How to get an OpenAI API key for the ChatGPT models
About ten minutes and $5. You'll add credit to an OpenAI developer account, choose whether it tops itself up, and create the key that runs the ChatGPT column in PolyCog. You pay OpenAI directly at their prices. PolyCog adds nothing.
The short version: prepaid credit ($5 minimum, Tier 1 needed for GPT-6), auto-reload on or off, a project key with the right scopes, paste, test. Links go straight to each settings page.
Never made an API key? Stay here. Every click is spelled out.Condensed steps, direct links, scopes and tier details.
What you need
An email address, or the sign-in you already use for ChatGPT
A debit or credit card (the smallest top-up is $5)
A free PolyCog account to save the key in
About ten minutes
Paying for ChatGPT doesn't cover this
ChatGPT Plus, Pro and the other ChatGPT plans pay for chatgpt.com. Apps like PolyCog use the API, which has its own prepaid balance and its own card on file at platform.openai.com. Same login, separate bill.
The steps
Tick each circle as you finish a step. Your ticks stay in this browser, so you can close the tab and pick up where you left off.
Sign in to the OpenAI Platform
1 min
Go to platform.openai.com and sign in. If you use ChatGPT, use the same login: it's the same OpenAI account. New to OpenAI? Choose Sign up.
You land on the Home page. The menu down the left side is your map for the rest of this guide.
OpenAI may ask you to confirm your email, and sometimes a phone number, before it lets you create keys.
Same identity as ChatGPT. The API organization is separate from any ChatGPT workspace or Team plan.
The first time you sign in to the Platform, even if you've used ChatGPT for years, OpenAI shows three setup screens. Here's what to pick on each. Seen them before? Tick this step and skip ahead.
<>Welcome to OpenAI PlatformName your organization and first project to get your workspace ready.Organization nameAcme or PersonalProject nameDefault projectContinueSigned in with [email protected]I'm looking for ChatGPT
$Choose your planFreeLimited access to certain modelsPrototypeStarting at $5Access all of our latest modelsAccelerateStarting at $50Higher usage and rate limitsAPI credits$ 5$5 can cover about 25 million input or 4 million output tokens.Continue to checkout
>_Make your first API callGenerate a key to make your first API call.API key nameMy Test KeyGenerate API KeyI'll do this later
1/6Name your organization ("Personal" is fine)
Screen 1
Organization name: anything ("Personal" is fine). Leave Project name as Default project. Continue.
Screen 2
Prototype (starting at $5). Put $5 or $10 in API credits, then Continue to checkout and pay by card.
Screen 3
I'll do this later (you'll make the key in step 6, where you can name it and choose how long it lasts)
Don't press I'm looking for ChatGPT. It sends you back to chatgpt.com, and the API isn't there.
Free won't run the GPT-6 models PolyCog uses. Accelerate (from $50) buys higher limits you don't need yet.
Picked Free, or skipped the plan screen? No harm. Step 3 adds credit from Billing.
/welcome?step=create › plan › try. Prototype = Tier 1 ($5 paid); Accelerate from $50 lines up with Tier 2.
The try-screen key skips the Expiration and Permissions choices. Skip it and make the key in step 6 if you want either.
Find Billing and add credit
3 min
Paid for Prototype on the welcome screens? You already have credit: tick this step. Otherwise, this is the part most people get stuck on, because Billing lives in your organization's settings, not in the main menu. Click your name at the very bottom left (it may say "Personal" or whatever you named your organization), choose Organization settings, then Billing.
Illustrationplatform.openai.com (simplified)
Default project ⇕HomeChatAgentsImagesAPI KeysUsageSettingsAdd creditsRun your next API request by adding credits.Go to BillingPPersonalOrganization
← Back to projectGeneralTrusted AccessAPI keysPeopleProjectsBillingLimitsUsage
GeneralOrganization namePersonal
← Back to projectGeneralTrusted AccessAPI keysPeopleProjectsBillingLimitsUsage
BillingOverviewPayment methodsBilling historyCredit grantsFree trialCredit remaining$0.00API credits are separate from ChatGPT.Add payment detailsView usage
[email protected]Personal ›Organization settingsProfile settingsDeveloper docsHelpLog out
Add payment detailsAdd your credit card details below. This card will be saved to your account and can be removed at any time.Card numberExpiration dateSecurity codeCancelContinue
A new account's Billing page says Free trial and Credit remaining $0.00. Choose Add payment details, enter your card, choose Continue, then pick how much credit to buy. $5 is the minimum; $10 is a comfortable start. Once a card is on file, the button there reads Buy credits.
Shortcuts: a new account has an Add credits box at the bottom left with a Go to Billing button, and the Home page's Credit balance box has an Add credits button.
Your bank may show a small temporary charge while OpenAI checks the card. It drops off by itself.
Credit expires one year after you buy it and isn't refundable, so start small.
Your first payment moves you to usage tier 1. The current GPT-6 models don't run on the free tier, so this step is required.
