Help & guidance
Quick answers about using the Impact Engine, credits, billing, method, and data handling.
How to run a simulation
What’s the best prompt format?
Include the item/activity, geography, and unit. Add key assumptions when relevant (mass, distance, energy mix, lifetime).
Emission factor vs LCA (β): which one should I use?
Use an emission factor when you need a fast intensity estimate (per unit). Use LCA (β) when you need a more detailed, decision-ready footprint for a specific product scenario.
Where do I see results later?
Final outputs are saved in your Archive so you can reuse them without rerunning the simulation. You can delete items at any time.
Why do results show a range?
The engine runs multiple scenarios to capture variability and produce a distribution (mean, spread). Treat it as an estimate — validate before external reporting.
Plans, credits, and invoices
What’s the difference between monthly and top‑up credits?
Monthly credits come with your subscription. Top‑up credits are one‑time purchases that stay on your account (roll over). The Impact Engine always uses monthly credits first, then top‑ups.
When do my monthly credits reset?
Monthly credits reset on your billing date. Pro and Expert monthly credits can roll over for up to two months (you can accumulate a maximum of two months of monthly credits). Free plan does not roll over.
Can I change plan easily?
Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade anytime. Changes apply immediately and pro‑rating is handled automatically.
How do I download invoices or manage my subscription?
Use the billing portal in your Account to update your payment method, manage your plan, and download Stripe invoices.
Why is Bulk upload locked?
Bulk upload is available on the Expert plan, and can be enabled for Pro during limited beta offers.
Do you offer annual billing?
Pro and Expert include a discount when billed annually. Annual subscriptions are billed yearly, but monthly credits still reset each month.
How InstantLCAi works (short)
Reference selection
The engine selects the most relevant factor based on your prompt (item, geography, unit, assumptions) and cross-checks against available references.
Uncertainty propagation
Multiple scenarios are simulated to capture variability across activity data, factors, and transport assumptions and produce a robust distribution.
Outputs you can use
Results are returned as summary metrics and exportable outputs. Use them for scoping and internal decisions — validate before external reporting.
Scope and limits
Outputs are estimates and depend on assumptions. If you need a fully documented study, commissioning a full LCA remains the standard.
How we handle your data
What data do you store?
We store account data (email, authentication data), plan/credits, and billing identifiers. We also store final results in your Archive.
How long do you keep saved results?
Saved results are retained for up to 80 days. You can delete your archived items at any time.
Do you store Bulk uploads?
Bulk files are processed to generate the output workbook. We keep the resulting workbook in your Archive (so you can download it later).
Where can I read the full legal text?
See the Privacy & Disclaimer page.
Need help? Contact us.