BaseURL

OpenAI API card declined in Nigeria? Pay for AI APIs in naira

Guide · Updated 2026-10-21

Short answer: many AI API providers bill only in US dollars, and naira cards are often declined or limited for dollar payments. BaseURL gives you open-source AI models (DeepSeek, Qwen, Kimi, gpt-oss and others) through an OpenAI-compatible API, and you pay in naira through Paystack. You change one line in your code: the base URL.

Why is my card declined when I pay for an AI API from Nigeria?

Most AI API providers charge in US dollars. Nigerian banks often limit or block dollar card payments, and virtual dollar cards can be declined, charge extra fees or hit spending limits. The result is the same: you cannot fund your API balance, and your app stops working.

Can I pay for an AI API in naira?

Yes. On BaseURL you top up your balance in naira through Paystack, with a Nigerian debit card or a bank transfer. No dollar card is involved.

Does BaseURL give me OpenAI's own models, like GPT?

No. BaseURL provides open-source models, not OpenAI's models. If you need an OpenAI model specifically, you still need to pay OpenAI directly. For most tasks, such as chat, coding, summarising and extracting data, the open-source models on BaseURL are strong alternatives, and your OpenAI-style code works with them unchanged.

How do I switch my code?

Keep the openai library you already use. Change the base URL and the key, and pick a BaseURL model:

# The openai library works with any compatible API.
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.baseurl.dev/v1",
    api_key="YOUR_BASEURL_KEY",
)

reply = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gateway-fast",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello from Lagos"}],
)
print(reply.choices[0].message.content)

Node.js:

// The openai library works with any compatible API.
import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: "https://api.baseurl.dev/v1",
  apiKey: process.env.BASEURL_KEY,
});

const reply = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: "gateway-fast",
  messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello from Abuja" }],
});
console.log(reply.choices[0].message.content);

cURL:

curl https://api.baseurl.dev/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BASEURL_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "gateway-fast", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]}'

How do I get started?

  1. Create an account at app.baseurl.dev. New accounts are reviewed, usually within 5 minutes.
  2. Top up in naira through Paystack, with a Nigerian card or a bank transfer. The minimum top-up is shown in your dashboard (normally ₦2,000). Before you pay you see the exact credit you will get, with the payment fee included.
  3. Create an API key on the API keys page. You can give it a monthly naira spending limit.
  4. Point your code at https://api.baseurl.dev/v1 and pick a model, for example gateway-fast.

Which models can I use?

Current prices per million tokens are on the models table, and in naira inside your dashboard.

How do I know what I am paying?

Usage is priced per million tokens. Before you top up, you see the exchange rate and the exact credit you will receive, with fees included, and that rate is locked for your top-up. Your dashboard shows your balance and spending in naira. Credit is prepaid, so there are no surprise bills.

Is BaseURL affiliated with OpenAI or DeepSeek?

No. BaseURL is an independent service. The models are open-source models, run for us by Fireworks AI. BaseURL accepts the same request format as the OpenAI API, which is why the openai code library works with it.

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