# Run your API relay station on one managed upstream channel

> Markdown mirror of https://router.one/llm-api-relay-station for AI assistants and crawlers. Router One is an OpenAI-compatible LLM API gateway.

An API relay station aggregates upstream channels behind relay software — usually one-api or new-api — and serves models to your own users under your own accounts and pricing. Router One slots in as one OpenAI-compatible channel that reaches 40+ models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi): one base URL, one API key, no per-provider account juggling. The pay-as-you-go token line uses posted model rates, with checkout-visible FX/channel fees kept separate — what you charge your downstream users stays your call.

## Add Router One as a channel in one-api / new-api

Both one-api and new-api take the same three inputs for an OpenAI-compatible channel: the base URL, an API key, and the model IDs the channel should serve. Create a dedicated key for the relay (with its own maxSpend budget so the whole station has a hard ceiling), paste the endpoint below, then copy exact model IDs from the /models page — IDs are case-sensitive and the page lists live per-token rates next to each one.

```bash
# Channel settings in one-api / new-api
Base URL:  https://api.router.one/v1
API Key:   sk-rk-your-router-one-key
Models:    copy exact model IDs from /models
```

## One Router One channel vs a rack of provider-direct channels

| Running the station | One Router One channel | Provider-direct channels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Models behind one channel | 40+ models across GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi families | One family per account; every provider is another channel to babysit |
| Retry behavior upstream | Retryable upstream failures can move to another eligible candidate under gateway policy | You script retries channel by channel |
| Per-request visibility | Trace per request: model, tokens, cost, latency, status | Whatever each provider's console exposes |
| Spend ceiling per channel | The channel's key carries maxSpend, rate limit, and TPM caps | Account-wide billing, capped after the bill arrives |
| Billing and top-up | One wallet — card or Alipay via hosted checkout, or USDT/USDC on six chains | Separate billing per provider account |
| Reachable from mainland China | Direct connectivity, no VPN required | Varies by provider |

## Cap each downstream group before it caps you

Relay software already meters your users — Router One meters the upstream side. Issue a separate key per relay instance, user group, or resold tier; each key's maxSpend, rate limit, and per-minute token cap put a hard ceiling on what any single group can burn. When a downstream user disputes a charge, the per-request trace (model, tokens, cost, latency, status) is the receipt you reconcile against.

## The relay operator's credibility problem: is it the real model?

Every relay station lives or dies on one question from its users: am I getting the model I paid for? On Router One the model you request is the model served — no silent downgrades or substitutions — and every response is backed by a per-request trace you can show. Prompt and completion bodies are not retained; only request metadata is logged for billing, routing, and observability.

## FAQ

### How do I add Router One as a channel in one-api or new-api?

Create an OpenAI-compatible channel, set the base URL to the endpoint shown above, paste an API key created for the relay, and list the model IDs you want the channel to serve (copy them exactly from /models — they are case-sensitive). Assign the channel to your groups and it starts serving.

### Which models can one channel serve?

40+ models from the live catalog — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, GLM, and Kimi families — through the single OpenAI-compatible endpoint. The /models page is the authoritative line-up with per-token rates.

### How do I stop one downstream group from draining the wallet?

Give each relay instance or user group its own key. Each key carries its own maxSpend budget, request rate limit, and tokens-per-minute cap, so the blast radius of any runaway group is the key's ceiling, not your balance.

### Can I run a relay from mainland China without a VPN?

Router One is reachable directly from mainland China, so a relay hosted there can call the endpoint without a VPN. Wallet top-ups work with a card or Alipay through one hosted checkout, or with USDT/USDC on six chains.

### Does Router One add markup to the rates my station pays?

The pay-as-you-go token line uses posted model rates, with checkout-visible FX/channel fees kept separate. Your downstream pricing — and the spread you keep — is set in your own relay, not by Router One.

## See also

- LLM API reseller: https://router.one/llm-api-reseller
- White-label LLM API: https://router.one/white-label-llm-api
- LLM API authenticity: https://router.one/llm-api-authenticity
- LLM observability: https://router.one/llm-observability
- OpenRouter alternative: https://router.one/openrouter-alternative
- Canonical page: https://router.one/llm-api-relay-station
- Models and per-model token rates: https://router.one/models (markdown: https://router.one/models.md)
- Pricing: https://router.one/pricing
- API docs (markdown): https://router.one/docs.md
- Company facts: https://router.one/facts/company.md