Step 1: Open your delivery details
After payment confirmation, CheapAI sends order and delivery updates by email. If you signed in or claim the order later, the same access package is also visible in the portal. Start by locating the API key and the base URL included with your order.
Delivery email retries should never create a second package. Resends reuse the same delivery snapshot.
Step 2: Choose a setup path
| If you want to... | Go here | Use this base URL |
|---|---|---|
| Make a direct request from code or curl | API Overview | https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app/v1 |
| Use Claude Code or another dev tool | Developer Tools | /v1 in the current public examples |
| Use ChatBox on desktop or mobile | ChatBox | /v1 |
Step 3: Send a simple test request
Before switching tools or chasing advanced settings, confirm the key and endpoint with a minimal request.
curl https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_CHEAPAI_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "claude-sonnet-4-6-20260217",
"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello from CheapAI."}]
}'If you receive a normal completion, your access package is working. After that you can move to a richer client, save your preferred model IDs, and claim the order in the portal if you want account-level history.
Verify and store safely
- Keep your API key in local environment variables, a secret manager, or your app's secure settings panel.
- Never paste a real key into screenshots, chat transcripts, or repo files.
- Save the model slug exactly as shown on Supported Models.
- If you bought as a guest, use the claim link later so you can manage the same order in the portal.
If you get stuck
Start with the troubleshooting page if you see 401 errors, model-not-found responses, delivery confusion, or base URL mismatches. For anything order-specific, Telegram support is the fastest route.