Processing units are the billing mechanism for premium API services such as daily vegetation index estimates. Each account includes a baseline allocation with pay-as-you-go overage.
Processing units are consumed when you use premium services. Each account includes 50 processing units at no additional cost.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Included units per account | 50 |
| 1 unit produces | ~250 new daily estimate images for a 4 ha polygon |
| Updated images cost | 20% of new image cost |
| Overage rate | €0.60 per processing unit |
Updates vs. new images: When you re-run daily estimates for a date range that already has results (e.g., extending the range), only the newly generated images count at full cost. Previously generated images that are refreshed count at 20% of the original cost.
Use retrieveProcessingUnits() to check your current usage and remaining balance:
Currently, the only service that consumes processing units is daily vegetation estimates (when dailyEstimates: true is set on vegetation index, plant health, or water stress mutations).
All other analyses — including standard vegetation indices, crude protein, dry matter, soil moisture, biomass, and more — are included in your API subscription without consuming processing units.
Monitor usage: Check your processing unit balance regularly, especially when running daily estimates on large polygons or long date ranges. Usage beyond the included 50 units is billed at €0.60 per unit.