What is the Minds Credits System? Definition and Model
The Minds Credits System is the usage-based billing model of the Minds platform for synthetic market research. It bills qualitative and quantitative studies by simulated responses, eliminating fixed panel and recruitment fees.
The Minds Credits System is the usage-based billing model of the Minds platform, through which quantitative and qualitative synthetic market research studies are priced by generated answers. Instead of fixed recruitment honorariums or rigid panel fees, every interaction of a Mind within a study consumes a defined response volume based on flexible credits.
The billing system of Minds is based on the unit of the response. Every time a Mind evaluates a stimulus within a study, answers an open-ended question, participates in a scale rating, or makes a choice in a MaxDiff design, exactly one response is charged. Under the Pay-as-you-go model, the price is 0.12 euros or 0.12 US dollars per response. For German accounts, prices include applicable VAT, while US accounts display prices exclusive of local taxes. Users can invite as many team members and viewers as they want to their workspace free of charge. Prepaid credits do not expire immediately upon inactivity, but roll over. Alternatively, the Pro plan offers a monthly quota of 5,000 shared responses and 25 saved audiences per user for 199 euros per month or 1,990 euros per year including VAT. For broader enterprise requirements, Enterprise is available starting at 15,000 euros per year plus VAT with contractually agreed terms. Basic registration is free, but does not include automated trial credits, as running simulations requires purchasing responses.
A consumer goods manufacturer based in Frankfurt am Main wants to evaluate three new packaging designs for an organic vegan snack line. Instead of commissioning an external online panel for several thousand euros and waiting weeks for fieldwork, the market research team creates an audience of 200 Minds in Minds, representing urban, nutrition-conscious consumers. The team sets up a quantitative study with a MaxDiff exercise alongside two open-ended follow-up questions. Across three questions asked to 200 Minds, a total of 600 responses are generated. Under the Pay-as-you-go model, the pure execution costs amount to 72.00 euros including VAT. Within minutes, the team receives directional preference metrics and qualitative rationales, analyzes the strongest design elements, and can launch a refined second iteration the very next day without having to submit budget requests for panel incentives.
Minds combines this flexible consumption model with an end-to-end research platform for synthetic market research. Beneath every simulation runs the Minds PRISM engine, which synthesizes publicly available data sources with approved research contexts to directionally mirror sound and consistent behavioral patterns. Through the Credits System, users access this stack directly, whether conducting simple free-text surveys, complex single-choice designs, or MaxDiff methodologies. There are no costs for participant dropouts, nor are there additional fees for creating audiences or exporting results. All simulated research data should be understood as context-dependent, directional decision aids for early concept stages, designed to prevent misallocations in subsequent physical field studies.
The Minds Credits System enables organizations to quickly and predictably adopt synthetic audience research without expensive minimum contract terms or recruitment budgets. Marketing and insights teams retain complete control over their research spend, allowing them to thoroughly test prototypes, claims, and designs prior to rollout. To learn how you can accelerate your research workflows with predictable response costs, book a conversation at getminds.ai or create an account directly at /?register=true.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Minds Credits System?
The Minds Credits System is the billing model used by Minds for synthetic audience research. Instead of expensive participant recruitment or rigid monthly subscriptions, teams pay based on the interactions actually conducted, known as responses. This enables precise budgeting for qualitative inquiries and quantitative methods like MaxDiff with complete flexibility.
How does the Minds Credits System differ from traditional market research costs?
Traditional fieldwork requires substantial budgets for incentives, panel providers, screening, and dropout rates. The Minds Credits System completely eliminates these variable recruitment costs. Users purchase response credits or use quotas included in their plan to run studies with virtual target audiences with zero lead time and no participant honorariums.
When should the Minds Credits System be used?
The system is ideal for marketing, innovation, and UX teams looking to quickly test concepts, claims, mockups, or product variants before physical field tests. Thanks to the usage-based approach, hypotheses can be iteratively refined without tying up four-figure sums upfront for panel recruitment.
How should data privacy requirements be evaluated with the Minds Credits System?
Specific requirements for data protection, hosting, data storage, and security standards must be reviewed in advance for each configured workspace. Minds provides no blanket legal guarantees regarding data residency or universal compliance.
