AssemblyAI: $50 in free speech-to-text credits

Who qualifies

• The free credits granted to new accounts apply to Pre-recorded STT, Real-time STT, Speech Understanding, and Guardrails
• New accounts receive $50 in free credits for Pre-recorded STT, Real-time STT, Speech Understanding, and Guardrails

What you need

• Credit/debit card
• Account on the platform
• Mentioned on the official page; exact requirements may vary.

Typical approval time

• Not stated on the official page — check the claim page.

Step by step

1. Sign up for a new AssemblyAI account; the $50 in free credits is added automatically and works for pre-recorded and real-time transcription. The LLM Gateway is not covered by the free credits.
2. To update the credit card on your account, log in to the dashboard , go to Workspace > Settings > Billing , and update your payment details
3. The free credits granted to new accounts apply to Pre-recorded STT, Real-time STT, Speech Understanding, and Guardrails
4. Early-stage startups can apply for the AssemblyAI Startup Program , designed to help startups build with the speech-to-text API without financial constraints
5. Purchasing there lets you consolidate billing with your existing AWS account and apply your spend toward AWS committed-use agreements

Common rejection reasons

• Not stated on the official page — check the claim page.

Tips & fine print

• You’re charged for the entire session — including any time the connection is idle with no audio flowing — so it’s important to close streaming sessions as soon as you’re done with them
• Credits do not expire, and any unused credits are retained on your account when you upgrade by adding a credit card