🚀 Before You Begin

Before we start building, let’s get the practical stuff out of the way. OpenAI’s API isn’t like other free APIs you might have used — there are real costs and requirements you need to know about.

💰 OpenAI API Requirements

You Need Real Money

OpenAI’s API isn’t free. Every API call costs money. While small models are very affordable, larger models can get expensive fast if you’re not careful.

To get started, you’ll need:

✅ At least $5 in credit on your OpenAI account
📱 Phone number verification
💳 A valid payment method linked to your account

Pro tip: Start with smaller models during testing to keep costs low. You can always upgrade to more powerful models later.

🌍 Regional Limits

Depending on where you are, your access might be limited:

❌ Access to advanced models like o1-mini
❌ Certain API features or endpoints
❌ Higher rate limits for production apps
🌐 Some regions may have restricted availability

Check OpenAI’s supported countries list if you’re unsure about your region.

🚧 Tier Limitations Can Block You

OpenAI uses usage tiers that unlock features as you spend more. Until you reach higher tiers, you might hit limits on:

Which models you can access
How fast you can make requests (rate limits)
Advanced features like fine-tuning

Don’t worry — the basic tiers are perfect for learning and building your first apps.

💳 Set a Spending Limit (Important!)

Before you write a single line of code, set a monthly spending limit in your OpenAI billing settings.

For learning and testing, $20-$30 is a safe starting point. This protects you from unexpected charges while you experiment and learn.

🎯 Requirements Checklist

Before moving forward, make sure you have:

✅ OpenAI account with at least $5 in credit
📱 Phone verification completed
💳 Payment method added
🧠 Basic JavaScript/Node.js knowledge
💻 VS Code or your favorite editor
🌐 Access to OpenAI’s platform

Got everything? You’re ready to build your first AI app.

Ready? Next up: we’ll grab your API key and build your first AI-powered endpoint.

Let’s turn that credit into something valuable! 💪