Account setup · 4 minutes
Understand Trial, Personal BYOK, and Aura Balance
Know who pays for each model request before you send it.
Use this guide with Aura
Open Aura, then keep this guide beside it while you follow the steps. Aura does not receive the page text, your account, your project, or anything you typed.
If nothing opens, start Aura normally. The written steps still work.
Before you start
- Aura AI is signed in.
Plan and model funding
The one-time trial provides 100 Gemini 2.5 Flash requests with no card or renewal. Personal BYOK is free in Aura, but your provider bills its usage. Aura-managed models require enough prepaid Aura Balance and use the displayed versioned retail price. Aura never switches from Trial or a provider key to paid Aura Balance automatically.
Say this in ordinary language
No prompt is required. Read the funding label before sending a request.
Steps
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1
Open Settings and review the Account and Keys sections.
What you should see: Aura shows the account state, available funding paths, and saved-key status without revealing raw keys.
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2
Open the model picker.
What you should see: Each available model shows whether it uses a personal key, Aura funding, or either.
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3
Check the top-right funding indicator before sending.
What you should see: The active funding source is visible.
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4
Before approving a multi-step build, compare its worst-case request count or exact maximum charge with the Trial requests or Aura Balance available.
What you should see: Aura keeps approval disabled when the selected payer cannot cover the reviewed worst case. It does not switch to another payer automatically.
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5
Choose a different permitted payer, reduce the reviewed work, or add Aura Balance from the dashboard.
What you should see: Aura refreshes the same review and enables approval only after the selected payer can cover it.
What Aura may change
Choosing a funding source does not create a subscription or automatic charge. Wallet funding and subscriptions require separate confirmed checkout actions. A read-only maximum quote does not send work, reserve funds, or reduce Trial requests.
How to verify it worked
Send only after the model, payer, request count, and any maximum charge match your intention. Then confirm the usage appears only in the selected provider or Aura account record.
Undo or recover
Cancel checkout before payment. Personal keys can be removed from Settings.
Common problems
- A saved personal key does not fund Aura-managed models.
- An Aura subscription and Aura Balance are separate; software access does not create model funds.
- If the Trial or wallet cannot cover a reviewed worst case, Aura stops before dispatch. It never spends from another payer just to continue.