This is a topic that can easily get confusing once AI APIs are used at scale. Token usage might seem like a small technical detail at first, but it can quickly become a major part of understanding and controlling API costs.

I especially like the practical focus on how tokens are counted and how billing is connected to actual usage. Having that visibility makes it much easier to estimate expenses, optimize prompts, and avoid unexpected costs.

A useful reminder that building with AI isn’t only about model performance—understanding the economics behind each request matters too.