How to top up TavernAPI with crypto (USDT or USDC)

What you need before you start

If you use SillyTavern or JanitorAI and have never sent cryptocurrency before, the process is much simpler than it looks. You do not need to trade coins or install a browser wallet extension. You only use USDT or USDC—two US-dollar stablecoins—as a way to send a fixed dollar amount from an exchange account to our checkout page.

Before you start a top-up, make sure you have:

• A TavernAPI console account: If you just signed up, verify your email address (or sign in with Google or Discord) to claim your $0.30 free trial credit first so you can test gemini-4-argon and gemini-3.8-flash before paying.
• An account on a reputable crypto exchange: You will need enough USDT or USDC to cover your chosen top-up amount plus the small withdrawal fee your exchange charges to send it.

In the console, you can use crypto through our payment processor (NOWPayments) to pay for either of two options on our Pricing page:

• Pay-as-you-go balance ($6 to $500): Enter any whole-dollar amount between $6 and $500. Regular balance never expires.
• 30-day credit packs: Buy a one-time manual pack—$9 for $10, $19 for $23, or $39 for $48 of credit—for credit that is valid for 30 days across all models (claude-opus-5-5, claude-sonnet-5-5, gemini-4-argon, gemini-3.8-flash, and deepseek-v4-pro) with no auto-renewal.

TavernAPI adds no top-up fee to either option.

Which coin and network should you use?

For TavernAPI, USDT and USDC are interchangeable—both credit your account in USD at face value. Pick whichever coin is easier for you to buy or cheaper to withdraw from your exchange.

When you withdraw USDT or USDC, you must also choose a blockchain network. Think of the coin (USDT or USDC) as the currency and the network as the delivery rail. Our NOWPayments checkout page lists every coin and network we accept; only the networks shown on that checkout page are accepted.

For small and medium top-ups, we recommend picking one of the low-fee networks at the top of this table:

Mistake #1 to avoid: sending on the wrong network

The single biggest mistake first-time crypto users make is picking one network on the checkout page and a different network on their exchange.

Addresses on BEP20, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, and Ethereum (ERC20) all start with 0x and look identical. Because the address format is the same, your exchange will not stop you from picking the wrong network. If the NOWPayments checkout gives you a BEP20 address and you withdraw from your exchange over ERC20 (or over an unsupported network), your funds may be permanently lost.

Always follow one rule: pick the coin and network on the NOWPayments checkout page first, then select that exact same network name on your exchange.

How to get USDT or USDC

If you do not already have USDT or USDC, you can buy it with a regular bank card or bank transfer on an exchange and withdraw it straight to our checkout—no separate wallet app required.

1. Use a reputable, legal exchange: Create an account on an established cryptocurrency exchange that operates legally where you live, and complete its standard identity verification. We stay neutral and do not rank or endorse specific exchanges, nor do we give financial or investment advice.
2. Buy slightly more than your invoice amount: Use your bank card or local bank transfer to buy USDT or USDC. If you plan to top up $6, buy a little extra (for example, $7 or $8 worth) so you have enough to cover the exchange's purchase fee and withdrawal fee.
3. Avoid unknown sellers: Never buy crypto from individuals messaging you on Telegram, Discord, or social media. Always buy through a regulated exchange's official website or app.

Step by step: top up in the console

Follow these steps in order, one task at a time:

1. Open Top up in the console: Sign in to the TavernAPI console and click Top up in the left sidebar.
2. Enter your amount or pick a pack: Type any whole-dollar amount from $6 to $500 for non-expiring balance, or select one of the 30-day credit packs ($9 for $10, $19 for $23, or $39 for $48).
3. Open the checkout page: Click Continue to payment (for a credit pack, click Pay with crypto on the pack's card). A NOWPayments checkout page will open for your order.
4. Choose your coin and network: On the NOWPayments page, select USDT or USDC, then pick a supported network—ideally BNB Smart Chain (BEP20), Polygon, Base (for USDC), or Arbitrum.
5. Copy the address and exact amount: The checkout screen will now display a deposit address and the exact coin amount to send. Keep this tab open. If the checkout page displays a memo, tag, or extra ID for the network you picked, you must copy and fill that in too (USDT and USDC on BEP20, Polygon, Base, and Arbitrum normally do not require one).
6. Set up the withdrawal on your exchange: Open your exchange's Withdraw (or Send) screen for the same coin. Paste the deposit address from the checkout page, and select the exact same network you chose in Step 4.
7. Adjust for the exchange's withdrawal fee: Check the exchange's fee preview so the full invoice amount arrives after the fee is deducted (see the worked example below), then submit the withdrawal and complete your exchange's verification codes.
8. Wait for the success screen: You can keep the NOWPayments tab open or close it and check your console later. Once the network confirms the transfer, the checkout shows a success page and your console balance updates by itself.

