How to pay for the Claude, GPT & Gemini API without a credit card (USDT, UPI & more)

The official Claude, OpenAI and Gemini APIs — and aggregators like OpenRouter — bill in USD and require an international credit or debit card. If you’re in India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East or LATAM, that’s a real wall: no card, a domestic-only card that gets declined, or no easy way to pay in foreign currency.

A unified gateway like nexinfer removes that wall. You buy prepaid credits with the payment method you actually have, then use the same real models at a lower price.

Payment methods

Method	Status	Best for
USDT (crypto, TRC-20)	✅ Available	Anyone without an international card — instant, low fee, global
Credit / debit card	✅ Available	If you do have a card and prefer it
Alipay / WeChat Pay	✅ Available	Chinese-speaking developers
UPI (India)	🔜 On the roadmap	Indian developers — see note below

No international card required. Top up, get a key, and you’re billed only for what you use.

Pay with USDT (no card needed)

USDT is the simplest no-card route — it works the same everywhere.

Sign up and open Billing → Top up.
Choose USDT (TRC-20) and the amount.
Send from any wallet or exchange to the address shown.
Credits appear automatically — start calling the API.

Then point your tool at the gateway:

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.nexinfer.com   # Claude Code
# or
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.nexinfer.com/v1   # Codex / OpenAI SDK

Crypto top-ups also mean no chargebacks and no card declines — your balance is yours.

A note on UPI (India)

UPI is the way India pays, but it’s tightly regulated for cross-border use, which is why most global providers can’t accept it. We’re enabling UPI through a compliant cross-border route — it’s on the roadmap, not live yet. Until then, USDT is the fastest no-card option for Indian developers. We won’t pretend it’s available before it is.

Why a gateway is cheaper anyway

Beyond the payment flexibility, you’re paying up to 40% less than official list prices on the same models — with published multipliers (no hidden routing markup), real models (never swapped), and zero request logging.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the Claude or GPT API without a credit card? Yes — pay with USDT (crypto), Alipay or WeChat. No international card required.

Can I pay with UPI? Not yet — UPI is on the roadmap via a compliant cross-border provider. Use USDT in the meantime.

Is USDT safe and instant? Top-ups confirm on-chain in minutes and credits are added automatically. No chargebacks, no card declines.

Can I get a refund? Unused prepaid balance is refundable per our refund policy. (Confirm current terms at checkout.)