This article is a draft and has not been reviewed or approved for production use. Content may be incomplete, inaccurate, or subject to change without notice.
Every AI action in Pergamon — from uploading a reference file to generating a complete document — consumes Pergami tokens. This article explains what Pergami tokens are, how they are calculated, when they are charged, and how to manage your balance.
1. What is a Pergami token?
A Pergami token is the unit of account for all AI consumption in Pergamon. Rather than exposing raw AI compute costs — which vary by model, content volume, and operation type — Pergamon uses a single named currency that maps predictably to specific actions. Every billable action has a defined token cost. You see one balance, one rate, one currency.
Your token balance is shared across your workspace and replenishes at the start of each billing cycle. You can view your current balance at any time in Settings → Billing → Token usage.
Pergami tokens replaced the legacy two-token system — Pergami Tokens and Manual Creation Tokens — with a single unified balance. If you were on Pergamon before this change, see Migrating from the legacy token system for details on what happened to your existing balance.
2. How tokens are consumed
The two charge moments
Creating a document in Pergamon involves two separate charge moments. Each is shown to you in a confirmation modal before any tokens are deducted — you always know the exact cost before committing.
- Assembly (questionnaire processing)
- AI resources uploaded (per file)
- Blueprint / document generation
The confirmation modal at each stage shows the exact token cost broken down by component, your current balance, and a checkbox to confirm you understand the charge. No tokens are deducted until you confirm.
Create Publication is a separate action from document creation and carries no token cost. Toggling it on or off does not affect the charge shown in the confirmation modal.
The rate card
Every billable action in Pergamon has a fixed token cost:
| Action | Unit | Tokens |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly (questionnaire) | Per manual | 4 × Level |
| Blueprint (document generation) | Per manual | 400 × Level |
| AI prompt / chat message | Per prompt | 1 |
| Image upload | Per file | 1 |
| Text or PDF upload | Per file | 2 |
| Audio file upload | Per file | 2 |
| Video file upload | Per file | 3 |
| Translation | Per 100 words, per language | 1 |
All token charges round up to the nearest whole token. A 250-word translation segment, for example, costs 3 tokens — not 2.5. AI resource upload rates are flat and do not change based on the blueprint level of your manual.
3. Manual complexity and blueprint levels
Assembly and Blueprint costs scale with the complexity of the manual being created. Pergamon measures complexity using a blueprint level from L1 (simplest) to L7 (most complex). The level is assigned automatically by Pergamon based on the product category you select — you do not choose or set it manually.
When you select a product for document creation, Pergamon determines the blueprint level in the background. The cost confirmation modal then shows you the exact Assembly and Blueprint costs before any charge is applied.
| Level | Assembly tokens (4 × Level) |
Blueprint tokens (400 × Level) |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | 4 | 400 |
| L2 | 8 | 800 |
| L3 | 12 | 1,200 |
| L4 | 16 | 1,600 |
| L5 | 20 | 2,000 |
| L6 | 24 | 2,400 |
| L7 | 28 | 2,800 |
You can always see the token cost for your specific manual before committing. Check the confirmation modal at the start of AI Assembly for the upfront charge, and at the document creation step for the Blueprint cost.
4. AI resources
AI resources are the reference files you upload to inform the document generation process — product specifications, existing manuals, images, audio recordings, and video files. Each file you upload is charged at a flat per-file rate, regardless of the blueprint level of your manual.
| File type | Tokens per file |
|---|---|
| Image | 1 |
| Text or PDF | 2 |
| Audio | 2 |
| Video | 3 |
AI resource charges are included in Charge 1 (at Assembly start) and shown in the confirmation modal as Resources uploaded. The cost reflects your actual uploads — not an estimate.
AI resource upload charges apply at the time of upload during Assembly. Uploading additional files after Assembly starts incurs charges at the same per-file rates.
5. Translation
Translation tokens scale with two variables: the word count of the document and the number of target languages. This ensures you pay proportionally — a short manual translated into two languages costs far less than a long manual translated into thirty.
How translation cost is calculated
Word count is rounded up to the nearest 100-word block, then multiplied by the number of target languages you select. For example, a 1,000-word document translated into 15 languages costs 10 × 15 = 150 tokens.
| Level | Avg. word count | Tokens per language |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | ~500 | 5 |
| L2 | ~1,000 | 10 |
| L3 | ~1,500 | 15 |
| L4 | ~2,000 | 20 |
| L5 | ~2,500 | 25 |
| L6 | ~3,000 | 30 |
| L7 | ~3,500 | 35 |
Word count estimates above are averages based on typical documents at each level. Your actual translation cost is calculated from the real word count of your generated document, not from an estimate.
