# Dollar caps: reserve, settle, and the limits of an estimate

cap 5000 microdollars; every call really costs 2000; maxTokens 256 (estimate about 2,570)
  call 1: answered, cost 2000, spent so far 2000
  call 2: answered, cost 2000, spent so far 4000
  call 3: rejected before the provider was called (provider calls so far: 2)

cap 8000; prompt estimated at 100 tokens but the provider counts 3000 (code, other scripts, images do this)
  spent after 2 calls: 12200 (cap 8000); the second call was admitted on its estimate

cap 2700, a two-call tool loop: rejected on the SECOND model call; tool executions so far: 1