Two-ledger cost strip · checked 29 August 2026
Google Flow · Gemini API · Veo 3.1
Price the clip.Then hear the cut.
Flow spends product credits per generated result. The Gemini API spends dollars per generated second. Both must survive picture, continuity and audio review before they become usable footage.
Two billing surfaces
One model family.
Two separate ledgers.
Flow plan credits answer “how many creator-product generations?” API rates answer “how many billed output seconds?” Neither reveals the cost of accepted footage without a retry log.
Gemini Developer API
$ / sec
Paid-tier rates multiply the selected model and resolution by every output second. The official table lists no free tier for Veo 3.1.
Google Flow product
cr / result
Flow deducts credits for each generated output. Google warns that one request may create two videos, so “request count” is not a safe budget unit.
Gemini API paid tier · video with audio
Resolution changes
the rate card.
| Model | 720p / sec | 1080p / sec | 4K / sec | Production job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Standard | $0.40 | $0.40 | $0.60 | Highest-quality Veo route |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.30 | Faster production iteration |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.05 | $0.08 | Not supported | High-volume low-cost route |
$0.40
One API generation
Lite · 8 sec · 720p
$0.80
One API generation
Fast · 8 sec · 720p
$3.20
One API generation
Standard · 8 sec · 1080p
Google Flow · credits per generated result
Count outputs.
Not prompt clicks.
Google says these limits can change. Confirm the credit badge in Flow settings before a production run, and log every returned clip.
| Model | Generation type | Non-Ultra / result | Ultra / result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite | 4 / 6 / 8 sec + Extend | 10 credits | 5 credits |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 4 / 6 / 8 sec + Extend | 20 credits | 10 credits |
| Veo 3.1 Quality | 8 sec + Extend | 100 credits | 100 credits |
| Gemini Omni Flash | 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 sec | 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 | Same |
50 / day
No subscription
200 / month
Google AI Plus
1,000 / month
Google AI Pro
10,000 / month
AI Ultra $100
25,000 / month
AI Ultra $200
Monthly Flow credits refresh at the billing cycle and do not roll over. Free daily credits also do not roll over. Plan availability and pricing vary by country.
Dual-ledger usable-second planner
Price what
the edit can use.
Switch between API dollars and Flow credits without converting one into the other. The default values demonstrate arithmetic; they are not a measured acceptance rate.
Google video cost strip
Select the correct ledger, count generated results, then divide by retained footage.
Cost / usable second
API USD
$0.30
One usable finished minute projects to $18.00 at this yield.
- Per generation
- $0.80
- Submitted total
- $4.80
- Generated footage
- 48s
- Usable yield
- 33.3%
Official list-rate planning estimate · checked 29 August 2026.
Gemini API charges and Flow credits are separate units. This planner excludes subscription fees, purchased-credit exchange rates, taxes, editing, storage and other production costs.
Current Google video routes
Assign one job per model.
Google now recommends Gemini Omni Flash as the general default for API video generation, while Veo 3.1 remains the route for last-frame control, extension and specific cinematic workflows.
Conversational iteration
Omni Flash
Use when multi-input reasoning, fast generation and multi-turn video editing matter more than a specific Veo control.
Volume drafts
Veo 3.1 Lite
Use the lowest listed Veo route for controlled preview coverage before spending on a higher tier.
Production iteration
Veo 3.1 Fast
Use for faster generation with native audio when the shot needs a Veo workflow at a lower rate.
Hero output
Veo 3.1 Standard
Reserve for shots whose final quality, 4K delivery or cinematic control justifies the highest per-second rate.
Prompt → operation → download
Give the operation a shot ID.
Veo generation is asynchronous. Preserve the returned operation, poll until completion, then download and archive the result with its prompt, model and settings.
let operation = await ai.models.generateVideos({
model: "veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview",
prompt: "locked vertical scene prompt",
config: {
aspectRatio: "9:16",
durationSeconds: 8,
resolution: "720p"
}
});
while (!operation.done) {
operation = await ai.operations.getVideosOperation({
operation
});
}Adapted from the official guide. Validate the current SDK and operation response before production deployment.
- CLIP 01
Choose the ledger
Decide whether this shot is made in Google Flow with credits or through the Gemini API with USD billing. Never merge the two units.
