Credit Math Before You Click Generate: A Clip-Planning Worksheet

Treat every generate like a line item. This page is a lightweight spreadsheet mentality for AI short-form video—not a billing calculator that invents per-clip prices.

At Kling 4.0, the on-site generator currently runs Kling 3.0. You can make text-to-video or image-to-video clips from 3–15 seconds, with up to five shots in that total, optional @elements, first/last frame controls (last frame for single-shot), aspect ratios 9:16 / 16:9 / 1:1, and sound on by default. Credits are the scarce resource. Plan them the way a studio plans takes.

Rule zero: never invent the charge

Credit cost varies by model, duration, resolution, and settings. The site shows the exact charge before you submit. Your worksheet should leave a blank cell for C = credits shown on submit. Everything else is arithmetic on top of that real number.

The five columns that matter

Keeper cost formula: Credits per publishable clip = C × A. Monthly need ≈ N × C × A × 1.2 (20% experiment buffer), where N is how many keepers you need.

Starter-credit sprint (first 100)

New creators receive 100 starter credits on sign-in. Use them to measure C and A—not to chase a perfect launch film.

1. Runs 1–3: Same 5-second product shot, Standard quality. Change only the camera line. Record C each time.
2. Runs 4–6: Lock the winning camera. Change only sound (or turn sound off once to compare).
3. Runs 7–9: Try a three-shot storyboard inside one 12-second clip. Note whether multi-shot raises A.
4. Last buffer: One image-to-video test with a strong first frame and an @product element if you have references.

When the 100 are gone, you should know your typical C and a realistic A for your niche (food pours behave differently than talking-head explainers).

Published monthly plans (for comparison only)

From the pricing page (monthly view, checked against site research dated 2026-09-28):

Yearly toggle advertises “Save 50%.” One-time credit packs are valid 365 days. Paid plans and credit packs support commercial projects per the pricing FAQ, subject to the Terms of Service. This is not legal advice.

Worked scenario (placeholders — replace C with yours)

Suppose your screen shows C = 18 for a typical 5 s Standard clip (placeholder), and after a week of logging you average A = 2.5 attempts per keeper.

• Credits per keeper ≈ 45
• Want 25 keepers/month → 1,125 raw → ≈ 1,350 with 20% buffer
• In that scenario Pro’s 1,600 covers the plan; Starter’s 350 does not

If you cut A to 2 by storyboarding and one-variable edits, need drops to ~1,080 buffered—still Pro territory, but you stop burning Premium-level spend by accident.

Spend less without guessing model magic

• Draft short; lengthen only the keeper.
• Change one variable per retry (matches the site’s “refine one variable at a time” principle).
• Use first frames and @elements so continuity failures do not inflate A.
• Failed tasks: credits are normally restored automatically per the refund policy.
• Refunds (if you truly need one): request within 7 days; fewer than 10 successful tasks and ≥80% credits unused; email support@kling4ai.art. Policies dated Aug 28, 2026 on the site.

One-page weekly sheet