Seedance video tasks are typically prepaid: you add funds first, then call the API. Domestic teams most often ask four questions: whether to use the official channel or a domestic gateway, which currency applies, whether an invoice can be issued, and how balance and refunds are handled. Video generation top-ups are often substantial, and an unclear process can leave funds idle, make reimbursement difficult, or let spending run out of control.

This article compares the two paths across account opening, payment, invoices, and after-sales support, and provides a checklist. Specific prices, exchange rates, and invoice rules change, so refer to the on-site model pricing page and the official purchase page.

Note: Seedance is a video generation model from ByteDance; Seedance, Doubao, Volcano Engine, and BytePlus are trademarks of their respective owners (ByteDance and its affiliates). This article is for technical explanation only and has no affiliation or agency relationship with those rights holders. Prices, interfaces, and billing rules are subject to the official documentation and the on-site pricing page.

1. Distinguish the two top-up paths first

Item Official channel Domestic AI gateway (ZSQH AI Gateway as an example)
Account entity Cloud platform account, usually requiring identity or enterprise verification On-site account with verification as required
Billing currency Domestic platforms mostly use CNY; international platforms mostly use USD Priced in CNY, with rules on site
Payment methods Online payment, corporate transfer, or international cards, depending on the platform Domestic payment methods supported on site
Model range The platform's Seedance models and associated cloud services Models already connected to the gateway; see the pricing page for scope
Invoice Requested under cloud platform rules Requested under gateway rules; confirm type and cycle
Balance form Account balance, resource pack, or voucher Wallet balance, possibly with quota and validity rules
Who it suits Teams using only ByteDance models that need bundled cloud resources Teams wanting one bill across models and domestic payment

The official channel also splits into domestic and overseas. Domestic access usually runs through Volcano Engine or Volcano Ark, while overseas access runs through BytePlus ModelArk. Accounts, currencies, invoicing entities, and available models all differ, so do not mix tutorials across them. Before signing up, confirm which platform you are on and who issues the invoice.

2. Five things to confirm before topping up

  1. Account entity: individual or enterprise, and whether the verification details match the reimbursement entity.
  2. Billing currency: CNY or USD, and whether exchange rates and cross-border fees apply.
  3. Crediting time: instant or manual review, and whether corporate transfers cross business days.
  4. Invoice: standard or special VAT invoice, tax rate, issuance cycle, and whether invoicing happens at top-up or after consumption.
  5. Balance rules: validity period, the difference between cash and promotional balance, and whether unused funds are refundable.

Invoices and refunds are the two areas where problems are most often discovered only after payment. Put the answers in the purchase order, not just in a chat history.

3. The general official top-up flow

Pages differ between platforms, but the flow is broadly similar:

  1. Register a cloud platform account and complete identity or enterprise verification.
  2. Find the corresponding Seedance model in the model marketplace and read the activation conditions and billing notes.
  3. Choose pay-as-you-go or purchase a resource pack, confirm the applicable models, resolution tiers, and validity period, then pay.
  4. Create an API key and set quotas, alerts, and the allowed model range.
  5. Verify with the shortest possible task: submission works, polling works, and the bill shows a record.

Official resource packs usually cover only specified models and may not carry across generations. Unused value can lapse at expiry, after which billing typically reverts to pay-as-you-go. Some models also require the account balance to reach a threshold before activation. Confirm thresholds, validity, and refund windows on the purchase page.

4. Steps for topping up through a gateway

Using the ZSQH AI Gateway as an example:

  1. Open the registration page, create an account, and sign in.
  2. Provide identity or enterprise information and make sure it matches the invoicing entity.
  3. Go to the wallet or top-up page, choose the amount and payment method, and confirm the currency and crediting notes.
  4. After payment, return to the console to confirm the balance has been credited, then create a project-specific key and set a spending cap.
  5. Submit a test task with the lowest configuration and check the charge and billing record.
  6. Export the first day's usage and reconcile it against the top-up amount and task count.

After topping up, verify that the key works:

export ZSQH_API_KEY="sk-your-key"

# Model list endpoint, used to confirm the key and gateway connectivity; path per on-site docs
curl "https://ai.zhongshangqihang.com/v1/models" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ZSQH_API_KEY"

Video generation is mostly asynchronous, and its fields differ from text endpoints. See the on-site Seedance integration guide for examples. Test with the shortest duration and lowest resolution; do not generate a high-definition long clip on the first attempt.

