The Doubao API is billed by usage through Volcengine Ark, and calls stop when the account has no usable balance. Teams in China tend to have the same questions: where the money should be paid, which currency settles it, whether an invoice can be issued, whether service stops immediately when the balance runs out, and how to control quota when several people share access.

This article separates the two top-up paths: paying into an official Volcengine account, and paying through an OpenAI-compatible AI gateway. The billing entity, invoices, and refund rules differ between the two, so confirm them before choosing.

Note: Doubao, Volcengine Ark, and Volcengine are trademarks of their respective owners. ZSQH AI Gateway is an independent service with no affiliation or partnership with these vendors. The rules described here use public information as of October 2026 as an example; each platform's pages govern the specifics.

1. Distinguish the three kinds of "money" in an account

Before topping up, confirm which kind of balance you are adding. The three cannot be mixed:

  1. Volcengine cash balance: paid into a Volcengine account and used to pay Ark and other cloud product bills, usually settled in RMB.
  2. Free quota and vouchers: granted by the platform, usable only for specified billing items, usually with an expiration date, and not withdrawable or transferable.
  3. Gateway account balance: paid into ZSQH AI Gateway for calling the models it provides, independent of the Volcengine account.

Many people assume that seeing quota in the Ark console means no top-up is needed. In practice, free quota may cover only pay-as-you-go online inference, while batch inference or fine-tuning still generates a bill. Understand the balance type before deciding how much to add.

2. Path one: official Volcengine top-up

This suits teams that can use Volcengine directly and need the official billing entity or corporate payment. The flow is roughly:

  1. Register a Volcengine account and complete identity verification; enterprise procurement usually uses company-entity verification.
  2. Enable Volcengine Ark in the console and confirm the models and regions you will use.
  3. Go to the billing center, click top-up, and choose online payment or corporate transfer; available channels are shown on the page.
  4. After the funds arrive, create an API key and an inference endpoint, or use a supported model ID directly.
  5. Call the models and review bills, usage, and balance in the billing center.

One key rule for official top-up: invoices are issued only for consumed amounts; funds paid in but not consumed cannot be invoiced. Do not deposit a large amount at once just to "get the invoice out early". Top up in batches based on quarterly or half-year usage.

3. Path two: topping up through an AI gateway

This suits teams that want unified RMB settlement, one balance for several model providers, and Chinese-language support. Using ZSQH AI Gateway as an example:

  1. Open the sign-up page, create an account, and complete the necessary identity or company information.
  2. Go to the top-up page, choose an amount and payment method, and confirm the currency, arrival time, and invoice rules.
  3. Once the funds arrive, create API keys in the console and name them per project.
  4. Point base_url at the gateway address and fill in model names as shown on the pricing page; existing OpenAI SDK code usually needs no changes.
  5. Review usage by key, model, and date on the billing page, and set balance alerts.
export ZSQH_API_KEY="sk-your-key"

curl "https://ai.zhongshangqihang.com/v1/chat/completions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ZSQH_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"your Doubao model name","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Reply with OK only"}]}'

Model names, context lengths, and billing are governed by model pricing; do not copy model IDs from other platforms.

4. How to choose between the two paths

Item Official Volcengine AI gateway
Billing entity Volcengine Gateway operator
Settlement currency Usually RMB Per on-site page, usually RMB
Model range Models on the Ark platform Per the gateway's connected list, possibly several vendors
Invoices Issued only for consumed amounts Per on-site invoice rules
Balance alerts Thresholds can be set in the billing center Balance reminders can be set in the console
Best for Doubao only, needs a cloud vendor contract Multiple models, unified billing, fast integration

If the team uses only Doubao and already has a Volcengine procurement process, official top-up is more direct. If you need Doubao, DeepSeek, Tongyi, and other models at the same time, or want one balance for unified management, a gateway is less work. The two can also run in parallel: use the gateway for testing and canary traffic, and official access for core production.

