Payless.ai

A survey-funded AI assistant for VS Code. Get AI help without paying - complete surveys to earn credits that subsidize the backend LLM service.

Architecture

• Backend: Node.js + TypeScript API that owns all LLM API keys
• Extension: VS Code extension with ad sidebar and AI chat panel
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL + Auth with Google OAuth)
• Web: Next.js website at payless.chat

Project Structure

payless.ai/
├── backend/           # Node.js API server
├── extension/         # VS Code extension
├── web/               # Next.js website (for CPX Research surveys)
└── supabase/          # Database migrations

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• A Supabase project with Google OAuth configured
• API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, and/or Google AI

Supabase Setup

1. Create a new project at supabase.com
2. Run the migrations in supabase/migrations/ in order
3. Configure Google OAuth:

Auth Callback URL:

https://bycsqbjaergjhwzbulaa.supabase.co/auth/v1/callback

Google OAuth Setup:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project or select existing
3. Enable the Google+ API
4. Go to Credentials → Create OAuth 2.0 Client ID
5. Add authorized redirect URI: https://bycsqbjaergjhwzbulaa.supabase.co/auth/v1/callback
6. Copy Client ID and Client Secret
7. In Supabase Dashboard → Authentication → Providers → Google:
   • Enable Google provider
   • Paste Client ID and Client Secret

Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install
cp .env.example .env  # Configure your environment variables
npm run dev

Extension Setup

cd extension
npm install
npm run compile
# Press F5 in VS Code to launch extension development host

Environment Variables

Backend

Variable	Description
SUPABASE_URL	https://bycsqbjaergjhwzbulaa.supabase.co
SUPABASE_SERVICE_KEY	Supabase service role key
SUPABASE_JWT_SECRET	JWT secret for token verification
OPENAI_API_KEY	OpenAI API key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY	Anthropic API key
GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY	Google AI API key
PORT	Server port (default: 3000)

Extension Settings

Configure in VS Code Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,):

Setting	Description
payless-ai.backendUrl	Backend API URL (default: http://localhost:3000)
payless-ai.supabaseUrl	https://bycsqbjaergjhwzbulaa.supabase.co
payless-ai.extensionPageUrl	https://payless.chat/extension

Credit System

Users earn credits by completing surveys in the sidebar. The system is payout-based:

Metric	Value
Credits per $1	100 credits
Typical survey	20-100 credits
Survey length	2-15 minutes

How Credits Work

1. User opens the extension sidebar (shows available surveys)
2. User clicks a survey and completes it via CPX Research
3. CPX Research sends a postback to our server
4. Credits are added to user's ledger with reason survey_complete
5. User spends credits on AI features

API Endpoints

Endpoint	Description
POST /ads/heartbeat	Called every 30s to earn credits
GET /ads/stats	User's ad viewing statistics
GET /ads/config	Credit rate configuration

Supported AI Models

OpenAI

• GPT-5.1 (default), GPT-5.1 Thinking, GPT-5.1 Instant, GPT-5.1 Codex, GPT-5

Anthropic

• Claude Opus 4.5, Claude Sonnet 4.5 (default), Claude Haiku 4.5

Google

• Gemini 3 (default), Gemini 3 Thinking, Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Pro/Flash

CPX Research Survey Integration

The extension displays CPX Research surveys in the sidebar to fund free AI credits.

How Surveys Work in the Extension

1. WebView Display: The extension embeds payless.chat/extension
2. Survey List: Frontend fetches available surveys from /cpx/surveys
3. Survey Completion: User clicks a survey and completes it on CPX Research
4. Postback: CPX sends completion data to /cpx/postback
5. Credit Award: Backend adds credits based on survey payout

API Endpoints (CPX)

Endpoint	Description
GET /cpx/surveys	Fetch available surveys for user
GET /cpx/postback	CPX callback when survey completed
GET /cpx/config	Survey configuration

Web Frontend

Live at: payless.chat

• Landing page with features and pricing
• /extension - Embedded in VS Code sidebar (survey list)
• /privacy - Privacy Policy
• /terms - Terms of Service

Deploy to Vercel

cd /path/to/Payless.ai
npx vercel --prod

How It Works

1. Users sign in via Google OAuth through Supabase
2. Sidebar shows available surveys from CPX Research
3. User completes surveys to earn credits (100 credits/$1)
4. Credits accumulate in user's ledger
5. Users spend credits on AI chat features
6. Backend calls LLM providers using its own API keys

License

MIT