- CLIP 02
Lock the exact model
Record Standard, Fast, Lite or Omni Flash plus duration, ratio and resolution before submitting a controlled shot.
- CLIP 03
Count generated results
A Flow request can create more than one video. Count every generated result because Flow charges per generation, not per request.
- CLIP 04
Preserve the operation ID
The Gemini API returns a long-running operation. Store its name and poll until the generation finishes or fails.
- CLIP 05
Download and archive
Save the completed video and generation settings in production-controlled storage before continuing the edit.
- CLIP 06
Price picture lock
Combine every result and reroll, then divide the spend or credits by the seconds retained in the final sequence.
Same locked vertical-drama pilot
Review picture.
Review sound.
These prompts match the Runway, Kling and Luma packs. For Google routes, score visual continuity and native audio separately before accepting a take.
8 sec · strip 01
A / dialogue two-shot
Identity, dialogue and eyeline continuity
Vertical 9:16 medium two-shot inside a late-night convenience store. Mara, a woman in a charcoal coat with a small silver crescent pin, confronts Elias, a tired man in a pale blue work shirt. Keep both faces visible and preserve their exact wardrobe and relative positions. Mara says, ‘You knew the train was empty.’ Elias answers, ‘I knew who was waiting.’ Natural fluorescent ambience, restrained performances, no camera cut, subtle push-in, realistic synchronized dialogue and room tone.
8 sec · strip 02
B / reaction close-up
Face, wardrobe and emotional continuity
Vertical 9:16 close-up of Mara in the same late-night convenience store, wearing the same charcoal coat and silver crescent pin. She processes Elias’s answer without speaking: suspicion shifts into recognition, then controlled fear. Match the fluorescent direction and background geography from the prior two-shot. Locked camera, shallow depth of field, realistic micro-expression, no new props, no text, continuous room tone.
8 sec · strip 03
C / moving reveal
Motion, geography and prop continuity
Vertical 9:16 moving reveal in the same convenience store. Begin behind Elias’s right shoulder, track slowly past him and reveal a red suitcase beneath the counter behind Mara. Preserve both characters’ faces, wardrobe, store geography and fluorescent lighting. Elias remains foreground right; Mara remains behind the counter. The suitcase is the only new reveal. Controlled dolly movement, realistic reflections, no dialogue, tense refrigerator hum, no cuts.
This is a controlled input protocol, not a published quality result. Footage and retry data remain pending a legally obtained recorded run.
Google Flow and Veo FAQ
Before the first clip.
How much does the Veo 3.1 API cost?
The official Gemini Developer API table checked August 29, 2026 lists Veo 3.1 Standard with audio at $0.40 per second for 720p or 1080p and $0.60 for 4K. Fast costs $0.10, $0.12 and $0.30 respectively. Lite costs $0.05 for 720p and $0.08 for 1080p; Lite does not support 4K.
How much is an eight-second Veo 3.1 Fast API video?
At the listed paid-tier rates, eight seconds cost $0.80 at 720p, $0.96 at 1080p or $2.40 at 4K before retries, storage, editing and other production costs.
Are Google Flow credits the same as Gemini API billing?
No. Flow is a creator product with plan-based credits per generated result. The Gemini API publishes dollar rates per generated second. A Google AI subscription credit balance should not be treated as an API cash balance.
How many credits does Google Flow include?
The current Flow help page lists 50 free credits per day without a subscription, 200 monthly credits for Google AI Plus, 1,000 for Pro, 10,000 for the $100 Ultra plan and 25,000 for the $200 Ultra plan. Availability and plan terms can vary by region.
Why can one Google Flow request use credits twice?
Google says Flow costs are per generation rather than per request, and some features may produce two videos from one request. Budget and log output count, not only prompt submissions.
Does Veo 3.1 support vertical video and native audio?
Yes. The official guide lists 9:16 and 16:9 aspect ratios, and Veo 3.1 outputs video with natively generated audio. Test dialogue, sound effects and room tone as separate acceptance criteria.
Are ReelPulse's Google Flow retry and acceptance rates available?
Not yet. This guide publishes official prices, credit rules and a locked prompt protocol. Sample footage, attempts and acceptance data will be added only after a legally obtained recorded test run is complete.
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