Translation regeneration: If you regenerate a translation after the initial run, the cost will be confirmed and added here before publication. [PLACEHOLDER — pending engineering confirmation]
6. Worked example
The following example shows the full token cost for a typical L2 manual — equivalent to a product like a household toaster — translated into 15 languages.
| Component | Calculation | Tokens |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly | 4 × 2 (L2) | 8 |
| AI resources uploaded | 2 text/PDF (4) + 2 images (2) + 1 audio (2) | 8 |
| Blueprint (document generation) | 400 × 2 (L2) | 800 |
| AI prompts (editing) | ~9 prompts × 1 | 9 |
| Translation | 1,000 words → 10 units × 15 languages | 150 |
| Total | 975 |
At the Creator Flex token rate, this manual costs approximately $15.89.
The Blueprint cost (800 tokens) makes up the largest share of a manual's total — typically 80–90%. Assembly, AI resources, and prompts are small by comparison. Translation cost is the most variable component: it grows proportionally with document length and language count.
Same manual, 20 languages
Increasing the target language count from 15 to 20 adds 50 tokens (5 additional languages × 10 tokens per language), bringing the total to 1,025 tokens. All other components remain unchanged.
7. Your token balance and plans
Your Pergami token balance is available in Settings → Billing → Token usage. The balance shown is the live total across your workspace — any AI action by any workspace member draws from the same pool.
| Plan | Monthly tokens | Price/month | Rate per token |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creator Flex | 3,000 | $49 | $0.0163 |
| Creator Pro | 20,000 | $299 | $0.0150 |
As a rough guide, Creator Flex covers approximately 2 manuals per month at L2 complexity with 15 target languages. Creator Pro covers approximately 10 manuals per month on the same basis, with significant headroom for higher complexity levels or additional languages.
Token rollover
Token rollover policy: Details on whether unused tokens carry forward between billing cycles will be confirmed and added here before publication. [PLACEHOLDER — pending confirmation for both Flex and Pro plans]
Top-up packs
If your monthly token allowance is exhausted before the end of your billing cycle, you can purchase additional tokens via top-up packs. Top-up tokens are consumed only after your monthly allowance has been depleted and do not expire.
For current top-up pack pricing and to purchase additional tokens, go to Settings → Billing → Buy tokens.
Top-up pack pricing: Pack sizes and per-token rates will be confirmed and added here before publication. [PLACEHOLDER — pending pricing confirmation]
8. Migrating from the legacy token system
Prior to this update, Pergamon used two separate token currencies: Pergami Tokens for AI actions (prompts, uploads, translations) and Manual Creation Tokens — a flat charge of one token per manual regardless of complexity or language count. These have been replaced by a single unified Pergami token balance.
What this means for your existing tokens
- Your tokens are merging. Your previous Pergami Token balance and Manual Creation Token balance have been converted into a single unified Pergami token balance. You now manage one balance instead of two.
- Nothing you had is lost. Your existing balances were converted at a generous rate. The total value of your new unified balance is equal to or greater than what you held across both legacy currencies.
- Your plan delivers the same output. Creator Flex still covers approximately 2 manuals per month. Creator Pro still covers approximately 10 manuals per month. The accounting changed; the practical capacity did not.
- You now have greater transparency. Rather than a flat per-manual charge, you can see exactly what each step of the process costs. A simple short-form manual costs less than a complex long-form one — and your balance reflects that accurately.
- Translation is now proportional. Translation previously consumed the same token allocation regardless of document length or language count. Under the unified model, you pay in proportion to what you actually translate.
Legacy Pergami Tokens and Manual Creation Tokens are no longer active after migration. Your unified Pergami token balance is the single source of truth for all AI consumption. Any balance shown in legacy views prior to this update is no longer valid.
9. Frequently asked questions
Your previous Pergami Token and Manual Creation Token balances have been merged into a single unified Pergami token balance. The conversion was applied at a generous rate — your new balance represents equal or greater value than what you held across both legacy currencies.
Pergamon shows you a cost confirmation modal before each charge moment. At the start of AI Assembly, you see the exact Assembly and AI resource upload costs. At the document creation step, you see the exact Blueprint cost. No tokens are deducted until you confirm. You can also use the worked example and level cost table in this article as a reference.
The two charges correspond to two distinct stages of the workflow. Assembly and AI resource uploads are charged when AI Assembly starts, because those resources are processed immediately. The Blueprint (document generation) is a separate, larger operation charged only when you actively choose to create the document. This separation gives you the option to complete Assembly without committing to document generation.
The Assembly and AI resource upload charges are non-refundable once processing starts, as shown in the confirmation modal. The Blueprint (document creation) charge has not been applied at this point and is not deducted unless you proceed to the document creation step.
If your balance is insufficient to cover the cost of an action, Pergamon will not proceed and will notify you. You can purchase a top-up pack in Settings → Billing → Buy tokens to continue without waiting for your next billing cycle.
No. Create Publication is a separate action from document creation and carries no token cost. You can toggle it freely without affecting the charges shown in the confirmation modal.
Blueprint levels are assigned automatically by Pergamon based on the product category you select. You do not set this manually. The level determines the Assembly and Blueprint token costs and is shown in the cost confirmation modal before any charge is applied.
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