# 🔴 If I use my own API how can I limit credit usage?

**URL:** <https://community.pickaxe.co/t/if-i-use-my-own-api-how-can-i-limit-credit-usage/7233>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** api\
**Created:** [September 28, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.pickaxe.co/t/if-i-use-my-own-api-how-can-i-limit-credit-usage/7233 "2025-09-28T16:39:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pickcash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@pickcash](https://community.pickaxe.co/u/pickcash)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.pickaxe.co/t/if-i-use-my-own-api-how-can-i-limit-credit-usage/7233/1 "2025-09-28T16:39:44Z")

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Hello people 😄 , I want to be sure that if I use my own API KEY of open ai or Anthropic, and I create a new product with 500/month credit, it keep tracking the credit usage of my users even if I use my own API key. Or it only tracks usage with Pickaxe package credits ?🤔

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**Author:** ![abhi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/community.pickaxe.co/abhi/32/5009_2.png) [@abhi](https://community.pickaxe.co/u/abhi)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.pickaxe.co/t/if-i-use-my-own-api-how-can-i-limit-credit-usage/7233/2 "2025-09-29T19:49:22Z")

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Hi @pickcash,

Thanks for asking! If you use your own OpenAI API (or any other) key, you can set your bot to Unlimited credits. In that case, Pickaxe credits aren’t used at all, and your OpenAI/Anthropic usage is billed directly to your API key. If you do choose to meter, it’s simple: 1 credit = 1 interaction (one AI reply).

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**Author:** ![pickcash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@pickcash](https://community.pickaxe.co/u/pickcash)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2025, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.pickaxe.co/t/if-i-use-my-own-api-how-can-i-limit-credit-usage/7233/3 "2025-09-29T20:30:50Z")

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Even if I use my own Api Key I want to put a package limit, like:

- BASIC: 100 credits / month
- VIP: 300 credits / month
- ADVANCED: 1000 credits / month

So I can sell packages through Pickaxe platform, the question is, if I switch to My own API, can I set those limit without giving infinite credit usage? I want to have control on it even with my own API key

Did I explained myself? @abhi

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**Author:** ![abhi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/community.pickaxe.co/abhi/32/5009_2.png) [@abhi](https://community.pickaxe.co/u/abhi)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.pickaxe.co/t/if-i-use-my-own-api-how-can-i-limit-credit-usage/7233/4 "2025-09-30T21:40:36Z")

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@pickcash: Yes 🙂  
You can set up limits, and everything works in the same way.