Pay for AI API Credits with USDC or USDT: ModelFold's Crypto Top-Up Guide

You have a model to try and an app to build. Then checkout asks for a card that works internationally—and yours doesn't. Or you already hold stablecoins and would rather spend those than enter card details for another service.

ModelFold now supports cryptocurrency top-ups with USDC and USDT-family assets on the networks listed below. You can fund your AI usage from a compatible wallet or exchange without using a bank card for the top-up.

Disclosure: this guide is from the ModelFold team. Payment options and fees were checked against the live configuration on November 6, 2026. Always review the current checkout before sending funds.

Card-free does not mean anonymous

If your goal is to avoid sharing card details, a stablecoin payment provides another route. It is not a promise of anonymity: you still sign in to a ModelFold account, and the payment is associated with your recharge order. Transfers also leave public on-chain records. An exchange or wallet service may have its own identity requirements.

Which tokens and networks are available?

These combinations are currently enabled:

The payment category is labeled USDC / USDT, but the asset variant matters. USDT0 and Binance-Peg assets are identified separately above. Base currently supports USDC here; do not send USDT on Base. Match the network and the exact token contract displayed in your order, rather than relying on the ticker alone.

How to top up

1. Sign in and open Account → Wallet.
2. Choose your recharge amount and Cryptocurrency (USDC / USDT). Select the token and network before creating the order. Available payment methods can depend on language and region.
3. Choose Connected wallet when available, or Manual transfer. Tron uses manual transfer.
4. Review the recharge amount, crypto fee, any network surcharge, and the final amount due.
5. Complete the payment before the order's countdown expires, then wait for the checkout to show Payment credited. Check your Wallet balance and recharge record afterward.

With a connected wallet, verify the wallet through the signature request, then review and confirm the transfer in your wallet. The checkout fills the amount automatically and does not add a manual-payment identifying fraction. Connecting or signing alone does not complete the payment.

For a manual transfer, copy the receiving address and send the exact amount, including every displayed decimal place. The order includes a small identifying fraction so the incoming transfer can be matched to it. The QR code supplies the address only; enter the amount yourself. If you withdraw from an exchange, account for its withdrawal fee so the full exact amount reaches the receiving address.

Orders have a 30-minute payment window. Do not initiate a new transfer to an expired order. If you already sent a transaction, check its status before trying again; a pending confirmation is not a reason to pay twice. Keep the order reference and transaction hash if you need support.

What you pay, and what becomes credits

Crypto payments currently add a 5% fee to the recharge price. There is also a fixed checkout surcharge of $3 on Ethereum or $1 on Tron; the other networks listed above currently have no fixed checkout surcharge. Your wallet's network gas fee or exchange withdrawal fee is separate.

Manual transfers add an identifying fraction of up to 0.0999 tokens. Your order shows the final amount to send.

Credits are calculated from the original recharge amount. The crypto fee, network surcharge, and identifying fraction do not earn credits, and are not deducted from the package's advertised credits.

For example, the current $5 package provides 1,000 credits. Paying for it with a connected wallet using USDC on Base means a checkout amount of 5.25 USDC, plus the network gas fee paid by your wallet. A manual payment for the same package adds the order's identifying fraction, so copy the actual order amount rather than sending 5.25 USDC from this example.

An eligible first recharge currently receives 10% extra credits. For that $5 package, that means 1,000 package credits plus 100 bonus credits: 1,100 credits total. Eligibility is based on whether the account has previously topped up, not whether this is its first crypto payment.

Credit arrives after the transfer is matched and the required blockchain confirmations are reached. Timing depends on the network and payment processing; this is not an instant-settlement promise. Sending the wrong asset, rounding the amount, or allowing a withdrawal fee to reduce the received amount can prevent automatic crediting.

One API integration, a shared balance across models

Once the recharge is credited, the balance funds usage through ModelFold. Its API documentation covers chat, image, video, and speech models behind one service and API key. Browse the model catalog for current availability and pricing.

Create your own key under Account → API keys. For a read-only discovery request, set MODELFOLD_API_KEY privately in your shell and run:

curl https://modelfold.ai/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MODELFOLD_API_KEY"

Choose an available chat model's exact ID for a request to /v1/chat/completions. Images, videos, and audio use their respective generation endpoints and model-specific parameters. One integration and balance simplify access across the catalog; they do not mean every model accepts the same payload or that every model on the market is supported.

The practical change is at checkout: if a bank card was the missing piece, you now have a stablecoin option for funding the same ModelFold account and API workflow.