How to pay for the OpenAI or Claude API from Egypt

Egyptian cards are often declined by OpenAI and Anthropic because the bank limits international online purchases. You have three ways out: enable international purchases on your card, use a prepaid card that accepts them, or top up API credit in Egyptian pounds by wallet or InstaPay through 5abeer, with no bank card and below official prices.

Why do OpenAI and Claude decline Egyptian cards?#

The problem is usually not your country. Egypt is on Anthropic's list of supported countries, and both Anthropic and OpenAI sell API usage as prepaid credit that you buy by card and that each request is deducted from. This is how each one takes payment, from their own pages:

So it comes down to whether your bank approves an international online purchase. The most common reasons it doesn't:

• The card is new, and some banks only turn on international use a while after issue.
• The monthly limit for international online purchases is low, or the number of purchases per day is capped.
• Online or foreign purchases are not enabled on the card at all.
• Some banks set a lower limit on online purchases from abroad unless you tell them you are travelling.

Here is one bank's published example. Every bank sets its own limits:

The purchase is also in US dollars, so your bank may add a currency conversion or foreign transaction fee on top. Check your bank's fee schedule before you top up.

What are the ways to pay from Egypt?#

Third-party platforms put several providers' models behind one account, but they charge a fee when you buy credit, and their payment methods are limited. We compare OpenRouter's fees and payment methods in OpenRouter alternative.

Option 1: enable international purchases on your card#

If you have a bank card and want a direct account with the provider, these are the steps:

1. 1

   Ask your bank about purchases outside Egypt#

   In your bank's app or through customer service, turn on online purchases from outside Egypt, and ask about the monthly limit and how many purchases a day are allowed.

2. 2

   Make sure the limit covers the amount and fees#

   Add the conversion fees to the amount you plan to top up, and check that the total is below what is left of this month's limit.

3. 3

   Add the card on the billing page#

   In the Claude Console open Billing, then Buy credits. Only the Admin and Billing roles can see that page. On the OpenAI platform open the billing settings. Add the card, then buy credit.

If the purchase is still declined after that, ask the bank for the exact reason before you try again. The checkout page rarely says why.

Option 2: pay in Egyptian pounds without a card#

5abeer is an independent service, not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic or Google. It serves Claude, GPT and Gemini models through an API compatible with the OpenAI format and the Anthropic Messages format. You top up in Egyptian pounds, and each request is deducted from your balance by model and token count. Everything about paying from Egypt is on the API in Egypt page.

1. 1

   Create an account and top up#

   In your dashboard choose top up, then pay with a mobile wallet such as Vodafone Cash or with InstaPay, and send the receipt. Your balance is added within minutes. Every method and its steps are in Payment methods.

2. 2

   Create a key per provider#

   Each key works with one provider's models, so create one key for Claude models and another for GPT models if you need both. All keys draw on the same balance, as explained in Keys and authentication.

3. 3

   Change the base URL in your code#

   Keep the OpenAI or Anthropic library you already use, and change only the base URL and the key:

   OpenAI-compatiblehttps://api.5abeer.ai/v1Authorization: Bearer <KEY>

   Anthropic-compatiblehttps://api.5abeer.aix-api-key: <KEY>

   Geminihttps://api.5abeer.ai/v1betax-goog-api-key: <KEY>

To run coding tools on your key, follow Claude Code setup or Codex CLI setup.

What does the API actually cost?#

API usage is priced per million tokens, with one price for input (what you send) and one for output (what the model writes). Here is a small project that sends two million tokens a month and gets four hundred thousand back, on the default model:

And this is the default model's price per million tokens, ours next to the official one:

Our prices follow the published official prices, and every price shows the date it was last checked. Claude prices are on Claude API, GPT prices on OpenAI API, Gemini prices on Gemini API, and the full list on the models page. If you need the strongest Opus model, it is claude-opus-5.5.

What to check before you pay#

• Bank fees: a dollar purchase on an Egyptian card may carry a currency conversion fee.
• Key safety: keep the key in an environment variable, never in code that runs in a browser or inside a phone app.
• Spend limits: on 5abeer you control every key with a spend limit, an expiry date and an IP allow-list, so one project can't run past its budget.
• A direct account has its own advantages: if your card works and you need a direct contract with the provider, or features only its platform offers, paying the provider directly is the better fit.

FAQ#

Do I need a credit card to pay OpenAI or Anthropic?#

To pay them directly, you need a card the provider accepts and that your bank allows for international online purchases. 5abeer credit is topped up from a mobile wallet or InstaPay, with no bank card needed.

Does the Vodafone Cash virtual card work with OpenAI and Claude?#

It depends on whether the card accepts international purchases, on its balance and limits at the time you pay, and on whether the provider accepts it. Check the card's terms in the wallet app before you load it. If what you want is to pay from your wallet balance, you can top up 5abeer credit from the wallet directly.

Will a dollar card or a purchases card from an Egyptian bank work?#

It can, if it is enabled for online purchases from outside Egypt. Ask your bank about the monthly limit, the number of purchases allowed and the transaction fee, because every bank and every card type has its own terms.

How much do I need to start?#

OpenAI's smallest credit purchase is in the official payment table above. With us you pay only for what you use, with no monthly plan, and before you pay you see the amount you pay and the balance added to your account.

Will my existing OpenAI or Anthropic code work?#

Yes, if it uses the OpenAI or Anthropic library or follows their format. Change only the base URL and the key, as shown in Base URLs.

Is 5abeer part of OpenAI or Anthropic?#

No. 5abeer is an independent service, not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic or Google. We serve their models through the API below their official prices.

Get started#

Start on the API page, or compare prices on the pricing page.