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# Usage and Billing

Tempo API Console reports API activity and manages billing for fee sponsorship. Usage and billing are organization-wide, with separate state for production and sandbox.

## Review API usage

Select [**Usage**](https://console.tempo.xyz/?to=/\:org/usage) to inspect activity in the selected environment. Use the project selector to show all projects or one project.

The page includes:

* **Request volume:** total and failed API calls in the selected window.
* **Sponsorship:** sponsored transaction counts and committed fees.
* **Routes:** the API routes receiving the most requests.
* **API keys:** request volume attributed to each credential.

Use these views to find unexpected errors, identify high-volume routes, and confirm that a newly deployed key is receiving traffic.

:::info
Changing the console environment changes the usage dataset. Sandbox activity does not appear in production usage, and production activity does not appear in sandbox usage.
:::

## Add a payment method

Only organization owners can manage billing.

:::steps
### Choose the environment

Switch to the production or sandbox environment whose billing state you want to configure.

### Open Billing

Select [**Billing**](https://console.tempo.xyz/?to=/\:org/billing), then find **Payment methods**.

### Add the payment method

Select **Add payment method** and complete the hosted Stripe checkout. After returning to the console, the billing page may refresh briefly while the payment method is confirmed.

### Confirm billing status

Check that the payment method appears and that the page reports **Active** billing. A **Past due** or **Canceled** status requires attention before billable services can continue normally.
:::

When a payment method already exists, owners can select **Manage** to open the hosted billing portal. Other members must contact an organization owner.

## Configure spend limits

The Billing page provides two organization-level controls for the selected environment:

* **Current spend:** billable API usage in the current billing period and an optional monthly spend limit.
* **Sponsorship limit:** the maximum transaction fee the API may sponsor for one transaction.

Owners can set, edit, or remove these limits. A sponsorship request must remain within both the organization controls and any platform limits enforced by Tempo.

:::warning
Production fee sponsorship requires an active billing source. A spend or sponsorship limit does not activate billing on its own.
:::

## Investigate unexpected usage

1. Confirm that the console is showing the correct environment.
2. Open [**Usage**](https://console.tempo.xyz/?to=/\:org/usage) and filter to the affected project.
3. Compare the **Routes** and **API keys** sections to find the source.
4. Revoke a credential if its traffic is unexpected.
5. Review the Billing page and adjust spend or sponsorship limits if needed.

See [API rate limits](/docs/api/rate-limits) for request quotas and response headers. For sponsored transaction integration, follow the [fee sponsorship guide](https://viem.sh/tempo/guides/sponsor-fees#sponsor-via-a-relay).