# Billing, API credits & token packs

> Choose the correct key type, pay or renew safely, and understand coupons, redeem codes, and low-balance offers.

## 1\. Choose what you are setting up

### API Credit

Choose this for a prepaid dollar balance. Usage deducts published customer pricing and the same key can use every model family allowed by its provider scope.

### Token Budget

Choose this when you bought a fixed token allowance. Select Claude, OpenAI, combined Claude + OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, Qwen, Local Models, or an exact-model pack such as DeepSeek V4 Flash. MiMo models are sold in the Local Models pack.

The billing type and provider scope are permanent for that key. If you are unsure which client needs which URL, use the selector below before buying.

## 2\. Use the matching base URL

**Start with the key you bought.** Choose its billing path, then the row that matches your client's protocol.

| Key type | Protocol | Use with | Base URL |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| API Credit | OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions or Responses | Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, Roo Code, SDKs, and direct HTTP | `https://api.scalemax.pro/v1` |
| API Credit | Native Anthropic Messages | Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and native Messages clients | `https://api.scalemax.pro` |
| Token Budget | OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, Qwen, DeepSeek, or Local Models token pack · OpenAI-compatible API | Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, Roo Code, SDKs, and direct HTTP | `https://api.scalemax.pro/token/v1` |
| Token Budget | Claude token pack · Native Anthropic Messages | Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and native Messages clients | `https://api.scalemax.pro/token` |
| Token Budget | Claude token pack · OpenAI-compatible adapter | OpenCode, Cursor, Roo Code, compatible SDKs, and direct HTTP | `https://api.scalemax.pro/token/v1` |

**The protocol decides whether the client field ends in `/v1`.** OpenAI-compatible clients use a base URL ending in `/v1`. Native Anthropic clients use the origin only, without `/v1`, because they append `/v1/messages` themselves. A Claude token key therefore reaches `/token/v1/messages` when the native client builds its request.

Use the key's matching billing surface and only models returned by its authenticated catalog. A Claude token key and an OpenAI token key are provider-scoped; neither can be swapped onto the other's models.

A combined Claude + OpenAI token key uses `https://api.scalemax.pro/token` in native Claude clients and `https://api.scalemax.pro/token/v1` in OpenAI-compatible clients.

## Token packs

These are base prices. A combined token key shares one allowance across supported Claude and OpenAI models. Provider-only and exact-model packs remain restricted to their named scope.

| API scope | Pack | Tokens | Base price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Claude + OpenAI | 10M | 10,000,000 | $2.50 |
| Claude + OpenAI | 100M | 100,000,000 | $23.00 |
| Claude + OpenAI | 1B | 1,000,000,000 | $200.00 |
| Claude | 10M | 10,000,000 | $2.50 |
| Claude | 100M | 100,000,000 | $23.00 |
| Claude | 1B | 1,000,000,000 | $200.00 |
| OpenAI | 10M | 10,000,000 | $2.30 |
| OpenAI | 100M | 100,000,000 | $21.00 |
| OpenAI | 1B | 1,000,000,000 | $185.00 |
| Gemini | 10M | 10,000,000 | $2.30 |
| Gemini | 100M | 100,000,000 | $21.00 |
| Gemini | 1B | 1,000,000,000 | $185.00 |
| Grok | 100M | 100,000,000 | $3.00 |
| Grok | 1B | 1,000,000,000 | $23.00 |
| Qwen | 10M | 10,000,000 | $12.00 |
| Qwen | 50M | 50,000,000 | $55.00 |
| Qwen | 100M | 100,000,000 | $100.00 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 100M | 100,000,000 | $3.00 |
| GLM 5.2 | 100M | 100,000,000 | $10.00 |
| Local Models | 10M | 10,000,000 | $2.20 |
| Local Models | 100M | 100,000,000 | $13.00 |
| Local Models | 500M | 500,000,000 | $58.00 |

Local Models draw from a pack at a per-model rate. Most models draw 1:1, but a cheaper model can draw less than the tokens it actually used and a more expensive one can draw more — at 0.7x, one million tokens of usage costs 700K from your balance. The exact rate is shown next to every model id on the checkout page, and each request records the tokens actually taken in your usage log.

