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shuchen661989
shuchen661989

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How to Use Claude API Without a Credit Card (2026)

#claude #api #nocode #programming

Anthropic now requires government ID + face scan. Here's the alternative.

The Problem

Starting July 2026, Anthropic requires all Claude API users to submit a government-issued ID + facial recognition scan. If you don't have a passport from a supported country, you're locked out. Even if you do, you might not want to upload your identity documents to an AI company.

This leaves three groups stranded:

  • Developers in countries Anthropic doesn't support
  • Privacy-conscious engineers who don't want their passport in an AI database
  • Anyone who just wants to try Claude without the paperwork

The Solution: OpenAI-Compatible Proxy

An OpenAI-compatible proxy sits between you and Claude. You send OpenAI-format requests. The proxy translates them to Anthropic format and returns the response. You never deal with Anthropic directly.

curl https://amzmate.top/api/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" \
-d '{"model":"claude-sonnet-4-6","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}]}'

Same Claude models, same output quality, 70% cheaper than direct Anthropic pricing, and no passport required.

Pricing Comparison

Model Anthropic Direct Via Proxy Savings
Claude Opus 4.8 $5.00 / $25.00 per 1M $1.50 / $8.00 70%
Claude Sonnet 4.6 $3.00 / $15.00 per 1M $1.50 / $8.00 50%
Qwen-Plus $2.00 / $6.00 $0.80 / $2.40 60%
DeepSeek-Chat $2.00 / $4.00 $1.50 / $3.00 25%

All prices per 1 million tokens (input/output).

Compatible Tools

Works with anything that supports OpenAI API format:

  • Claude Code — Set OPENAI_BASE_URL and OPENAI_API_KEY
  • Cursor — Add custom OpenAI endpoint
  • Aider — --openai-api-base flag
  • Cline — OpenAI-compatible provider in settings
  • LangChain — ChatOpenAI(base_url=..., api_key=...)

Payment

  • USDT cryptocurrency (no KYC required)
  • Alipay / WeChat Pay (coming soon)
  • $1 free trial credit for new users

Open Source

The proxy is open source. You can audit the code or self-host it. The hosted version at amzmate.top runs on Alibaba Cloud Singapore.

Still have questions? Try the free test key: `dp-c74c5c0930283a79b1c53de5f4443126

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