This page lays out what we have verified from real checkouts as of October 2026: what OpenRouter's card checkout adds, what its crypto payment links contained, and how to compare the two totals for the same number of credits. It describes OpenRouter's pricing as observed; it is not tax advice, and it does not change what you owe your own tax authority.
What the card checkout adds
OpenRouter sells credits through a Stripe card checkout. Stripe's checkout applies tax automatically based on where it thinks you are, using your IP address, billing address or card country. Since mid 2026 that means a VAT or GST line on top of the credits and OpenRouter's own card fee.
The rates are your country's standard rates for digital services, not something OpenRouter chooses:
- India: 18% GST.
- European Union: 17% (Luxembourg) to 27% (Hungary), with 19% in Germany and Cyprus and 21% in Spain and the Netherlands.
- United Kingdom: 20% VAT.
- Some countries add nothing, and in the United States some states may add sales tax.
On top of the tax, OpenRouter's card fee is about 5.5% with a $0.80 minimum. So a $5 credit purchase shows as $5.80 before tax, and a receipt we checked from Cyprus showed $6.90 for the same 5 credits: $5.80 plus 19% VAT. An Indian buyer reported a total markup of about 24.5% on a $20 purchase, which matches 18% GST on top of the fee.
What the crypto payment link contained
OpenRouter's crypto option generates a Coinbase payment link instead of a Stripe checkout. In every OpenRouter crypto payment link we handled up to October 2026, the amount was the credits plus OpenRouter's crypto fee of about 5%, and no tax line. 20 credits came to about $21 and 100 credits to about $105.
The same credits, two totals
Here is what each path asked for, using the rates and fees above. Card lines use the EU 19% example; replace it with your own rate.
- 5 credits: card $5.80 before tax, $6.90 with 19% VAT; not available on the crypto link, which starts at $10.
- 20 credits: card $21.10 before tax, $25.11 with 19% VAT; crypto link about $21.00.
- 100 credits: card $105.50 before tax, $125.55 with 19% VAT; crypto link about $105.00.
The crypto minimum is $10 of credits on OpenRouter's side, so the $5 line is only available by card or by a redemption code. Paying the crypto link through ROZO Checkout adds a 1% service fee, shown before you pay, plus whatever network fee your own chain charges.
If you want the crypto total but do not hold USDC on Base
OpenRouter's Coinbase page accepts USDC on the Base network. If that is what you hold, pay it there directly. If your funds are on another chain, in USDT, or on an exchange, ROZO Checkout pays the same link for you:
- In OpenRouter, open Settings then Credits, choose the crypto option, enter at least $10 and copy the payment link it generates.
- Paste the link at checkout.rozo.ai and pick the coin you hold: USDC or USDT on Solana, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon or Arbitrum, USDC on Base or Stellar, or Bitcoin over Lightning.
- Send exactly the amount shown. ROZO settles the OpenRouter link and the credits are added to the account that generated it, usually within about two minutes of confirmation.
The order is priced in USD, so the amount does not move with the coin. There is no ROZO account and no KYC form. ROZO is independent and not affiliated with OpenRouter, Coinbase or Stripe.
How to check your own checkout
Before paying, open both screens for the same number of credits and read the totals. On the Stripe card checkout, look for a VAT or GST line and for a field to enter a business tax ID if you have one. On the crypto side, the amount in the payment link is the amount you send.
If a tax line appears where it should not, for example because a VPN placed you in another country, turn the VPN off and generate the checkout again. If the card checkout keeps declining, that is a separate issue covered in our card declined guide.