How it works

Customers buy balance on a key, not a pile of inventory.

CorvusLLM automatically creates or credits the customer key when payment is confirmed. The customer keeps using that same key across supported model families until the balance reaches zero or they top up again.

Before you start

You do not need to install software to buy balance. If you want to test the API immediately after delivery, prepare a terminal with curl or one SDK runtime first.

What to installOfficial sourceQuick check
CorvusLLM keyBuy or top up balanceKeep the key ready before pasting examples.
Terminal with curlBuilt into macOS/Linux; Windows 10/11 include curl.exe.curl --version
Optional GitGit install guidegit --version
Local checks
curl --version
git --version

What the customer actually buys

The customer buys a CorvusLLM key with prepaid USD balance. The key is the identity used for requests, tracking, dashboard login by key, and top-ups.

  • The customer does not need their own provider keys.
  • The customer does not need to manage separate keys per provider.
  • The customer keeps one dashboard view of balance, requests, and model breakdown.

How model routing works

Customers keep using the public CorvusLLM model slugs. CorvusLLM then routes the request internally by model family to the correct upstream credential pool.

Customer requests CorvusLLM does internally
Anthropic family slugs Routes to the Anthropic upstream credential pool.
OpenAI family slugs Routes to the OpenAI upstream credential pool.
GLM family slugs Routes to the Z.AI upstream credential pool.
Important billing rule

Billing follows the CorvusLLM model the customer requested. The customer balance is not tied to the internal upstream key that actually carried the request.

What happens when a payment clears

  1. The order becomes paid_confirmed.
  2. CorvusLLM creates a customer key or credits the customer's existing key.
  3. The key and base URL are shown on the confirmation page immediately.
  4. The delivery email and claim flow are sent in parallel.
  5. The same key can then be used in the API and the personal dashboard.

What happens at zero balance

CorvusLLM stops the key instead of silently letting it overspend.

  • API response: 429 out of balance.
  • Dashboard: remaining balance shows the true current state on the same key.
  • Top-up: the same key is credited again and starts working again as soon as the top-up confirms.
Topic map

Continue with the right source

Open the exact setup, model, billing, and troubleshooting pages instead of guessing configuration values.

docs Set up CorvusLLM without guessing. Overview: The clean start page: base URLs, model overview, environment overview, and where to begin. docs API base URLs and request paths. API Overview: Base URLs, authentication, request formats, OpenAI-compatible vs Anthropic-native paths. docs Use the canonical customer slug and keep it simple. Models & Slugs: Every customer-facing model with one customer slug, provider family, pricing. docs Most CorvusLLM issues are the same four mistakes. Troubleshooting: Clear fixes for wrong base URLs, bad model slugs, out-of-balance errors, delivery questions. landing Claude API Pricing Comparison CorvusLLM lists public Claude-family rows at 35% of tracked official input, output, cache-read. landing GPT API Pricing Comparison CorvusLLM lists public GPT-family rows through an OpenAI-compatible access layer with public prepaid rates derived from tracke. landing AI API Cache Token Pricing Cache-heavy requests can cost very differently from short prompts because cache read and cache write fields may dominate the b. pricing AI API Pricing Tracker The pricing tracker compares official provider API prices with CorvusLLM public prepaid rates and links the model data used fo. pricing LLM API cost calculator The CorvusLLM cost calculator estimates request cost from input, output, cache read. models AI Models The CorvusLLM model catalog directory helps users find current customer-facing model families, public slugs, pricing context. trust Trust Center The Trust Center explains affiliation, data handling, support, refunds, compatibility evidence, pricing methodology. trust How to Verify CorvusLLM Before You Buy The verification checklist shows how to test CorvusLLM claims, endpoint setup, pricing data, status, legal pages. trust Proof of Operations Proof of Operations collects public evidence assets, published data, operational boundaries. status Checking current status The status page shows customer-facing live checks for website, checkout, customer login, and API compatibility routes.
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