> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://meilisearch-6b28dec2-add-platform-documentation.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Billing

> Understand how Meilisearch Cloud billing works, view your estimated next bill, and manage payment settings through Stripe.

Meilisearch Cloud billing is fully powered by Stripe. The **Billing** tab in the Cloud dashboard shows a summary of your current billing settings and an estimate of your next bill. For invoice history, payment methods, and billing information, click **Manage billing settings and invoices** to open the Stripe customer portal.

## Billing models

|                          | Resource-based                         | Usage-based                              |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| **What you pay for**     | Fixed CPU, RAM, and storage allocation | Number of searches and documents indexed |
| **Billing cycle**        | Hourly (prorated)                      | Monthly                                  |
| **Price predictability** | High                                   | Varies with traffic                      |

See [project types](/capabilities/platform/infrastructure/overview#resource-based-vs-usage-based-projects) for guidance on which model to choose.

## The Billing tab

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/meilisearch-6b28dec2-add-platform-documentation/OWGPd0pJLBDzivo8/assets/images/platform/billing/billing_tab.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=OWGPd0pJLBDzivo8&q=85&s=1263d3ceb0fbab01b977cebc5fba7441" alt="Meilisearch Cloud Billing tab showing billing settings, payment method, and estimated cost for next bill" width="3444" height="1990" data-path="assets/images/platform/billing/billing_tab.png" />
</Frame>

The Billing tab shows:

* **Billing settings**: your current Tax ID and default payment method
* **Manage billing settings and invoices**: button to open the Stripe portal for full billing management
* **Estimated cost for next bill**: a line-by-line breakdown of charges accrued in the current billing period, covering all active projects

## What affects your bill

Only active projects generate charges. Deleting a project stops billing immediately. Team members and API keys do not affect billing.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Pricing model" href="/capabilities/platform/billing/pricing_model">
    How billing works, resource pricing, and cost estimation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Invoices" href="/capabilities/platform/billing/invoices">
    View and download your billing history via Stripe
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payment methods" href="/capabilities/platform/billing/payment_methods">
    Add or update payment methods via Stripe
  </Card>
</CardGroup>