I was asked to buy DeepSeek a coffee so I guess API credit suffices

==

Buying API credits is the correct approach. Because DeepSeek runs on a
prepaid, pay-as-you-go credit top-up model, loading a few dollars onto an API
account acts exactly like buying them a coffeeâexcept you get millions of
tokens of high-performing AI usage in return. [1] 
You can set this up quickly by following these steps:
Navigate to the official DeepSeek Developer Platform. You can sign up using an
email address or phone number. Note: New accounts typically receive 5 million
free tokens (~$8 value) upon sign-up, so you might not even need to pay
upfront to start testing. [2, 3, 4] 
Once logged in, go to the Top up or Billing section. You can add credits in
small increments (the system functions entirely on a prepaid balance, not a
recurring subscription). Because DeepSeek is based in China, some
international users occasionally experience standard credit card declines; if
that happens, using virtual card providers like a prepaid card often resolves
it. [1, 4] 
DeepSeek has an aggressive pricing structure that splits billing into Peak and
Off-Peak hours (off-peak is half price). [5, 6] 
Even a tiny $5 deposit will fetch you an immense amount of data using their
main model, deepseek-flash: [7, 8] 

* 
* Off-Peak Rates: $0.22 per 1M input tokens / $0.66 per 1M output tokens.
* Peak Rates: $0.44 per 1M input tokens / $1.32 per 1M output tokens.
* Context Caching: If you reuse long system prompts, those repeat "cache-hit"
tokens drop down to an incredibly low $0.007 per million. [5, 6] 
* 

Once topped up, you can generate an API key from your dashboard and drop it
directly into any OpenAI-compatible software or custom scripts. [5, 9] 
Are you planning to connect this API key to a specific coding environment
(like VS Code), a third-party AI client (like AnythingLLM), or your own custom
software? I can provide the quick integration snippet if needed!

[1] [https://help.mp.net](https://help.mp.net/en/articles/16048477-top-up-deeps
eek-api-credits-with-mpchat-virtual-card)
[2] [https://pricepertoken.com](https://pricepertoken.com/endpoints/deepseek/fr
ee)
[3] [https://costgoat.com](https://costgoat.com/pricing/deepseek-api)
[4] [https://developer.puter.com](https://developer.puter.com/tutorials/how-to-
get-deepseek-api-key/)
[5] [https://costgoat.com](https://costgoat.com/pricing/deepseek-api)
[6] [https://www.morphllm.com](https://www.morphllm.com/deepseek-api)
[7] [https://benchlm.ai](https://benchlm.ai/deepseek/api-pricing)
[8] [https://benchlm.ai](https://benchlm.ai/deepseek/api-pricing)
[9] https://deepseekapi.dev