# Pricing methodology > Markdown mirror of https://router.one/pricing-methodology for AI assistants and crawlers. Router One is an OpenAI-compatible LLM API gateway. > Last updated: 2026-08-22 Pricing should not be a black box. This page documents how the numbers on /models are set, how upstream price changes flow through, how RMB conversion works, and how Router One makes money. ## Per-model rates ### Source of truth The input, output, and cached-input price columns on /models are the rates you are billed at. There is no separate book. ### Pay-as-you-go token line Pay-as-you-go calls are billed at the posted token rate shown on /models. Router One does not hide platform markup inside that token line; the dashboard's per-request trace shows the rate that applied at request time. ### Upstream change pass-through When an upstream provider publishes a price change, the /models rate is updated within 24 hours. The new rate applies only to requests made after the update. ## Subscription plans ### Current availability Router One uses prepaid wallet credits for pay-as-you-go API usage, and Pro, Max, and Ultra subscription plans are live for predictable monthly access. ### Plan terms Subscription plans and enterprise contracts are governed by the applicable plan or written agreement. The pricing page is the source of truth for the current public plan list. ### Wallet coexistence Wallet billing remains live. Wallet balance can pay for one subscription period, and it continues to cover pay-as-you-go usage outside plan coverage. ## RMB and stablecoin conversion ### Internal currency Balances are denominated in USD internally regardless of how you topped up. ### Alipay conversion USD to RMB at the daily mid-market rate plus a small, capped channel fee. Both numbers are shown at checkout — you see the effective rate before confirming. ### Stablecoin conversion USDT and USDC top-ups across Tron, BSC, Ethereum, Polygon, Base, and Arbitrum are credited to your USD wallet according to the checkout terms shown before payment. Network gas is paid by the user; any channel-side fee, if applicable, is shown before checkout. After credit, the wallet balance is plain USD. ### Refunds Unused base credits may be refundable within 14 days according to the Refund Policy. Consumed credits, bonus credits, and payment-channel fees are not refundable except where required by law. Bonus credits are spendable on API usage only and cannot be applied to subscription purchases. ### Reasoning / thinking tokens Output from thinking or reasoning models is billed at that model's posted output rate and counted in the request's total tokens. There is no separate reasoning price line. ## Rate change notification ### Material changes Material rate changes — price changes to any separately offered subscription or enterprise contract, or upstream price changes that materially raise effective cost — are announced via the changelog and email to active accounts at least 7 days in advance. ### Immediate pass-through Upstream provider rate cuts may be passed through immediately without 7-day notice. Increases follow the 7-day rule. ## How Router One makes money ### No hidden token-line markup on pay-as-you-go Wallet token charges use the posted rate. Router One does not hide platform markup inside the pay-as-you-go token line. ### Subscription margin Subscription economics are shown separately from the pay-as-you-go token line and governed by the applicable plan or written agreement. ### FX margin on RMB Alipay top-ups carry a small, capped FX margin shown at checkout. This covers payment-channel fees and FX risk on RMB-denominated top-ups. ### Enterprise Enterprise contracts include premium support, written SLAs, programmatic export, and other features priced separately. ## FAQ ### Is there a markup on top of upstream prices? Not hidden inside the pay-as-you-go token line. Wallet token charges use posted rates; FX and payment-channel fees are shown at checkout. Subscription plan economics are shown separately on the pricing page. ### What happens if an upstream provider raises prices? Posted rates on /models are updated within 24 hours of the upstream change. Material increases are announced 7 days in advance via changelog and email. The new rate applies only to requests made after the update. ### Do you support invoices / 发票? Yes. Any top-up completed through the hosted checkout — card or Alipay — can be invoiced, including plain pay-as-you-go wallet top-ups, not only subscription or enterprise accounts. Stablecoin top-ups are a separate rail and are not invoiced. On the deposit page, top up through the first Card / Alipay rail, then contact support@router.one with your account ID and 开票信息 to request the invoice. ## See also - Methodology: https://router.one/methodology - Data retention: https://router.one/data-retention - Availability & SLA: https://router.one/sla - Trust hub: https://router.one/trust - Changelog (rate-change notices): https://router.one/blog/changelog - Canonical page: https://router.one/pricing-methodology - 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