Get $1.50 in Free Credits to Test the Claude API on ClaudeAPI.com

Many developers want to use the Claude API but run into two practical blockers:

1. Direct access to Anthropic’s official offering may not fit every region or workflow.
2. It is hard to judge latency, errors, and output quality without spending real money first.

ClaudeAPI.com is an AI API gateway that helps you call Claude models through a unified endpoint. For new accounts, you receive $0.5 in credits on signup. Add our official support contact (WeChat; QR code in the console) and request a test top-up to receive another $1—$1.5 total free credits to experiment with, with no card required for this trial path.

What can $1.5 in credits cover?

Short answer: enough for a serious integration test, not just a hello-world.

Using claude-sonnet-4-6 (the platform’s default recommended model) as an example:

Those numbers are illustrative (actual usage depends on caching, tool calls, and exact token counts). They are still useful for sanity-checking connectivity, wiring your app logic, and comparing response quality—$1.5 is typically plenty for that phase.

How to claim the full $1.5

Step 1: Sign up and get $0.5

1. Go to claudeapi.com and create an account.
2. Confirm your email.
3. Open the console—$0.5 in credits is applied automatically.

The flow usually takes under two minutes. You do not need to add a payment method for this signup credit.

Step 2: Contact support for another $1

After registration, add the official support WeChat account (QR code is shown in the console), send a short message such as “Request test credits,” and the team will manually add $1 to your balance.

Combined: $0.5 + $1.0 = $1.5 in free test credits (subject to current campaign rules shown in the product).

Run your first API call in about five minutes

After credits appear, verify end-to-end access with the steps below.

Create an API key

In the console, go to API Keys → Create key, then copy and store it somewhere safe.

Set base_url

Important: Set base_url to https://gw.claudeapi.com. Apart from that gateway host, client usage follows the same patterns as Anthropic’s official SDK documentation.

Which models are available?

ClaudeAPI.com currently exposes the Claude model family, including:

For early testing, claude-sonnet-4-6 is a practical default: strong quality per dollar and aligned with the platform’s default recommendation.

FAQ

When does the $0.5 signup credit arrive?

As soon as email verification completes—no manual approval step for that portion.

How long does the extra $1 from support take?

Usually same day; allow up to 24 hours in busy periods.

Do free credits expire?

Yes—check the expiry shown in your console and use them before they lapse.

How is this different from calling Anthropic’s API directly?

Aside from pointing your client at https://gw.claudeapi.com (and using keys issued in the ClaudeAPI console), configuration and SDK usage mirror Anthropic’s documented client flows, which keeps migration friction low.

At a glance

Sign up and claim $0.5 in credits → claudeapi.com