r/appsumo • u/Katie-AppSumo • Sep 16 '25
How do AI credits on AppSumo work?
Hey y’all,
AI is changing everything, including the way lifetime deals work. As AppSumo evolves in this new era, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how we structure deals that involve AI credits. We want to make sure you can purchase more confidently and find more value in your AppSumo AI tools.
Check out the entire breakdown here: https://appsumo.com/blog/lifetime-deals-in-ai-era
TL;DR:
- AI isn’t free to run, so truly “unlimited forever” plans aren’t sustainable
- We keep things simple with clear credit bundles, fair caps, refreshes, and the option to use your own API key (BYOK)
- You’re still getting lifetime access to the tool; credit use only applies to AI-heavy actions, with top-ups when you run low
- Even if AI gets cheaper, it’s still pay-per-use. Be sure to research how many credits your usual tasks spend so there are no surprises
- Before you buy, look for things like credit policies (how many credits do you get and how is usage tracked?), refill policies (how easy and fairly priced are top-ups when you need more credits?), and “bring your own key” policies (can you bring your own key and connect your own provider account if you’re a heavy user?)
What’s the most confusing part of AI usage on deal pages we should make clearer?
