Why is there no free tier?
Because free tiers expire, get suspended, or quietly delete projects that went quiet for a month — and that is exactly when a beginner loses the thing they made. A dollar makes your project ordinary rather than provisional.
Why do you need a card at signup?
To charge the $20. It also means there is no trial countdown and no day where your live app stops working because a clock ran out.
Will you ever auto-charge me for usage?
No. Variable cost comes out of prepaid credits you bought on purpose. When they run out, those features pause and your app stays online.
What if I go over a cap?
Credits cover it if you have them, and the feature pauses if you do not. You get a note at 20% and again at 5%, so it is not a surprise.
Can I run more than one project?
Yes — each project is its own $20. There is no seat pricing and no per-project setup fee.