Your name (bottom left) › Organization settings › Billing: Add payment details on a new organization ("Free trial"), Buy credits once a card exists. Also Home › Credit balance › Add credits. Minimum $5, expires 12 months after purchase, non-refundable.
Tier 1 at $5 paid. GPT-6 Astra lists Free as "not supported". Tiers step up on total paid: $50 T2, $100 T3, $250 T4, $1,000 T5; monthly usage limits $100 / $500 / $1,000 / $5,000 / $200,000.
When your credit runs out, OpenAI stops answering until you add more. On the same Billing page, the Auto-reload credits box tells you what's set, in a sentence like "When my balance reaches $5, reload it to $10, with no monthly auto-reload limit." Choose Manage auto-reload to change it. (No box yet? Buy your first credit in step 3 and it appears.)
Refill automatically
For regular use, so a debate never stops halfway. Keep Use auto-reload on and set:
When my balance reaches $5
Top up to $10
Set a custom monthly limit (its own switch) of $20
The monthly limit has its own switch. If it's off, there's no limit at all, so turn it on: it's your safety net if something runs away. Credit you buy by hand doesn't count toward it.
Keep a hard stop
For trying things out. In Manage auto-reload, switch Use auto-reload off. When credit reaches zero, requests fail with a quota error and PolyCog shows it in the ChatGPT column. Buy more whenever you like.
This is the only setting that truly caps what you can spend. The alert in step 5 only sends an email.
How much will you use OpenAI in PolyCog?A few chats a week on GPT-6 Luna or Sol rarely spends $5 a month. Suggested numbers only; OpenAI's smallest reload is $5.
← Back to projectGeneralAPI keysPeopleProjectsBillingLimitsUsage
BillingPay as you goAPI credit balance$10.00Auto-reload creditsONWhen my balance reaches $5, reload it to $10, with no monthly auto-reload limit.Manage auto-reloadBuy credits
Auto-reload creditsUse auto-reloadAutomatically add credits when your balance runs low.When my balance reaches:$ 5Top up to:$ 10Amount charged:$5.00Set a custom monthly limitAuto-reload stops when this limit is reached.$ 20Payment method:Visa •••• 4242CancelSave
1/6Choose Manage auto-reload
Billing › Auto-reload credits › Manage auto-reload: "When my balance reaches" / "Top up to" (shows the amount charged), plus a separate "Set a custom monthly limit" switch; with it off there is no cap. Manual purchases don't count toward it. OpenAI's help says auto-reload starts on when the first card is added.
Prepaid with auto-reload off is the only hard stop. The cut-off can lag, so a small negative balance is possible.
Set a spending alert
Optional1 min
Still in Organization settings, choose Limits (Billing's Usage limits box goes to the same place). Set a monthly budget and the point, say 80%, where OpenAI emails you. It's a warning, not a lock: requests keep running past it. For a real ceiling, use step 4.
Organization Limits: monthly budget plus notification threshold. Alert only.
Per-project budgets live under the project's Limits. Check whether yours is set to notify or to block.
Choose ← Back to project at the top left, then API Keys in the left menu, then Create new secret key. Fill it in like this and choose Create secret key:
Owned by
You
Name
PolyCog (it says optional; name it anyway so you can tell it apart later)
Project
Default project
Expiration
Never (you can still delete it any time; a key that expires stops PolyCog's ChatGPT column until you paste a new one)
Permissions
All
Illustrationplatform.openai.com › API keys (simplified)
API keys+ Create new secret keyNameKeyProjectNo API keys yetPolyCogsk-proj-…a1QxDefault project
Create new secret keyOwned byYouService accountName OptionalMy Test KeyProjectDefault project ⇕ExpirationSelect an expiration ⇕1 day7 days30 daysNeverCustomPermissionsAllRestrictedRead onlyCancelCreate secret key
Save your keyKeep it somewhere safe. You won't be able to see it again after you close this.sk-proj-EXAMPLE9x…a1QxCopyDone
1/7API Keys is in the left menu
Copy it before you close the window.OpenAI shows the full key only once. Use the Copy button rather than selecting by hand; the key starts with sk-proj- and is long. If you lose it, delete it and make a new one. That's free and takes a minute.
Consider a dedicated project named PolyCog: its own spend line, its own budget, one-click revoke.
Restricted key: under Model capabilities, set Responses, Chat completions and Embeddings to Write. Leave everything else at None. PolyCog calls /v1/responses (with web_search), /v1/chat/completions and /v1/embeddings (memory) and nothing else. Create stays disabled at "0 selected permissions".
Expiration choices: 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, Never, Custom. Use Custom if you rotate keys on a schedule; PolyCog reports an expired key as a 401. Service-account keys work too and survive a member leaving the organization.
Sign in to PolyCog (a free account is enough), open your profile and choose the Keys tab. Paste into ChatGPT API key and choose Save keys. The button below opens that tab for you.
