Where can you sell unused AI API credits?
There are three ways people try to get value back from API credits they won't use: ask the provider for a refund, sell or transfer the balance through a credit broker, or list paid inference through an API key. Each one works differently and touches different provider terms. OpenAI's and Anthropic's own wording is quoted below. tokensto.cash is the third kind: you earn USDC per paid request, not your balance.
What do OpenAI and Anthropic say about selling credits?
Provider terms read on 3 November 2026. Quoted, not summarised; read the full terms for your account.
"Service Credits are non-transferable and may be used only in connection with the applicable Service for which they were issued."
"Service Credits are not refundable except where required by law, and expire one year after the date of purchase or issuance if not used, unless otherwise specified at the time of purchase."
"We prohibit and do not recognize any purported transfers, sales, gifts, or trades of Service Credits."
"Customer may not resell or lease access to its Account or any End User Account." (section 3.1)
"Customer will not, and will not permit End Users to: … (g) buy, sell, or transfer API keys from, to, or with a third party;" (section 3.3)
"Customer may not transfer or sell Credits, whether paid for or provided as part of a promotion, to any other person or entity, and Credits may only be used by the holder of the Anthropic account to which the Credits are associated."
"Credits … are non-refundable. Usage Credits expire one calendar year from the date Anthropic sends the Confirmation Notice or otherwise issues the Credits."
"Check that your provider and account terms allow the proposed use." (/for/leftover-credits)
"Only list capacity your provider permits." (/)
"Listing capacity here is separate from a provider refund and does not establish that your provider permits the use." (/for/openai)
What are the ways to get value back from unused credits?
Every route is listed with the same columns, ours included. These are general descriptions of each kind of service, not reviews of any one site.
| Route | What happens to your credit balance | What you can get back | Do you share a key or account? | Terms to read first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider refund | The provider reviews it; nothing is sold | Whatever the provider agrees to refund. OpenAI: "not refundable except where required by law". Anthropic: "non-refundable". | No | The provider's billing and credit terms |
| Use the credits yourself | You spend it on your own work before it expires | The value of work you would otherwise pay for | No | Expiry date in your provider dashboard |
| Credit broker (sites that arrange a sale or transfer of a balance or a whole account) | The broker arranges for the balance or the account to move to a buyer | A negotiated price agreed with the buyer | Often an account or credentials, depending on the broker | The provider's transfer and account clauses above, and the broker's own terms |
| Key listing (services that pay you per request served through your API key; tokensto.cash is one) | Stays in your account. Paid requests use it up as they run | USDC per paid request, at the listing price. No requests, no earnings | A dedicated API key, stored encrypted by Surplus; tokensto.cash never keeps it | The provider's key and account clauses above, and the service's terms |
How is tokensto.cash different from selling credits?
You are offering inference through an API key, not transferring a credit balance or selling an account. Buyers pay for requests that run on your listed models. A listing earns only when it serves paid requests; listing a balance does not guarantee a buyer or a payout.
Listing alone does not consume credits. Surplus Intelligence checks your key and stores it encrypted; tokensto.cash never keeps it. You can pause or delete a listing, but that does not extend the provider's expiry date. Listing is free, and tokensto.cash charges no fee to cash out.
How much do you get back from $10 of credits?
A $10 balance is not a $10 payout. For prepaid keys, Autopilot starts with a 0.05× minimum, which allows a price as low as 5% of the provider model's list price. You can raise it, and Autopilot never prices below it. If buyers use $10 of list-price capacity at 0.05×, gross proceeds are $0.50, and no paid requests means $0. These are illustrative prices, not an earnings forecast. Pay-as-you-go providers get a 1.0× automatic minimum, so they do not sell below list.
Should you hand a buyer your API key or account?
On tokensto.cash, the key goes to Surplus, encrypted per listing. Do not share a key you still need for your own traffic; use a dedicated key, and set a daily budget you are comfortable consuming. Do not list keys you do not control. Whatever route you take, the provider clauses quoted above cover keys and account access.
How do you get paid in cash?
Earnings accrue per request. You are paid automatically at $5 or after 72 hours. Then cash out through USDCtoFiat: Revolut, Monzo, Chime, Zelle, UPI, and X Money directly; Cash App, Wise, PayPal, and Alipay after a one-time PeerAuth registration on desktop Chrome; Venmo by hosted email linking. The default cash-out minimum is $1, with no tokensto.cash fee or added spread. tokensto.cash never takes custody.
Which API keys work?
See How to for the current list of supported providers and keys. A subscription login is not an API key. ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro do not include API credit. ChatGPT Pro and Business, and Claude Max, Ultra, and Team, can include a monthly API allowance after you link an API organization.