Two separate bills, on purpose. Your Velox subscription pays for the software. The AI's thinking runs on YOUR OWN Anthropic API key, paid to Anthropic directly — we never touch it, mark it up, or see it. This page shows exactly what that second bill looks like and how you control it.
What the AI actually costs to run
Velox's default engine sends your charts to Claude — Anthropic's AI — every scan, and Anthropic bills your key per request. Three things decide the number: how often it scans, how many pairs you trade, and which engine mode you run. All three are yours to set, in the app.
The scan-frequency dial
In Settings you choose how often the AI reviews the market. Typical costs for a 4-pair account, after the July 2026 efficiency work (prompt caching + compact payloads). Your exact number varies with market activity and Anthropic's pricing:
| Setting | AI reviews the market | Typical / day | Typical / month |
| Responsive (default) | every 15 minutes | $1.50–2.00 | $45–60 |
| Balanced | every 30 minutes | $0.80–1.00 | $24–30 |
| Economy | every 60 minutes | $0.40–0.50 | $12–15 |
Slower scans mean the AI sees fewer moments of the market — fewer entry opportunities, not worse decisions. Starter accounts (2 pairs) run at roughly half these figures. The app shows the live cost of every decision in "Watch it think."
The zero-API-cost mode
Velox also includes a deterministic rules engine — the strategy our public research program measured across four years of data. It makes decisions locally on your machine and never calls the API: $0/month, no Anthropic account needed. It trades a fixed playbook instead of AI judgment, and it is currently in live validation — it becomes selectable for everyone the moment it clears our release gates. Ask us for status any time: support@velox-trade.com.
Questions we get
Why don't you just include the AI cost in the subscription?
Because your key means your data goes straight from your PC to Anthropic — we never
proxy your account information, and we can't inflate your usage. Transparency costs
less, in every sense.
How do I set up and top up the key?
Create a key at console.anthropic.com → API keys (5 minutes, any card). Load $25:
at Balanced scanning that's about a month. The setup screen in Velox asks for the
key once and stores it only on your machine.
What happens if my key runs out of credit?
The bot fails safe: every scan returns HOLD (no trade) and your open positions keep
their stops and targets. Nothing is ever traded blind. Top up and it resumes on the
next scan.
Is $45–60/month worth it?
That's your call, and it's why the dial exists. It buys ~2,900 AI market reviews a
month. What it never buys: guaranteed profits — trading involves substantial risk
of loss.