Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and Answers
How does the Unified Credit system work?
ChainLens uses a unified credit model where 1 credit = 100 cent-credits = $0.01 USD. Each operation debits credits according to its research depth: Speed (0.25 cr), Ask (0.70 cr), Reason (0.90 cr), Research (1.50 cr), Deep (2.40 cr), and Wide Research (5.00 cr). Exact and semantic cache hits automatically receive a 60% discount (charged at 0.40x).
What are the subscription plans and allowances?
Free: 100 monthly credits (~400 Speed searches or ~66 Deep researches). Pro ($15/mo): 1,500 monthly credits with priority processing and higher rate limits. Max ($70/mo): 7,000 monthly credits with dedicated compute lanes and maximum concurrency. You can top up pay-as-you-go credits at any time without expiring.
How can I integrate ChainLens into Claude Code or Cursor?
ChainLens provides an official Model Context Protocol (MCP) server published on npm as chainlens-research. You can install it globally via npm install -g chainlens-research and add it to your ~/.claude.json or Cursor MCP settings. See the MCP Server page for setup.
Can I use ChainLens as an OpenAI drop-in replacement?
Yes. Set Base URL to https://research-api.chainlens.net/api/v1 and use your ChainLens API key (clrs_...) in applications like NextChat, Open WebUI, Chatbox, or LibreChat.
What payment rails are supported for credit top-ups?
We support international credit cards via Stripe (USD), as well as local payment rails in Vietnam including Momo, VNPay, and VietQR with automatic FX rate conversion.
What happens to my remaining credits if service is discontinued?
Pay-As-You-Go credits never expire during standard operation. In the unlikely event of service sunset, we provide a guaranteed 90-day advance notice and a pro-rata refund for remaining credits. Full details are outlined in our Refund & Shutdown Policy.
See also the Refund & Shutdown Policy.