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Consumption Pricing Explained

Carbon Arc’s pricing model is built for precision, predictability, and scale. This guide outlines the principles behind our consumption-based model, how pricing is calculated, and examples to help user orient themselves.


Pricing Model Explained

We’ve improved how pricing is calculated across datasets and APIs to reduce volatility and make pricing easier to interpret.

  • More Efficient Data Storage
    Each MB now contains more usable data — compression and structuring improvements boost throughput.

  • Aligned Pricing Across APIs
    Pricing is now normalized across endpoints in the same dataset, reducing variability.

  • Smoother Pricing Over Time
    Query costs are more stable even as API structures evolve.

For billing support, contact support@carbonarc.co or your Customer Success representative.


Overview: How Pricing Works

Carbon Arc charges based on output, not ingestion or storage. You pay for the data returned — not for compute, ETL, or upstream processing.

Tokens

Pay for What You Use

Every query is metered based on the size and scope of the data returned. This ensures buyers only pay for what they consume.


Core Pricing Components

Each API call calculates an estimated price using:

  • Number of Records Returned
  • Total Records in API
  • Total Megabytes in Underlying API
  • tokens/MB Rate (Defined by dataset)

Estimated Price Formula

  1. Step 1: Count Records Returned
    Measure how many records your query processed.

  2. Step 2: Calculate Data Volume (MB)
    Estimate total MB based on record structure and metadata.

  3. Step 3: Multiply by token/MB Rate
    Use the defined price per megabyte to determine query cost.


Minimum Estimated Price

The platform has a minimum query price of 0.99 tokens.

ScenarioCalculated CostFinal Cost
Small Query0.300.99
Large Query249.50249.50

This simplifies billing and eliminates micro-charges across long-tail usage.


Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Small Query

  • Records Returned: 10
  • Total Records: 1,000
  • MB in API: 5
  • Rate: 4.99 tokens/MB
  • Estimated: 0.24 tokens
  • Final Price: 0.99 tokens

Scenario 2: Large Query

  • Records Returned: 10,000
  • Total Records: 100,000
  • MB in API: 500
  • Rate: 4.99 tokens/MB
  • Estimated: 249.50 tokens
  • Final Price: 249.50 tokens

Why the Minimum?

The 0.99 token floor ensures:

  • Simpler billing
  • Fewer disputes
  • More predictable invoices

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I exceed expected usage?

Your cost scales with your usage. There are no surprise thresholds or hidden fees. Users cannot exceed usage past the token balance in their wallet.

Can I estimate my costs before querying?

Yes. The Insights Builder shows your estimated price before you hit an API.

Can I reduce my costs?

Yes — optimize your filters:

  • Aggregate spatially (e.g. US instead of State)
  • Aggregate temporally (e.g. Monthly instead of Daily)

These reduce record count and output size, minimizing cost.


For more help, contact support@carbonarc.co