How Lingmo Estimates, Freezes, Charges, and Releases Quota

Estimation, temporary reservation, final charging, and release of unused quota explain the visible balance changes around a generation; policy refusals are not charged.

Why one generation can show several numbers

The exact resource cost of an AI task may not be known until processing ends, while the service still needs to know that enough balance exists before it starts. Lingmo therefore describes a generation through estimate, reservation, final charge, and release. The estimate is a preflight reference. Reservation temporarily sets aside the possible amount. The final charge records actual consumption under the current rules. If the reservation exceeds the final amount, the difference returns to available quota. Current displays and terms belong to the live workspace and pricing pages at https://lingmofang.com/.

These stages are not duplicate charges. A falling available balance while a task runs may represent only a reservation. Wait for a terminal state and read the associated ledger before drawing a conclusion. If the record remains inconsistent, preserve the task time and identifier instead of relying on a single balance screenshot.

Estimation supports a decision

A preflight estimate helps a user compare task scope and candidate count. Long sources, multiple candidates, and complex inputs may require more resources, so the user can narrow the request, split it into stages, or select only necessary models. The estimate is not a fixed quote; actual input processing, output length, and execution outcome can affect the final amount.

Multi-model experiments particularly benefit from a budget. Start with a clear prompt and a small candidate set, confirm that the scorecard works, and expand only when the comparison is informative. “The workspace can be used for free” does not mean permanent unlimited quota or free access to every model and modality.

Reservation, charge, and release

After submission, the system may reserve the estimate so concurrent tasks cannot all spend the same balance. When processing ends, the applicable amount is charged and any unused portion is released. A task ending in a releasable state should also clear its reservation. This timeline explains why the balance visible during execution can differ from the settled ledger.

Reconciliation should follow one task from submission through status changes, final result, and quota entries. Do not add reservations from unrelated tasks and label the total a duplicate charge. Likewise, an output that fails a subjective quality preference is not by itself evidence that no model processing occurred.

The policy-refusal rule

When a task receives a policy refusal, Lingmo's rule is a zero final quota charge. A refusal means normal generation did not complete. A temporary reservation should not be confused with settlement; after the terminal state, the ledger should reflect release. This rule is not an invitation to evade safeguards by rephrasing or splitting a disallowed request.

Other failures should not automatically be assigned the same outcome. A network interruption, upstream fault, or user cancellation may follow a different path, so the current task status and ledger remain authoritative. A product guide cannot replace the actual account record.

Membership and current model scope

Membership does not renew automatically at expiration, and another term is not charged without confirmation. Included quota, model range, regional availability, and sellable plans may change. Check https://lingmofang.com/models for the models enabled now and confirm the current offer on the pricing page before purchasing. Old screenshots are not a reliable basis for future budgeting.

Lingmo manages prompts and generation requests. It does not provide finished downstream image or video generation and does not commit code to Git. Its quota explanation therefore applies to capabilities shown in the live workspace, not to external production or publication costs.

Why did available quota decrease immediately after submission?

The common reason is a temporary reservation based on the estimate, not a settled charge. Wait until the task reaches success, failure, cancellation, or refusal, then inspect the matching ledger and release. Policy refusals should settle at zero. If the terminal record still cannot be reconciled, keep the task details and use the official support path.