What exactly is a token?

A token is a usage credit on anonym.legal. Every analyze, anonymize, or decrypt operation deducts a small number from your account balance. You always see the exact cost before each operation, and tokens are only spent on operations that succeed.

How is a billing token different from a tokenized PII placeholder?

They share the word but mean different things. A billing token is the credit you spend on operations. A tokenized PII placeholder (like ) is the technical string that replaces a real name in your text during anonymization. You do not pay per placeholder — you pay per operation.

How many tokens come with each plan?

Free: 200 tokens per 30-day cycle. Basic (€3 / month): 1,000 tokens per 31-day cycle. Pro (€15 / month): 4,000. Business (€29 / month): 10,000. Unused tokens do not roll over.

How much does it cost to analyze one page of text?

A 5,000-character page with dense PII costs about 193 tokens. A 1,000-character page costs about 39 tokens. Lighter text (less PII) costs even less. The exact cost appears next to every operation button in the web app and via the free estimate endpoint in the API.

How do I check my current token balance?

In the web app, go to Settings → Account. In the API, call the free /api/mcp/balance endpoint or the anonym_legal_get_balance MCP tool. Both return your remaining balance, cycle start, and cycle end.

How do I estimate cost before running an operation?

Two ways. In the web app, the cost preview appears next to each operation button before you click. In the API, use the free anonym_legal_estimate_cost MCP tool — it returns the exact deduction without running the operation.

What is the rule of thumb for token cost?

Roughly 1 token per 25 characters of analyzed text, plus a small per-entity overhead. Sparse text costs less because the per-entity term shrinks. Anonymize includes the analyze cost plus a small apply-step cost. Decrypt is the cheapest operation.

Does choosing a different operator change the cost?

No. Replace, redact, mask, hash, and encrypt all cost essentially the same on the same input. Pick the operator that fits your privacy goal, not your budget.

Does the language of the text affect cost?

Cost is driven by characters and detected entities, not by language. A short sentence in any of the 48 supported languages costs a handful of tokens.

Do unused tokens roll over to the next cycle?

No. Token allocations and top-ups both reset at the end of each billing cycle. Plan ahead and buy top-ups close to when you will use them.

What happens if I run out of tokens mid-task?

The next operation returns a 402 Payment Required response with the exact shortfall. You can buy a top-up immediately (on paid plans) or wait for the cycle to reset.

Can I buy more tokens during a cycle?

Yes — on Basic, Pro, and Business plans you can purchase top-ups. Rates: Basic €1 = 250 tokens, Pro €1 = 300 tokens, Business €1 = 350 tokens. Free plan users need to upgrade to enable top-ups.

Do top-up tokens expire?

Yes. Top-up tokens expire at the next cycle reset, the same as your monthly allocation. They do not carry over.

Do failed operations cost tokens?

No. Tokens are only deducted after a successful operation. Validation errors, server errors, and rejected requests cost zero tokens.

How does AI Entity Creation pricing work?

Creating a custom entity recognizer with AI costs a flat 50 tokens per request, deducted from your current cycle balance. The cost is shown before each call and may change with prior notice.

Back to the Token System guide

Docs / Token System / FAQ

Token System — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about how tokens work, what they cost, and how to make the most of your balance.

The basics

What exactly is a token?: A token is a usage credit on anonym.legal. Every analyze, anonymize, or decrypt operation deducts a small number from your account balance. You always see the exact cost before each operation, and tokens are only spent on operations that succeed.
How is a billing token different from a tokenized PII placeholder?: They share the word but mean different things. A billing token is the credit you spend on operations. A tokenized PII placeholder (like <PERSON_1>) is the technical string that replaces a real name in your text during anonymization. You do not pay per placeholder — you pay per operation.
How do I check my current token balance?: In the web app, go to Settings → Account. In the API, call the free /api/mcp/balance endpoint or the anonym_legal_get_balance MCP tool. Both return your remaining balance, cycle start, and cycle end.

Allocations & limits

How many tokens come with each plan?: Free: 200 tokens per 30-day cycle. Basic (€3 / month): 1,000 tokens per 31-day cycle. Pro (€15 / month): 4,000. Business (€29 / month): 10,000. Unused tokens do not roll over.
Do unused tokens roll over to the next cycle?: No. Token allocations and top-ups both reset at the end of each billing cycle. Plan ahead and buy top-ups close to when you will use them.

Cost & estimation

How much does it cost to analyze one page of text?: A 5,000-character page with dense PII costs about 193 tokens. A 1,000-character page costs about 39 tokens. Lighter text (less PII) costs even less. The exact cost appears next to every operation button in the web app and via the free estimate endpoint in the API.
How do I estimate cost before running an operation?: Two ways. In the web app, the cost preview appears next to each operation button before you click. In the API, use the free anonym_legal_estimate_cost MCP tool — it returns the exact deduction without running the operation.
What is the rule of thumb for token cost?: Roughly 1 token per 25 characters of analyzed text, plus a small per-entity overhead. Sparse text costs less because the per-entity term shrinks. Anonymize includes the analyze cost plus a small apply-step cost. Decrypt is the cheapest operation.
Does choosing a different operator change the cost?: No. Replace, redact, mask, hash, and encrypt all cost essentially the same on the same input. Pick the operator that fits your privacy goal, not your budget.
Does the language of the text affect cost?: Cost is driven by characters and detected entities, not by language. A short sentence in any of the 48 supported languages costs a handful of tokens.

Edge cases

What happens if I run out of tokens mid-task?: The next operation returns a 402 Payment Required response with the exact shortfall. You can buy a top-up immediately (on paid plans) or wait for the cycle to reset.
Do failed operations cost tokens?: No. Tokens are only deducted after a successful operation. Validation errors, server errors, and rejected requests cost zero tokens.
How does AI Entity Creation pricing work?: Creating a custom entity recognizer with AI costs a flat 50 tokens per request, deducted from your current cycle balance. The cost is shown before each call and may change with prior notice.

Top-ups & expiry

Can I buy more tokens during a cycle?: Yes — on Basic, Pro, and Business plans you can purchase top-ups. Rates: Basic €1 = 250 tokens, Pro €1 = 300 tokens, Business €1 = 350 tokens. Free plan users need to upgrade to enable top-ups.
Do top-up tokens expire?: Yes. Top-up tokens expire at the next cycle reset, the same as your monthly allocation. They do not carry over.

Still have a question?

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