Short answer
OpenRouter accepts crypto, but only USDC, paid through a Coinbase checkout on its web credits page. Its FAQ says crypto purchases carry a fee and are never refundable, and its programmatic crypto top-up endpoint has been retired. If you already hold USDC, that works. If your stablecoins are USDT, you can top up TeamoRouter instead: it takes USDT, USDC or ETH, which you send from Binance, OKX or any exchange app, with no wallet extension needed. The checkout shows which networks your amount supports (BEP20 works from $5). One balance covers Claude, GPT, Gemini and other models.
"You must have at least 1 USDC (Base) in your wallet to save it as a payment method."
OpenRouter shows this when you try to save a crypto wallet as a payment method and the wallet doesn't hold at least 1 USDC on the Base network. As the message says, only USDC on Base counts: USDT, ETH, or USDC on another network such as Ethereum or Solana won't satisfy it.
To get past it, move at least 1 USDC to Base in the wallet you are connecting, then save it again. If your crypto is in USDT, or you don't want to bridge to Base, you can pay a gateway that takes USDT directly instead, as described under "Paying with USDT on TeamoRouter" below and in the step-by-step USDT guide.
OpenRouter's crypto API is deprecated: POST /api/v1/credits/coinbase returns 410 Gone
OpenRouter's Crypto API page now says Coinbase deprecated the APIs behind the old flow, so POST /api/v1/credits/coinbase has been removed and returns 410 Gone. That covers the programmatic Coinbase Commerce charge flow, including the version that returned on-chain calldata for direct settlement. OpenRouter points users to the credits page in the browser instead, which still takes USDC.
In practice:
- Scripts and agents that topped up OpenRouter with crypto stop working. If your code called that endpoint, it now gets a 410 and has to be replaced by a manual purchase on the web page.
- Crypto top-ups are USDC only, by hand. USDT isn't accepted, and the FAQ lists a 5% fee with no refunds on crypto purchases.
If you hold USDT, TeamoRouter takes it directly. To be clear, TeamoRouter doesn't offer a programmatic crypto top-up API either: you top up through a hosted checkout page, by sending USDT, USDC or ETH from an exchange app (Binance, OKX and others) or any wallet, from $5. Once the balance is there, the same API key works for Claude, GPT, Gemini and DeepSeek. The steps are below.
What OpenRouter accepts
From OpenRouter's own FAQ and pricing page (checked October 2026):
- Payment methods: credit and debit cards, AliPay, and crypto in USDC. Enterprise customers can pay by invoice.
- Fees: OpenRouter does not mark up model prices; it charges a fee when you buy credits (5.5% on the Standard plan, 8% on Business). Its FAQ lists a 5% fee for crypto payments.
- Refunds: unused card credits can be refunded within 24 hours; crypto payments are never refundable.
- API top-ups: the old Coinbase Commerce endpoint (
POST /api/v1/credits/coinbase) now returns410 Gone. Crypto purchases go through the web credits page, which uses Coinbase Business Checkouts.
So with OpenRouter you need USDC in a wallet the Coinbase checkout supports, and you buy credits by hand in the browser.
Why USDT holders get stuck
In much of Asia, Russia, Latin America and Africa, USDT is the stablecoin people actually hold, often on TRON or in an exchange account. To pay OpenRouter they have to swap to USDC first, which adds a trade, a withdrawal and sometimes a bridge, before paying the crypto fee.
Paying with USDT on TeamoRouter
TeamoRouter is an API gateway with one balance for Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek and other models. Top-ups accept USDT, USDC or ETH, sent from any exchange app or wallet. You don't need a browser extension, and it works on a phone.
- Sign in to TeamoRouter, open the top-up dialog, pick an amount (minimum $5) and click "Pay with crypto".
- On the checkout page, choose a coin (USDT, USDC or ETH), then the network you'll send on. The checkout shows which networks your amount supports (BEP20 works from $5).
- Within 60 minutes, send that coin on that same network to the address shown, from Binance, OKX, Bybit or any wallet, so that the amount received is no less than the amount on the page. Your balance is credited automatically once the payment is confirmed.
If your USDT is already on X Layer, you can still click Have USDT on X Layer? Pay with OKX Wallet in the top-up dialog and sign with the OKX Wallet extension.
The full walkthrough, with error messages and fixes, is in How to pay for the Claude API with USDT.
Which one fits you
| OpenRouter | TeamoRouter | |
|---|---|---|
| Coins | USDC | USDT, USDC or ETH (networks depend on the amount) |
| How you pay | Coinbase checkout on the web | Checkout page; send from any exchange app or wallet |
| Gas | Depends on the network you pay from | Your exchange's withdrawal fee |
| Crypto fee | 5%, per its FAQ | None added by the checkout |
| Crypto refunds | Never refundable | Never refundable |
| Other payment methods | Cards, AliPay | Cards, Alipay |
Pick OpenRouter if you want its very large model catalog or need its routing features. Pick TeamoRouter if your stablecoins are USDT and you'd rather not swap them, if you hold USDC and would rather not pay the 5% crypto fee, or if you mainly use Claude, GPT and image models and want one balance for them.
Using the balance
After the top-up, create an API key in the console. The same key works for:
- Claude (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus) on the native Anthropic protocol: Claude Code setup
- GPT models, including the GPT-6 family that Codex uses, on the OpenAI-compatible protocol
- Image models such as GPT Image
- Gemini, DeepSeek and others
You're charged per token. There's no subscription.
FAQ
Does OpenRouter accept USDT? Its FAQ lists crypto payments in USDC only.
Can I top up OpenRouter with crypto through the API? Not any more. The Coinbase Commerce credits endpoint returns 410; use the web credits page.
Do I need an OKX exchange account to pay TeamoRouter with USDT? No. Send USDT from Binance, OKX, Bybit or any wallet; the checkout shows which networks your amount supports (BEP20 works from $5), and no wallet extension is needed.
Can I pay on my phone? Yes. The checkout page works in a mobile browser, and you send the USDT from your exchange app.
No crypto at all? TeamoRouter also takes cards. See How to pay for Claude when your card gets declined.