Get the amount right

The second common beginner mistake is forgetting that your exchange deducts a withdrawal fee. Some exchanges subtract that fee from the number you type, while others add the fee on top.

Worked example: paying a 6.00 USDT checkout

Suppose your NOWPayments checkout asks for 6.00 USDT on BEP20, and your exchange shows a withdrawal fee of 0.30 USDT:

• Before clicking submit, look for the line on your exchange screen labeled "You will receive" (sometimes called "Receive amount" or "Net amount").
• If you type 6.00 and the exchange says "You will receive: 5.70 USDT", the exchange is subtracting its 0.30 USDT fee from your payment. Change the withdrawal box to 6.30 USDT so the preview reads "You will receive: 6.00 USDT".
• Always make sure the "you will receive" amount matches the exact figure on the NOWPayments checkout page.

Partially paid vs. overpaid orders

If you forget to account for the withdrawal fee and less than the invoice amount arrives (for example, 5.70 USDT arrives on a 6.00 USDT order), your money is not lost. The order status in the console changes to Partially paid, and our system automatically credits your balance for the exact part that arrived. If you still want the rest of the balance, simply start a new top-up for the remaining amount.

If you accidentally send more than the checkout page asked for, only the original order amount is credited automatically when the payment confirms. Reach out to us via the Contact page with your order ID and transaction hash so we can verify the payment and add the extra to your balance.

After you pay

After you approve the withdrawal on your exchange, the exchange broadcasts the transaction to the blockchain. Confirmations usually take a few minutes, though an exchange may occasionally take a little longer if it reviews the withdrawal first.

You can check the status of every order in the console:

• Pending: The order is open and waiting for your transfer to be confirmed on the network.
• Partially paid: Less than the full invoice amount arrived; we credited the portion that arrived.
• Paid: The full amount arrived and your balance (or 30-day credit pack) has been added to your account.
• Expired: Unpaid orders close automatically after 1 hour. Do not worry if your exchange was slow to broadcast a transfer you already submitted—a payment that arrives after the 1-hour window closes is still credited automatically once it confirms.
• Failed: The payment could not be completed by the processor.

As soon as your balance updates, you are ready to connect https://tavernapi.com/v1 in SillyTavern (or https://tavernapi.com/v1/chat/completions in web apps like JanitorAI's Proxy) and download our roleplay presets.

If something goes wrong

If your top-up did not go as planned, find the matching situation below for step-by-step recovery instructions:

• Less arrived than the checkout asked for (Partially paid): We automatically credit the part that arrived, and you can start a fresh top-up if you need more credit—see Troubleshooting: Underpaid or partially paid orders.
• The 1-hour checkout timer expired before my transfer finished: Unpaid orders close after 1 hour, but a transfer that arrives later is still credited once confirmed—see Troubleshooting: Order expired before payment arrived.
• My exchange says the withdrawal is complete, but my balance has not updated: Check common causes and what to verify in Troubleshooting: Payment sent but not credited.
• I sent more than the invoice amount: Only the order amount is credited automatically; see Troubleshooting: Overpaid a crypto order and message us via /contact so we can credit the extra.
• I withdrew on the wrong blockchain network: Because exchanges do not block mismatched networks, funds sent on the wrong network may be lost—read Troubleshooting: Sent crypto on the wrong network for what to check immediately.

Stay safe

Keep three simple safety rules in mind whenever you top up:

• Only pay the address shown on a NOWPayments checkout page that you opened from your own TavernAPI console. Never send funds to an old address saved from a previous order; always start a new checkout in the console first.
• TavernAPI will never ask for your seed phrase, recovery phrase, or private key—and we will never ask for your full sk-tav-... API key either.
• TavernAPI will never ask you to pay a personal wallet address in a chat message. Even when you talk to us through the official channels on our Contact page, all top-ups happen strictly through the console checkout.