1 CHF. Minimum purchase is 20 tokens.
Top-up tokens are added to your existing balance and are not subject to the monthly expiry that applies to plan allocations.
What happens when you run out of tokens
When your balance reaches zero, AI-powered features stop working until tokens are replenished:- Vocal question recordings cannot be saved
- Interview transcription jobs are blocked before they start
- Smart question generation is disabled
- Pulse Classifier classification jobs cannot be started
Tips to optimise token usage
- Estimate before you run — for large classification jobs, check the response count and number of passes before starting.
- Use shorter recordings where possible — vocal questions and transcriptions charge by the minute, so concise responses reduce costs.
- Monitor your balance regularly — check the Token Balance indicator after large jobs to stay aware of your remaining budget.
- Top up proactively — purchasing tokens before your balance hits zero avoids interruption to live surveys or in-progress classification jobs.
- Upgrade your plan — if you consistently need top-ups, upgrading to a higher plan is more cost-effective. See Choose the right Smartinterview plan.