# Billing model

> Free capabilities, cloud-relay metering, rates, prepaid credit and exhaustion behaviour.

Source: https://www.widewired.com/page/docs/billing-model

## Free capabilities

Creating networks, adding devices, direct connections, peer relay, the console and diagnostics are free. There is no per-seat or per-device charge and no subscription.

## What is metered

Only **traffic successfully forwarded by cloud relay** is metered. Direct connections and peer relay are free.

| Path | Forwarding location | Charge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `direct` | The two devices communicate directly | Free |
| `peer_relay` | A device in the same network forwards traffic | Free |
| `cloud_relay` | WideWired infrastructure forwards traffic | Per traffic volume |

The system selects an available path in the order direct, peer relay, then cloud relay. See [connectivity and paths](https://www.widewired.com/page/docs/paths) for path behaviour.

## Metering and rates

Cloud relay is metered per GB, where `1 GB = 1,000,000,000` bytes. Forwarded bytes do not prove that the receiving application consumed them.

Rates are selected by the regions at both ends of the traffic. Current values are on the [pricing page](https://www.widewired.com/#pricing).

## Prepaid credit

An account has two credit buckets:

- **Granted credit**: issued once after initial account verification.
- **Purchased credit**: added by top-ups.

Cloud-relay usage consumes granted credit first, then purchased credit. **Billing** shows both buckets and the total available.

Open **Billing** from the console header to view balances, usage and orders or to purchase credit. See [Billing](https://www.widewired.com/page/docs/billing) for the procedure.

## Credit exhaustion

Exhaustion blocks only new cloud-relay forwarding. Accounts, networks, the console, devices, direct connections and peer relay continue to work.

Cloud relay resumes automatically after a settled top-up without reconfiguration. If a free path is unavailable at the same time, the console reports path failure and credit state separately.

## Quick troubleshooting

| Symptom | Check and action |
| --- | --- |
| Charges are higher than expected | In **Billing**, break cloud-relay usage down by network and link |
| Cloud relay reports insufficient credit | Purchase credit or confirm that direct and peer relay are available |
| The balance is initializing | Wait for credit synchronization, then refresh |
| Credit is available but cloud relay is not | Check the schedule, account state, region detection and relay state |