ScanChess bills in credits and nothing else: 2 credits per scoresheet (converting handwritten moves into PGN), 1 credit per board photo (converting a board position into FEN), and 1 credit per AI explanation once the day's free ones are used (1 a day on Free, 5 on Pro, 15 on Pro+). There are no per-page fees, no export charges, and no paywalls on moves you have already scanned. Every new account begins with 10 free credits.
What each action costs
| Action | Credits | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Scoresheet photo → PGN | 2 | Up to 10 images per scan (front and back or multi-page), move validation, cloud sync |
| Board photo → FEN | 1 | Single board photo, screenshot, or diagram; side-to-move detection; saved as an editable position |
| AI explanation (game coach, a position, an event report summary) | Free: 1 free a day; Pro: 5; Pro+: 15; then 1 | Written from the engine's lines; the free ones are shared across all three |
| Best move finder: reading a photo of a real board | Free with a verified free account | Up to 50 reads per 24 hours; screenshots are read in your browser with no account at all |
| Editing moves, replay, engine analysis | Free | Real-time move editing with shorthand support, board replay, Stockfish analysis of every game |
| PGN export and clipboard copy | Free | Full or partial PGN export, copy-to-clipboard for Lichess or Chess.com |
| Game library and history | Free | Cloud history synced across devices, re-downloading PGN anytime |
A scoresheet scan costs 2 credits regardless of how many pages you upload for that game. A double-sided sheet photographed as two images and scanned together is one scan, not two: the moves are sequenced in order and billed once.
Credits pay for two things: AI recognition of your photos, and AI explanations beyond the free ones each day. Once a game is in your library, you can fix handwriting misreads, step through moves on the board, run Stockfish over it, check moves with the PGN validator, and export your PGN without spending another credit.
Why is the best move finder's photo read free when a board scan costs 1 credit? The finder only reads the picture to show the engine's answer, and it is capped at 50 reads a day. A board scan in the workspace saves an editable position to your account, so it is billed like any other scan.
Two additional protections prevent wasted credits:
- Zero-cost repeat scans: ScanChess identifies unchanged photos by image hash. Re-submitting an identical image returns the existing result at 0 credits rather than charging a second time.
- Automatic refunds on recognition failure: If an image cannot be processed due to a server issue or if no moves or board can be found, the system refunds the credits back to your balance immediately.
Where credits come from
- Signing up: Every new account starts with 10 free credits (enough for 5 scoresheets or 10 board photos). No credit card required. You can run an initial scan right away, then confirm your email address to unlock the full balance.
- Referrals: Share your personal invite link from the account menu. When a player registers through your link, both of you receive 5 bonus credits.
- Pro ($4.99/month or $29.99/year): Grants 100 credits every 30 days (about 50 scoresheets per month).
- Pro+ ($19.99/month or $119.99/year): Grants 500 credits every 30 days (about 250 scoresheets per month).
- China Store Pass: In mainland China, Pro is available as a 365-day pass for ¥99 CNY paid once with WeChat Pay, without automatic renewal.
Credits do not expire
Credits remain in your balance until you spend them. Monthly Pro grants are additive—they stack on top of your existing balance rather than replacing it. A low-volume month never wastes credits: if you scan 10 games in one month and bank the rest, your surplus carries forward.
The same applies if you cancel your subscription. Canceling stops the next billing charge, but all banked credits stay in your account and can be spent after Pro lapses.
What a credit costs in money: personal and tournament scenarios
On the monthly Pro plan ($4.99 for 100 credits), each credit costs about $0.05, or roughly $0.10 per scoresheet. On the yearly plan ($29.99 for twelve monthly grants of 100 credits), the cost drops to roughly $0.025 per credit, or $0.05 per scoresheet. Pro+ brings the rate to approximately $0.04 monthly or $0.02 yearly.
Compared to manually transcribing a 40-move game—which typically takes five to ten minutes in a PGN editor—ten cents saves meaningful time.
For clubs, arbiters, and coaches, credit consumption scales predictably:
| Scenario | Games to scan | Credits needed | Recommended plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club player (regular league) | 8 games/month (2/week) | 16 credits | Free allowance + referrals or Pro |
| Coach with tournament students | 18 games (e.g. 2 students in a 9-round Swiss) | 36 credits | Pro monthly ($4.99) |
| Weekend club Swiss tournament | 50 games (20 players, 5 rounds) | 100 credits | Pro monthly ($4.99) |
| Club championship or open event | 250 games (50 boards, 5 rounds) | 500 credits | Pro+ monthly ($19.99) |
Organizers running club tournaments can also use printable scoresheets designed for notation readability before scanning the round into PGN.
What happens when your balance runs out
ScanChess communicates credit requirements before running any recognition:
- Explicit button costs: The primary action button displays the exact cost before you click (
Scan · 2 creditsorRecognize · 1 credit). - Inline notification without data loss: If your balance is lower than the scan cost (for example, 1 credit when 2 are needed), an inline panel appears explaining: "You have 1 credit; this scan needs 2." Your uploaded images remain loaded in the interface—nothing is erased.
- Clear resolution paths: You can upgrade directly to Pro via the pricing page or copy your referral link to earn bonus credits.
- Existing games stay accessible: A zero balance only prevents new AI recognition and paid AI explanations. Your games library, engine analysis, board replay, move editing, and PGN downloads remain completely open.
Receipts, cancellation, and cross-platform usage
- Merchant of record and tax receipts: Web purchases are processed by Waffo (Waffo Pancake), which acts as the merchant of record and calculates applicable sales tax or VAT at checkout. Waffo sends an itemized receipt containing your Order ID by email. If you need a commercial tax invoice, email support@scanchess.com with your account email and Order ID.
- Self-serve cancellation: Subscriptions can be canceled at any time with one click on the pricing page under Your subscription → Cancel subscription. See how to cancel a ScanChess subscription for details.
- Refund terms: Payments are final and non-refundable, which is why the 10 free sign-up credits exist so you can test recognition quality first. ScanChess billing and refunds explains the policy and what to do instead if you no longer want to be billed.
- One balance everywhere: Your credit balance belongs to your account rather than a specific device, so it is the same in any browser you sign in from and in the ScanChess browser extension.
- Scan correction assistance: If a scan produces unusable notation due to unusual image corruption, email support@scanchess.com and we will restore the spent credits.
To test your scoresheets, start scanning at the ScanChess scanner, view plan options on the pricing page, or read our breakdown in ScanChess Free vs Pro.