5. Exchange rates, fees, and arrival time

  • Official accounts top up in RMB and generally do not involve currency conversion; if a foreign bank card or foreign currency is used, the issuing bank may charge a currency conversion fee, so ask the bank.
  • Gateway top-ups are usually priced in RMB as well; whether other currencies are supported and whether fees apply is governed by the top-up page.
  • Arrival time depends on the payment method: online payment is usually fast, while corporate transfers may need bank processing time. For cross-bank or large transfers, allow one or two business days.
  • Before topping up, confirm that "amount received" and "amount invoiceable" are not the same thing, so budget and invoices do not diverge.

6. How invoices are issued

Invoicing is the step where enterprise procurement most often gets stuck. Confirm four things:

  1. Invoice entity: the contract entity, payment entity, and invoice header should match as closely as possible; otherwise reimbursement and bookkeeping become difficult.
  2. Invoice type: general or special, electronic or paper, per the platform's invoicing page; a special invoice usually requires company entity information and a taxpayer identification number.
  3. Invoice amount: official channels invoice only consumed amounts, not unconsumed top-up funds; gateway rules are governed by on-site documentation.
  4. Invoice cycle: whether it is monthly, quarterly, or on request, and whether automatic invoicing is supported; ask in advance.

Before the first large top-up, issue a small invoice to walk through the process. Confirm the header, tax number, and receiving email are correct, then increase the amount.

7. Balance alerts, arrears, and refunds

The Volcengine billing center supports a usable-balance alert threshold, which triggers a reminder when the balance falls below it. The official documentation notes that reminders are sent multiple times, the first in real time and later daily; if the balance is already below the threshold when it is set, no alert fires immediately, and the next balance change is needed. If the usable balance goes negative, resources may be shut down; the platform also offers a suspension-deferral benefit that must be requested in the console, with specifics governed by the billing center.

On refunds, whether an unused balance can be returned and how differs by platform. On official channels, invoiced amounts usually need the invoice handled before a refund can proceed; gateway channels follow on-site refund documentation. Do not treat a top-up as a demand deposit you can withdraw at any time; topping up in batches based on actual usage is more prudent.

8. Seven things to confirm for enterprise procurement

  1. Whether the contract entity and payment entity match, and whether they meet finance booking requirements.
  2. Invoice type, tax rate, invoicing cycle, and delivery method.
  3. Payment method: corporate transfer, online payment, or prepaid top-up.
  4. Budget cap, balance alerts, and the policy for stopping service when the cap is exceeded.
  5. Sub-accounts and permissions: who can top up, who can create keys, and who can view bills.
  6. Data and compliance terms: log retention, data use, and deletion mechanisms.
  7. Exit mechanism: balance refunds, invoice reversal, and data handling after service termination.

Putting these seven items into a procurement confirmation form saves much more effort than fixing the process after launch.

FAQ

Can I invoice the full top-up amount directly?

No. Official Volcengine channels invoice only consumed amounts; unconsumed top-up funds cannot be invoiced. Enterprises should top up in batches based on actual usage, avoiding large sums sitting in the account without an invoice.

Can the official balance and gateway balance be transferred between each other?

No. They belong to different account systems, and the balances are independent. Before switching paths, estimate remaining usage so the old balance does not sit idle.

How long does a top-up take to arrive?

Online payment is usually fast; corporate transfers depend on bank processing and may be delayed for cross-bank or large amounts. Specific arrival times are governed by the payment page and bank notifications, so arrange ahead when time is tight.

Does service stop immediately when the balance runs out?

Official Volcengine documentation states that resources may be shut down when the usable balance is negative, and a suspension-deferral benefit may be available. The exact grace period and application method are governed by the billing center. Gateway arrears policies follow on-site documentation.

How do we control quota when a team shares access?

One key per person or one key per project, with spending limits and alerts per key; separate test and production; review usage weekly and disable abnormal calls promptly. When unified billing is needed, the gateway's key management makes tracing easier than sharing a single key.

Next step

First decide whether the team needs only Doubao or unified billing across several models. For small usage and a quick proof of concept, add a small balance on ZSQH AI Gateway and run a call; for stable usage that needs a cloud vendor contract, use official Volcengine top-up. See model pricing for specific prices and billing.

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