How to pay for AI API credits with a virtual dollar card

Updated on October 23, 2026

An AI API is billed separately from the chat subscription: you buy credits or pay for usage. With a virtual Visa card holding a dollar balance, the card balance becomes the ceiling of your spending and your bank card stays out of the developer console.

Issue virtual card

How to pay for AI API credits with a virtual dollar card

What is the difference between the chat subscription and the API?

A chat subscription (for example a fixed monthly plan) and the API are separate products with separate billing. With the API you pay for what you consume, usually by volume of text, images or processing time, and the provider console shows your usage and balance.

Each provider decides how it charges: some sell prepaid credits, others bill usage at the end of the cycle. Check the billing page of your provider to see which one applies before you add the card.

How do you pay for API credits step by step?

Open the Guarapay app or the Telegram mini app @guarapay_bot and create an account.
Issue the virtual card; the issue fee is US$ 10 on Standard or US$ 100 on Premium.
Top up the monthly API budget plus the US$ 0.25 per-purchase fee, using a Visa or Mastercard bank card in your own name or USDT.
In the provider console, open the billing area and choose to add a payment method.
Enter the card number, expiry, security code, name and billing address as they appear in the app.
If the provider sells credits, buy the amount you plan to use; if it bills usage, set a spending limit in the console itself.
Look for the charge notification in the app, which arrives right away.

How does the card help you control API spending?

A leaked API key or a code loop with a bug can burn through credits faster than you expect. Because the card can only spend the balance you put on it, the damage is limited to that amount, and you can freeze the card in the app within seconds.

Use three limits together: a spending limit in the provider console, the monthly and per-purchase caps in the app, and a balance that covers only the month. Avoid automatic credit top-ups if the card balance is bigger than the budget you are willing to risk.

How much does it cost to pay for the API with the card?

The API price is what the provider shows in the console; Guarapay does not change it. On the card side, you top up the budget, the top-up fee (2% with USDT, 5% with a bank card) is taken at top-up and each approved charge costs US$ 0.25. It pays to group the spending into a few larger purchases instead of many small credit top-ups.

On Premium the USDT top-up fee is 1% (by bank card it stays 5%). There is no monthly card fee. If you top up with a local bank card, your bank may add its own taxes and exchange rate; with USDT the top-up lands directly in dollars.

The monthly limit of the card is US$ 10,000 on Standard and US$ 100,000 on Premium. If the project consumes more than that, split the purchase across months or look at the Premium plan.

Why was my API payment declined?

Insufficient balance: it must cover the credits and US$ 0.25 per purchase.
Caps in the app: the monthly or per-purchase cap may be lower than the credit amount.
Frozen card: unfreeze it in the app before trying again.
A name or billing address that differs from what the app shows.
Provider anti-fraud check: follow the on-screen instructions and do not repeat the payment several times in a row.
If a generation failed but credits were deducted, that is up to the provider: check its billing rules and open a ticket with the request log.
Try again after a few minutes and, if it still fails, contact support through the Telegram bot in the app or on the website.

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FAQ

Do API providers accept virtual cards?

They take card payments, and the Guarapay card works wherever Visa is accepted. Some providers may decline cards according to their own rules, so check the approval in the app.

Can I use the same card for the chat subscription and the API?

Yes, but the charges are separate. Add both up when you work out the card balance and caps.

What happens when the card balance runs out?

The next charge is declined and the money stays on your balance. The provider may pause API use until payment is made, according to its own rules.

How do I top up the balance?

In the app, with a Visa or Mastercard bank card in your own name or with USDT, with no minimum amount.

Is there a monthly fee for the card?

No. You pay the issue fee of US$ 10 (US$ 100 on Premium), the top-up fee of 2% with USDT (1% on Premium) or 5% with a bank card, and US$ 0.25 per approved purchase.