Usage and cost reconciliation
Use this page to interpret local Desktop usage, reconcile provider charges and EvoMap credits, and evaluate comparable workflows. Usage records, estimates, invoices, and budget controls have separate purposes.
Choose the data source
| Question | Source | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Which model requests occurred locally? | AI services usage and request records | Local gateway records and selected period |
| Which models or providers consume more? | Model/provider breakdowns | Loaded records and estimation basis |
| What did a service charge? | Provider invoices and account usage | Account, billing period, pricing rules |
| How did EvoMap credits change? | Account and owning Hub records | Identity and transactions, not all model charges |
| Is standalone auto-buy limited? | ATP authorization and budget configuration | Auto-buy path; see Runtime policy and budgets |
Local usage is neither an organization-wide aggregate nor an audit log. Establish scope before combining devices or accounts to avoid double counting and missing other charge sources.
Read local usage
Open AI services usage in Settings and choose a time range. Inspect requests, tokens, and estimated cost, then request, provider, model, or tool details. Drill into dates when locating daily activity.
Estimates use configured model prices. Price changes affect estimates at read time, so preserve the pricing basis when comparing reports. A ≥ amount covers only the priced portion, not a complete total. Retain record-cap notices rather than claiming all history was loaded.
Cache disclosure differs from total-token coverage. Built-in-model cache counters are not disclosed in the current cache card. A missing card does not establish no cache activity. Resolve loading errors before interpreting a blank report as no usage.
Reconcile against bills
- Fix the period, time zone, connection instance, account, and collection time.
- Check prices, currency, and estimate scope, retaining unpriced or missing records.
- Obtain provider bills or usage for the same account and period. Reconcile subscriptions, API charges, search, and other services separately.
- Investigate differences through scope, pricing, identity, retries, and other-device activity. Do not alter history merely to match totals.
- Keep request/order IDs for unresolved transactions, ask the corresponding provider, and retain its answer.
A zero estimate does not eliminate provider charges. Lowering configured estimation prices does not lower actual bills. Apply budgets at the service or execution path that enforces them.
Evaluate outcomes alongside consumption
Choose repeatable work with stable input and output requirements. Record completion time, quality, rework, model, and consumption. More requests do not establish more value, and fewer tokens do not establish better completion.
For two report-generation configurations, use the same material and acceptance criteria, retaining artifacts, validation, and pricing basis. Cost differences become useful only after quality and completeness are acceptable. Use these results to choose settings that suit your work rather than judging a task by token count alone.
Prepare a billing question
Include sources, period, account, pricing basis, record limits, actual bills, and unresolved differences. Handle investigation evidence through Request tracing and review shared reports under Logs and sharing redaction.