Illustrationpolycog.io › Profile › Keys
ProfileChatsMemorySettingsSavingsKeys
Keys are stored in this browser. Turn on sync to keep them (encrypted) with your account.ChatGPT API keyONHow to get one →sk-…Claude API keyONsk-ant-…Save keys
Keys saved
1/2Paste into ChatGPT API key
Keys stay in the browser you saved them in. If you switch on key sync, they're encrypted and stored with your account so your other devices get them too.
Profile › Keys › ChatGPT API key › Save keys. Per-key on/off switch. Sync is optional (AES-256 at rest).
Pick a GPT model in the ChatGPT column (GPT-6 Luna is the cheapest) and ask something short. An answer means you're done. Got an error? Find its wording under Troubleshooting.
Rough numbers for one answer (about 1,100 words of question and context in, 750 words out). A debate round costs a little more than a first answer, since each model reads the others.
Model
Price per 1M tokensin / out
One answer
Answers per $5
GPT-6 Lunacheapest, fast
$0.10 / $0.50
≈ $0.00065
≈ 7,700
GPT-6 Soleveryday
$2.00 / $10.00
≈ $0.013
≈ 380
GPT-6 Astraflagship
$10.00 / $50.00
≈ $0.065
≈ 77
Web search adds OpenAI's $0.01 per search. Prices from /pricing/, verified Sep 23, 2026. Assumes 1,500 tokens in and 1,000 out per answer.
Troubleshooting
Find the words from the error in PolyCog's ChatGPT column.
You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details429 · insufficient_quota · PolyCog shows "Out of API credit"
No credit yet, or it ran out: add some (step 3), or turn on auto-reload (step 4).
Just bought it? Give it a few minutes, then try again.
The key belongs to a different organization than the one you paid for. Make the key in the organization that has the credit.
Incorrect API key provided401 · invalid_api_key
Part of the key is missing, it was deleted, or it passed its expiration date. Make a new key (step 6), copy it with the Copy button, and paste it again.
You have insufficient permissions for this operation401 · Restricted key
The key is Restricted and is missing a row PolyCog needs. Under Model capabilities, set Responses, Chat completions and Embeddings to Write, or make a new key with Permissions: All.
Your organization must be verified to use the modelonly some models
The model gpt-6-astra does not exist or you do not have access to it404 · model_not_found
Your account is still on the free tier. Add $5 of credit (step 3).
Or the project has a model allowlist that leaves it out: check the project's Limits.
Rate limit reached for requests429 · rate_limit_exceeded
New accounts start with lower limits. Wait a minute, or run fewer OpenAI columns at once. Limits rise on their own as your total spend grows.
I lost the keyor closed the window before copying
OpenAI can't show it again. Create a new one, paste it into PolyCog, then delete the old one on the API keys page.
I think my key leakedposted it, shared a screenshot
Delete it on the API keys page right away. It stops working immediately. Then make a new one.
Questions people ask
Is the OpenAI API free?
Not for the current models. GPT-6 needs at least $5 of prepaid credit on the account (usage tier 1). After that you pay per use, usually well under a cent per answer on the smaller models.
Does ChatGPT Plus include API access?
No. OpenAI bills ChatGPT subscriptions and the API separately. Your Plus or Pro plan keeps working on chatgpt.com; the API needs its own credit on platform.openai.com.
How much should I put in first?
$5 to $10. It's enough for hundreds of everyday answers, and credit expires one year after you buy it, so a small start wastes nothing.
Do OpenAI API credits expire?
Yes. Credit you buy expires one year after the purchase and isn't refundable.
What's the "Claim free tokens" box on OpenAI's dashboard?
OpenAI offers free tokens if you let it use the traffic on your account. That would include what you send through PolyCog. It's optional and separate from everything in this guide; read OpenAI's terms for it before you turn it on.
Can I use this key in other apps too?
Yes, but one key per app is tidier: you can see what each one spends and delete one without breaking the others.
Is it safe to give PolyCog my key?
PolyCog sends it only to OpenAI, only for requests you start. It's kept in your browser, and encrypted if you turn on key sync. You can delete the key at OpenAI at any time, which cuts off access instantly.
Why is it called ChatGPT in PolyCog?
It's the name most people know. The models are OpenAI's GPT family, and the key comes from OpenAI's developer platform.
Keys for the other seats
OpenAIChatGPT columnThis guide
AnthropicClaude columnComing soon
GoogleGemini columnComing soon
DeepSeekDeepSeek columnComing soon
xAIGrok columnComing soon
OpenRouterWildcard seat, one key for six labsComing soon
ElevenLabsHD narration voicesComing soon
Key in hand? Put it to work.
PolyCog puts up to six AI models on the same question, lets them debate, and has the one you pick write the answer. Your keys, provider prices, no markup.
Free tier forever · $10/mo · $250 lifetime · your API keys, your bill
Verified at OpenAI's help center, developer docs and platform on Sep 25, 2026. OpenAI moves things around; spotted a change? Send a correction. Screens are simplified drawings, not screenshots. Not affiliated with OpenAI.All guides → · Models → · Pricing →