## API-credit packs

API-credit packs add a prepaid dollar balance. Pack cards show only the base price; the payment-method fee appears at checkout.

| Pack | Base price | Usage credits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $2.50 | $25.00 |
| Growth | $10.00 | $105.00 |
| Power | $50.00 | $535.00 |
| Scale | $100.00 | $1,100.00 |

## Payment-method fees

ScaleMax absorbs processor fees. No processing fee is added to the pack price. Checkout shows any discount and the exact charged total before you approve payment.

| Method | Fee | How it is charged |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cryptomus | No fee | USD total at the pack price |
| PayPal | No fee | USD total at the pack price |
| PayU | No fee | INR total at the published ScaleMax settlement rate |
| Cashfree | No fee | INR total at the published ScaleMax settlement rate |

## Coupons

1. Select a pack and payment method.
2. Enter the coupon in the checkout summary and choose **Apply**.
3. Confirm the discount and final total before paying.

Coupons can be limited to selected payment gateways and a maximum number of uses per API username. ScaleMax checks the gateway, schedule, global capacity, and your personal use count again when the order is created. A rejected coupon does not change your key or balance.

## Redeem codes

Sign in with the paid key you want to fund, select it in Settings, then open [Redeem code](https://dashboard.scalemax.pro/redeem). The entitlement is added to that same key; no replacement key is created.

- A universal standard-key code works with paid OpenAI-only, Claude-only, and combined Claude + OpenAI keys.
- API-credit keys receive the dollar credit printed on the code.
- Token-budget keys receive 500,000 tokens per $1 of issued value, so $2 adds 1,000,000 tokens.
- Trial keys, DeepSeek keys, and other exact-model or nonstandard keys cannot redeem these codes.

## Low-balance top-up offer

When an API-credit key falls below $1 or a token key falls below 1,000,000 tokens, the dashboard displays a private top-up reminder. Eligible customers receive 10% off for the first 12 hours. If that window passes, the reminder changes to a 5% offer so the account can still be topped up without creating a new key.

The banner shows the active deadline and checkout confirms the exact discount. Payment-gateway and coupon eligibility rules still apply.

## Renewal rules

- A token key renews only with token packs for the same scope.
- A combined Claude + OpenAI token key renews only with combined packs.
- A provider-only token key cannot buy a pack for another scope.
- An API-credit key renews only with API-credit packs.
- A username cannot be reused for another billing type or API.
- Renewal adds to the existing allowance or balance. Your existing API key stays the same.

## First purchase

1. Choose a unique lowercase username.
2. Select API Credit or the token scope your clients need.
3. Review the permanent key type, provider scope, and base price.
4. Choose any payment method currently shown as available; apply an eligible coupon; then review any discount and the exact total.
5. Complete checkout, return through the private status link, and save the issued API key and displayed base URL.

## Top up an existing key

Log in with the existing ScaleMax key and open [Billing & renewal](https://dashboard.scalemax.pro/billing). The dashboard shows only compatible packs. The server repeats the billing-type and provider-scope checks before creating an order, so a modified browser request cannot convert the key.

## Payment status

| Status | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Awaiting payment | The invoice is open. | Follow the provider instructions before it expires. |
| Confirming payment | The transaction is being confirmed. | Keep the private return page or check again later. |
| Payment confirmed | ScaleMax is applying the entitlement. | Wait for completion; do not pay again. |
| Completed | Credits or tokens were delivered. | Save a first-purchase key or return to Billing & renewal. |
| Needs review | Payment or entitlement data did not match. | Do not pay again; contact support with the order ID. |

## Keep payment details safe

- Keep the private return/status link private.
- Never send a full API key, wallet secret, recovery phrase, or private status link to support.
- Share only the ScaleMax order ID, displayed status, and approximate time.
- Do not reuse an expired invoice or change the payment network.

## Related

- [Models and pricing](https://docs.scalemax.pro/docs/models) — the per-model input and output rates a request is charged at.
- [Pricing and accounting architecture](https://docs.scalemax.pro/docs/pricing-architecture) — how a request becomes a credit deduction.
- [Usage Checker](https://docs.scalemax.pro/docs/usage-checker) — remaining balance, expiry, and request totals for one key.
- [Troubleshooting](https://docs.scalemax.pro/docs/troubleshooting) — recovery steps for a payment, coupon, or redeem problem.
- [ScaleMax support](https://docs.scalemax.pro/docs/support) — what to include when a confirmed payment still needs review.