What actually costs a ticket
One rule covers almost everything: a ticket buys a robot, for one board. Count the robots at the table, multiply by the number of boards, and that is the price.
| At the table | Cost per board |
|---|---|
| You and a human partner, no advanced robots | Free |
| You and a human partner, advanced robots E–W | 1 |
| You and Lia, no advanced robots | 1 |
| You and Lia, advanced robots E–W | 2 |
| Entering the Daily or the Weekly | 1 per board, each — so 8 and 24 |
When your partner has none left
You can cover both shares, which means paying double for the session. That is how a subscriber keeps practicing with a partner who is not one.
One Heart account can cover both
If a player with unlimited tickets starts the session, or sends the invitation, neither player pays. The direction matters: a Heart player who was invited covers only their own seat, and you still pay full price.
Your first sessions are free
Lia does not charge a new player. Until you have ten sessions behind you, or five with her — whichever comes first — she costs nothing in partner’s seat, so you can find out whether you like practicing that way before it comes out of your allowance. Advanced robots as opponents still cost their ticket a board during that grace.
Where to find your balance
Your remaining tickets show beside the ticket icon in the app, and the session setup screen shows the price of the session you are about to start before you start it. That price line is worth a glance: it is the fastest way to notice that advanced robots are switched on.
What you get each month
The monthly allowance resets rather than accumulates: whatever is left at the start of the new month replaces it rather than adding to it. Subscribing part-way through a month clears your spent count straight away, so the new allowance is available at once.
| Account | Tickets a month |
|---|---|
| Free | 48 |
| Club | 96 |
| Diamond | 240 |
| Heart | Unlimited |
Bonus and bought tickets
We sometimes send extra tickets through the in-app message system, and they have to be claimed, so those messages are worth reading. Tickets bought in bulk from the store arrive the same way.
Both sit in a separate pool on top of the monthly allowance, which is why they behave differently: the monthly reset does not touch them and they never expire.
What a subscription changes
A higher tier means a larger monthly allowance and access to more deal types. Heart removes the ticket question entirely.
Tickets and your partner
A session is charged to both players. If your partner has run out, you can cover their share and pay double, which is how a subscriber keeps practicing with a partner who is not one.
This is also why friend permissions exist. A friend set to Allow all or Practice + invite events can start a session that spends your tickets without asking first; the other two levels cannot. The control is the ticket icon beside each name in your friends list, and a change takes effect immediately.
When you run out
- Bid with your partner without advanced robots. That never costs anything, so it works on an empty balance.
- Check your in-app messages: bonus tickets are sometimes sent there and have to be claimed.
- Buy a bulk pack in the store; those do not expire.
- Consider a higher tier, which brings a larger allowance — or, on Heart, no limit at all.
- Wait for the reset at the start of the month.
Tickets that seem to have vanished
Three explanations cover nearly every case. The month rolled over and the allowance reset. A session with advanced robots cost more than you expected, because the price is per board and not per session. Or a friend with permission started a session that charged you.
- Check the ticket icon beside each name in your friends list to see who can spend them.
- Remember that entering the Daily or the Weekly costs a ticket a board too.
- If a charge still looks wrong, tell us and we will look at it.
Common questions
Is Cuebids free?
Bidding with a partner is free without limit. Tickets pay for robots and for events, and a free account gets 48 a month.
What does one board with robots cost?
One ticket per robot per board. Advanced robots East–West are one; Lia in partner’s seat is one; both together are two.
Do unused tickets carry over?
Monthly tickets do not. Bonus tickets from in-app messages and tickets bought in the store do accumulate and do not expire.
Can my partner spend my tickets?
Only if their friend permission level allows it. Allow all and Practice + invite events can; Invite events only and Disallow all cannot.
Can I pay for my partner?
Yes. If they are out, you can cover both shares, which costs you double for that session. And if either of you has Heart, whichever of you starts the session covers both.
Do events cost tickets?
Yes, a ticket per board per person — eight for the Daily and 24 for the Weekly. This is the second place tickets go, after robot practice.
Where to go next
Next guide
Like this article?