5. Exchange rates, fees, and "looks cheaper"

Cross-border top-ups cannot be compared on list price alone. USD pricing also involves exchange rates, bank fees, and foreign-exchange losses on refunds. A domestic gateway bills in CNY, which makes payment and reimbursement more direct, but its price may include service costs. Neither side is simply a higher or lower number.

Compare on a common basis: cost per usable video. Include the top-up amount, failed retries, storage and traffic, and invoice deductions. Minimum top-up amounts and balance validity also affect cost. Topping up a large sum for a discount and then failing to use it can end up more expensive.

This article does not list specific unit prices or exchange rates because both change. Before ordering, check the model pricing page and the official purchase page, and confirm whether tax is included and whether extra fees apply.

6. Invoices and enterprise purchasing

Enterprise purchasing usually goes through vendor onboarding, contracts, payment, and reimbursement. Clarify the following before topping up:

  • Invoice type: standard or special VAT invoice, and the tax rate.
  • Invoicing entity: whether the invoice header matches the paying entity and the contracting entity.
  • Timing: invoice at top-up, after consumption, or as a monthly summary.
  • Contract and order: whether there is a formal contract, order number, and terms of service.
  • Data and compliance: how assets and prompts are stored, how long they are retained, and whether they are used for training.
  • After-sales: the channel and response time for balance anomalies, failed tasks, and invoice errors.

Prepayment also requires payment receipts, top-up records, and consumption details. Export the bill monthly and archive it by project and key so you are not gathering documents at year end. Invoice type and cycle depend on the provider's qualifications and your enterprise information, so do not rely on a marketing page alone.

7. Balance alerts and team quotas

Video tasks are expensive per unit, and a runaway script can consume a large balance quickly. Do three things immediately after topping up:

  1. Split keys by project, separate test from production, and prohibit sharing one key across people.
  2. Set balance alerts and daily or monthly budgets that reach at least one owner and one finance contact.
  3. Limit concurrency, maximum task duration, and maximum retries, with automatic pause on anomalies.

Review usage weekly: which model consumes the most, whether the failure rate is rising, whether tasks are being duplicated, and whether the balance decline matches expectations. Alerts must go somewhere a person will act on them. An alert nobody reads is no alert.

8. Refunds, balance validity, and common traps

Refund rules vary by channel. Official resource packs usually have a refund window and require the value to be unused; consumed, expired, or promotional amounts are often non-refundable. Gateway wallet terms are set on site, consumed amounts are generally not refundable, and cross-border refunds can lose value to exchange-rate costs.

Common traps include treating a resource pack as a general balance, ignoring the validity period, topping up the wrong account, failing to request an invoice after payment, mixing promotional credit with cash balance, and sharing a key until spending runs over. The safe approach is a small initial top-up: complete submission, polling, download, and invoicing, then add funds according to usage.

FAQ

How long does a Seedance API top-up take to arrive?

Online payment is usually fast, while corporate transfers may be delayed. Rely on the on-site crediting notice and the balance page. If it has not arrived after a long wait, check the payment receipt and contact the provider rather than paying twice.

Can I get a special VAT invoice?

It depends on the provider's qualifications and your enterprise information. First confirm the invoice type, tax rate, issuance cycle, and whether invoicing happens at top-up or after consumption. Purchasing through an individual account can affect invoicing, so an enterprise entity is preferable.

Does the topped-up balance expire?

Wallet balances and resource packs follow different rules. Official resource packs usually have a validity period and may lapse if unused; gateway balance rules are set on site, so do not assume they are permanently valid.

Is topping up in USD or CNY more economical?

Do not look at the list price alone. Include exchange rates, fees, taxes, minimum top-up amounts, validity periods, and refund losses, then compare cost per usable video. When usage is unstable, small and frequent top-ups are usually easier to control.

Why does it still say insufficient balance after topping up?

Check whether crediting is delayed, whether the key has a quota, whether the model is enabled, and whether requests are hitting a higher-priced tier. Failed video task retries also consume balance, so pause tasks first if necessary and then investigate.

Next steps

Start with a small top-up and run one short video task to confirm crediting, charges, downloads, and invoicing all work, then add budget by project. You can begin on the registration page of the ZSQH AI Gateway; prices and available models are on the model pricing page.

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