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Tutorial Velona Team ·25 July 2026 ·2 min read

How to Get Your First AI API Key on Velona (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you've been paying for OpenAI or Anthropic API access with a forex card, or juggling multiple crypto/USD payment workarounds just to build a side project, Velona removes that friction entirely. This guide walks you through creating an account, funding your wallet with UPI, and making your first API call, in under 5 minutes.

Step 1: Sign Up

Head to velona.in/register and sign in with Google. No forms, no email verification wait, you're in your dashboard within seconds.

Step 2: Add Balance via UPI

Unlike most AI API providers that require a USD-billed credit card, Velona uses a prepaid INR wallet:

Check current per-model rates on the pricing page before you top up, so you know roughly how far your balance will go.

Step 3: Generate Your API Key

Navigate to API Keys and click Create New Key. Copy it immediately, for security, you won't be able to view the full key again.

Step 4: Make Your First Request

Velona exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, so if you've used the OpenAI SDK before, this will look familiar. Full endpoint details and parameters are in the API documentation.

curl https://api.velona.in/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_VELONA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Velona!"}]
  }'

Don't want to write code yet? You can test prompts directly in the browser first using the free public chat before committing to an integration.

Common Signup Issues

"Insufficient balance" error on first request

Make sure your UPI payment has confirmed, this usually takes a few seconds but can occasionally take up to a minute during bank-side delays. You can track this live in your wallet.

API key not working

Double-check you copied the full key, including the prefix, and that there's no trailing whitespace when pasting into your code or .env file. You can always regenerate a key from API Keys.

Tip: Bookmark your dashboard's API Keys page, you'll likely generate separate keys per project to keep usage and billing organized. Track consumption per key under Usage & Logs.

What's Next

Once you're set up, explore Velona's full model pricing index to find the right one for your use case, or check out our guide on migrating existing OpenAI code to Velona.