Google Developer Program Premium - Billing questions

I’ve been looking into the Google developer program - Premium as a complement to my workplace setup, essentially having a playground where I can try out new things without ruining existing workflows etc.

How does GCP Developer Program Premium work with billing? I want to be able to click around without worrying about a sudden surge in cost, or surprise $2000 bills due to a bug or by accidentally activating something expensive.

Can you use the developer program and the credits you get with the program without active billing? I’ve searched far and wide without finding an answer to this question.