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Pay-as-you-go Credits

Not everyone wants a monthly subscription. If you only cut a few projects a year — a kitchen, a wardrobe, a batch of shelves — paying every month for optimizations you rarely use makes no sense. Credit packs let you pay once for a set number of optimizations and use them whenever you need, with no recurring bill.

This is a CutOptim-only option. Competitors sell monthly subscriptions or expensive perpetual desktop licenses — none offer a one-time top-up.


How credits work

CutOptim gives every free account 3 optimizations per month. When you reach that limit, instead of forcing you onto a subscription, you can simply buy a credit pack:

  1. Your 3 free monthly optimizations are always used first.
  2. Once they are gone, each additional optimization that month draws one credit.
  3. At the start of the next month, your free quota resets to 3 again — credits are only touched after the free quota runs out.

The monthly free quota does not accumulate. Unused free runs are lost at month end. Credits are different — they stay valid for 12 months and stack across purchases.


Buying a credit pack

There are two packs:

PackOptimizationsPricePer optimization
Starter10€6.90€0.69
Value25€14.90€0.60

Both are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. You can buy a pack from three places:

  • The Pricing page, in the Pay as you go section.
  • The in-app prompt that appears when you reach your monthly limit.
  • The Buy more link on your dashboard once you hold credits.

Checkout is a single secure payment through Lemon Squeezy (our Merchant of Record, EU VAT handled). There is nothing to cancel afterwards.


Using your credits

Credits are spent automatically — there is no button to press. After your monthly free quota is used up, the next optimization simply consumes a credit. CutOptim always draws from the pack that expires soonest, so nothing goes to waste.

While you hold active credits, your cutting-plan PDF exports clean (without the free-tier upgrade footer).


Validity and expiry

Each pack lasts 12 months. Your dashboard shows:

  • your current balance (total unused credits across all active packs), and
  • the earliest expiry date — the day your soonest-expiring pack runs out.

Buy a top-up at any time; new credits stack on top of what you already have.


Credits or subscription — which should I choose?

  • Choose credits if you optimize occasionally — a few projects spread across the year. Pay once, no commitment.
  • Choose Pro (unlimited, €9/month) if you optimize regularly every month. After roughly three or four monthly projects, a subscription is the cheaper option.

There is no wrong answer — start with credits, and switch to Pro whenever your usage grows.

FAQ

How is a credit pack different from a subscription?
A credit pack is a single one-time payment — you are never billed again. A subscription bills you every month or year. Credits are ideal for a one-off project; a subscription is cheaper if you optimize regularly every month.
When are my credits used?
Credits are only spent after your monthly free quota (3 optimizations) is used up. Each extra optimization that month draws one credit, starting from the pack that expires soonest.
Do unused monthly free runs roll over?
No. The 3 free optimizations reset at the start of each calendar month and do not accumulate. Credits are separate: they persist for 12 months and stack across purchases.
What happens when my credits expire?
Each pack is valid for 12 months from purchase. Any credits not used by the expiry date are forfeited. Your dashboard shows your current balance and the earliest expiry date.
Do credits remove the free-tier footer line?
Yes. While you hold active credits, your cutting-plan PDF is exported clean, without the free-tier upgrade footer.

Last updated: July 10, 2026