# Topping up OpenAI credit from Egypt (2026): every way to pay > How to buy OpenAI API credit from Egypt, why Egyptian cards get declined, the minimum and auto recharge, and topping up in EGP by wallet or InstaPay. Updated: 2026-11-01 Egypt is on OpenAI's list of supported countries, so the obstacle is usually the card, not the country. To top up directly, buy credit in advance on the OpenAI platform with a standard card that allows international purchases. Without one, top up 5abeer in Egyptian pounds by wallet or InstaPay and call GPT models below official prices. ## Can you buy OpenAI API credit from Egypt? Yes. Egypt is on the list of countries OpenAI supports for its API. New API accounts pay in advance: you buy credit, and each request is deducted from it. These are OpenAI's own terms for topping up: Topping up OpenAI API credit: the official terms | Service | Item | Value | Note | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | OpenAI | Countries supported for the API | Egypt is on the list | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/supported-countries | | OpenAI | Smallest credit purchase | $5 | Prepaid credit that usage is deducted from. Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264778-what-is-prepaid-billing | | OpenAI | Default amount on the purchase form | $10 | You can change it before you pay. Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264778-what-is-prepaid-billing | | OpenAI | Auto recharge | Optional: buys credit when your balance falls below a level you set | Its smallest amount is the smallest purchase, and its ceiling follows your usage tier. Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264778-what-is-prepaid-billing | | OpenAI | How long bought credit lasts | One year from purchase, and it can't be extended | Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264644-setting-up-and-managing-prepaid-api-billing | | OpenAI | Cards accepted for API credit | A standard credit or debit card. Prepaid cards are not accepted | Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7232916-why-was-my-credit-card-declined | | OpenAI | When the credit runs out | API access stops | Usage that slips through before it stops shows as a negative balance, taken from your next purchase. Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264644-setting-up-and-managing-prepaid-api-billing | | OpenAI | ChatGPT subscription and API credit | Two separate billing systems | API usage is billed apart from your ChatGPT subscription. Read from a search result for the page, because the page itself didn't open for us. | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9039756-managing-billing-for-chatgpt-and-the-api-platform | Each row links to the page it comes from, checked November 1, 2026. These figures can change, so check the source before you buy. Two rows matter most when you pay from Egypt. OpenAI does not accept prepaid cards for API credit, so check your card type before you start. And bought credit expires a year after purchase, so a large top-up only makes sense if you will use it within that year. ## How to top up OpenAI credit, step by step ### 1. Sign in to the OpenAI platform Use the account and the organization where you created your API keys. Credit belongs to the organization, so every project and every key in it draws on the same balance. ### 2. Open the billing settings Open Settings, then Billing under your organization. This is where you add a card and buy credit. ### 3. Add a card that allows international purchases Use a standard credit or debit card with online purchases from outside Egypt turned on. Make sure this month's limit covers the amount plus your bank's currency conversion fee. ### 4. Choose the amount and pay Enter how much credit you want, at least the smallest purchase in the table above, then confirm the payment. The credit shows in your balance once the payment goes through. ### 5. Decide on auto recharge Auto recharge buys credit for you when your balance falls below a level you set, so a live app doesn't stop. Each recharge is a new international charge on your card, so set the amount within what your card allows. If the first payment fails, OpenAI shows an error and adds no credit. Ask your bank for the exact reason before you try again, because the checkout page rarely says why. ## Why does OpenAI decline Egyptian cards? Since Egypt is supported, a declined payment usually comes from the card itself. The most common reasons: - **The card is prepaid.** OpenAI does not accept prepaid cards for API credit, and some cards issued by banks and wallets are prepaid. - **International online purchases are off.** Some banks leave them disabled until you turn them on in the app or through customer service. - **The limit is too low.** The monthly limit for international online purchases may not cover the amount and fees, or the number of purchases a day may be capped. - **The card is new.** Some banks only turn on international use a while after the card is issued. We cover every way to pay from Egypt, with one bank's published limits, in [How to pay for the OpenAI or Claude API from Egypt](https://5abeer.ai/en/guides/pay-ai-api-from-egypt). ## How much credit should you buy? Two rules shape the answer. First, bought credit expires one year after purchase, and OpenAI can't extend it, so unused credit is lost. Second, your total purchases set your account's usage tier, and each tier caps how much you can spend in a month: OpenAI API usage tiers and their monthly limits | Service | Item | Value | Note | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | OpenAI | Build tier: starts at total purchases of | $5 | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | | OpenAI | Build tier: usage limit | $500 a month | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | | OpenAI | Launch tier: starts at total purchases of | $100 | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | | OpenAI | Launch tier: usage limit | $5,000 a month | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | | OpenAI | Grow tier: starts at total purchases of | $500 | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | | OpenAI | Grow tier: usage limit | $200,000 a month | — | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | | OpenAI | Moving between tiers | Automatic once your total purchases reach the next tier | Your limits show under Settings, then Organization, then Limits. | https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits | Each row links to the page it comes from, checked November 1, 2026. These figures can change, so check the source before you buy. So buy what you expect to use in the coming months, not a year's stock. If you plan a launch that will raise usage quickly, check your limits under your organization settings before it goes live. ## Top up in Egyptian pounds without a card 5abeer is an independent service, not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic or Google. It serves GPT, Claude and Gemini models through an API compatible with the OpenAI format. You top up in Egyptian pounds, and each request is deducted from your balance by model and token count. This is not OpenAI credit: it is a 5abeer balance that you spend through our API, so you don't need an OpenAI billing account. Everything about paying from Egypt is on the [API in Egypt page](https://5abeer.ai/en/api/egypt). ### 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. Every method and its steps are in [Payment methods](https://5abeer.ai/en/docs/start/payment.md). ### 2. Create a key for GPT models Each key works with one provider's models, so create a key for GPT models, and another for Claude or Gemini if you need them. All keys draw on the same balance, as explained in [Keys and authentication](https://5abeer.ai/en/docs/start/keys.md#per-provider). ### 3. Point your OpenAI code at our base URL Keep the OpenAI library you already use, and change only the base URL and the key: | Format | Base URL | Key header | | --- | --- | --- | | OpenAI | `https://api.5abeer.ai/v1` | `Authorization: Bearer ` | | Anthropic | `https://api.5abeer.ai` | `x-api-key: ` | | Gemini | `https://api.5abeer.ai/v1beta` | `x-goog-api-key: ` | The same key also runs coding tools and automations. For Codex, follow [Codex CLI setup](https://5abeer.ai/en/docs/apps/codex.md). These are GPT models you can call now: | Model | Id | Input (ours) | Output (ours) | Context | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | GPT-6.1 Sol | `gpt-6.1-sol` | $0.60 | $3 | 922K | | GPT-6 Astra | `gpt-6-astra` | $3 | $15 | — | | GPT-6 Sol | `gpt-6-sol` | $0.60 | $3 | 922K | | GPT-6 Luna | `gpt-6-luna` | $0.03 | $0.15 | 922K | ## What does GPT cost when you pay in EGP? API usage is priced per million tokens, with one price for input (what you send) and one for output (what the model writes). Take a feature inside an app that sends five million tokens a month and gets one million back, on [`gpt-5.6-terra`](https://5abeer.ai/en/models/gpt-5.6-terra) for example: Example: 5,000,000 input tokens and 1,000,000 output tokens on GPT-5.6 Terra (`gpt-5.6-terra`) cost $6.60 at our price against $22.00 at the official price (70% lower). Official price checked October 19, 2026. And this is that model's price per million tokens, ours next to the official one: GPT-5.6 Terra (`gpt-5.6-terra`) per 1M tokens: input $0.60 (official $2), output $3.60 (official $12). Official price checked October 19, 2026. Our prices follow OpenAI's published prices, and every price shows the date it was last checked. Every GPT model and its price is on [OpenAI API](https://5abeer.ai/en/api/openai), and the full list is on the [models page](https://5abeer.ai/en/models). ## A direct OpenAI account or 5abeer credit? | | Direct OpenAI account | 5abeer credit | | --- | --- | --- | | How you pay | A standard card that allows international purchases, in US dollars | Mobile wallet or InstaPay in Egyptian pounds, or an international card | | Price per token | OpenAI's official price | Below the official price | | Models | OpenAI models only | GPT, Claude and Gemini on one balance, with a key per provider | | Spending control | Usage tiers and limits in your organization settings | A spend limit, an expiry date and an IP allow-list on every key | | Best fit | Your card works and you need a direct contract or platform-only features | You want to pay in pounds and pay less per token | A direct account has its own advantages. If your card works and you need a contract with OpenAI, or a feature only its platform offers, paying OpenAI directly is the better fit. ## FAQ ### Does the Vodafone Cash virtual card work for OpenAI credit? It depends on the card. OpenAI does not accept prepaid cards for API credit, so ask the issuer whether the card is prepaid and whether it allows international online purchases. If you want to pay from your wallet balance, you can top up 5abeer credit from the wallet directly. ### Does a ChatGPT Plus subscription include API credit? No. ChatGPT and the API platform have separate billing, and API usage is not part of your ChatGPT subscription. If you are weighing the subscription itself, see [ChatGPT Plus price in Egypt](https://5abeer.ai/en/guides/chatgpt-plus-price-egypt). ### What happens when my OpenAI credit runs out? API requests stop until you buy more credit. Usage that slips through before the stop shows as a negative balance and is taken from your next purchase. Auto recharge prevents the stop, as long as the card payment succeeds. ### How long does OpenAI credit last? One year from the date you buy it, and OpenAI can't extend it. That is why smaller, regular top-ups suit most projects better than one large purchase. ### Can I pay OpenAI with InstaPay or a mobile wallet? Not directly: OpenAI takes cards for API credit. You can top up 5abeer in Egyptian pounds from InstaPay or a mobile wallet, then call GPT models through our API with your key. ### Will my existing OpenAI code work with 5abeer? Yes, if it uses the OpenAI library or follows its format. Change only the base URL and the key, as shown in [Base URLs](https://5abeer.ai/en/docs/start/base-urls.md). ### Is 5abeer part of OpenAI? 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](https://5abeer.ai/en/api), compare prices on the [pricing page](https://5abeer.ai/en/pricing), or read [how to get an API key](https://5abeer.ai/en/guides/ai-api-key-guide) first. If you use Gemini too, see [Gemini API in Egypt](https://5abeer.ai/en/guides/gemini-api-egypt).