# Finance & Credits (https://terac.com/docs/researchers/finance)

Understand how Terac billing works, including credits, pricing, and transaction history.

Terac uses a credits-based billing system. You purchase credits upfront, and they are deducted as participants are approved in your opportunities.

- [Credits](https://terac.com/docs/researchers/finance/credits): Purchase, manage, and track your credit balance
- [Pricing](https://terac.com/docs/researchers/finance/pricing): How per-participant costs are calculated
- [Invoices](https://terac.com/docs/researchers/finance/invoices): View transaction history and receipts

## Quick Reference [#quick-reference]

| Concept                | Description                                              |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Credits                | Prepaid balance used to fund opportunities               |
| Per-participant payout | The amount each approved participant earns               |
| Platform fee           | Terac's fee on top of participant payouts                |
| Opportunity budget     | Estimated total cost based on payout and participant cap |