Some video generations are charged in two steps. Runway takes the maximum the video could cost when you start, then refunds what wasn't needed once it finishes.
You can see both steps in the Credit usage history table at the bottom of your Plans and Billing page, which shows the last 30 days of credit activity.
- Select your profile icon in the bottom-left corner
- Select Plans and Billing
- Under Credit usage history, find the two lines for your generation:
- A charge labeled with the model's name
- A Refund for line with the same model's name
The charge minus the refund is what the generation costs.
Why the charge is split in two
If Duration is set to Auto or you're editing an existing video, the model decides how long the result will be, so the price can't be calculated up front. Runway holds enough credits to cover the longest video the model could produce at your resolution, plus the input video if you're editing one, and returns the rest once the video is done. That's why the first number can be much higher than the final cost, especially at 1080p: on Seedance 2.5, 1080p output is 68 credits per second and 480p is 20.
FAQ
Did my generation fail?
No. When a generation fails, the full amount comes back and the charge disappears entirely. If you can see both lines, the video finished. Can I have credits refunded? covers failed generations.
Where does this happen?
Anywhere you generate with one of these models. It works the same way in Tool mode, Workflows and Agent, so you'll see the two lines no matter where you started the video.
Which models do this?
Any model that lets you set Duration to Auto, plus Seedance 2.5 when you're editing an existing video. Right now that means Seedance 2.5, LTX 2.5 and Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash.
Is the credit cost shown when I start the final cost?
Not for these generations. The number you see when you start is the most the video could cost. Once the refund comes through, the charge minus the refund is what you actually paid.