Each RANCH user's account has a ‘RANCH Safe’. Initially, it contains 0.00 €, but you can refill it anytime by buying a Refill. You need a minimum of 10 Ranch Credits in the safe to start a project. We offer 30€ for new users as a reminder.

Each time you run a project, the amount corresponding to the computing capacity used is automatically removed from your Safe.

If your project costs more than the amount you have left in your Safe, it will be automatically stopped. We let only a small 20% margin error of overdraft in the account by default. For instance, if you have 500 Ranch Credits when the project starts, then the safe balance can go up to -100€ before being stopped automatically.

A project will run until there are no more credits in your safe. Please be aware that your amount of RANCH Credits is computed in real time when one of your projects is running. If the system finds that your currently running project has spent the remaining amount of credits in your account, it will automatically stop it.

If a project is stopped, you may or may not get back some data, depending on the type and length of the project. If frames of an animation have already been rendered when the project stops, these will of course be available.

With this real-time credit system, you are sure that you will not be over-charged if your project lasts longer than expected because your underestimated the time needed to render it. However, it also means that you can no longer pay after the project is done: you must have a sufficient amount of credits in your Ranch account for the render to finish. Switching to this system was necessary considering the abuses we have seen these last years (some indelicate customers rendering for hours and not wanting to pay for it afterwards).

Please note that the amount of RANCH Credits available in your Safe is displayed in near real-time above the waiting list when one of your projects is running. We recommend you check it from time to time, that way you will be able to refill your Ranch Safe before your credits run out and your project stops.

Finally, although there are no render time limits anymore, we reserve the right to manually interrupt a project if it demonstrates an abnormal behavior or consumes an excessive amount of time. In any case we will try to contact you before stopping the project.

If you know in advance that your frames will require a huge amount of time, please inform us of this before sending the project.

Please note that, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we will send you an email and a reminder 5 years after your last project submission to keep your account live. If you do not express your will to remain in our database, your account will be deleted and potential remaining RANCH Credits will be lost.