# What is a 'token' ?

![](https://3346503218-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LLomF5LRsFBEqyuX095%2F-LsoF5ROdhD1HeyPnSNX%2F-LsoFAKTm4U_35jCfs2s%2Ficons8-sac-d%26%2339%3Bargent-64.png?alt=media\&token=d2803c39-74f9-40c2-8861-30c52f0bac93)

## All NETGuard pricing plans include a pay-per-use option that use Token as virtual currency

It means that you will **only pay for what you use**, you will not be charged monthly and pay for days when you want to obfuscate your file only once in a while.

`A token is a digital coin that you spare in order to unlock the premium statu, and therefore be able to select premium obfuscation techniques.`

That means **you can select as many obfuscation features as you want**, in the end you will always pay only one token per file.

Let's take an example with an imaginary program :

| Filename        | MD5                                  | Token cost |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------- |
| myFile v1.0.0.0 | 4D1D4F2CF85A8F1DB9966B5196570ECB     | 1          |
| myFile v1.0.0.0 | 4D1D4F2CF85A8F1DB9966B5196570ECB     | 0          |
| myFile v1.0.0.0 | 4D1D4F2CF85A8F1DB9966B5196570ECB     | 0          |
| myFile v1.0.0.1 | **D03EFD80B566869F7A526DC084B7E749** | 1          |
| myFile v1.0.0.0 | 4D1D4F2CF85A8F1DB9966B5196570ECB     | 1          |

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Edited files, even only one byte, are considered to be different !**
{% endhint %}

As you can see, **if the last file you try to protect has its MD5 the same as the current file you want to obfuscate, the token cost is null**. That is meant to easily fix compatibility issue with strong obfuscation features.

However, **if you change / update the original file, its MD5 will change**, that is why **it will costs you a token**.