Kimi documents an API trial voucher, but it is not a verified free API trial for every user or model. Its English help page says eligible new users registering with a mainland China mobile number receive an RMB 15 voucher, valid for three months and applied automatically to API usage. That does not establish eligibility for US accounts. Kimi’s Chinese trial guide says the voucher cannot be used for K3, while its Chinese K3 quickstart says a new verified user’s voucher can be used for K3. Because those official pages conflict, don’t count the voucher toward a K3 budget unless your account’s current terms confirm it. (kimi.com)
What the API trial voucher covers
| Detail | Kimi’s published terms |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | New users registering with a mainland China mobile number |
| Voucher | RMB 15, applied automatically to API usage; no manual activation required |
| Expiration | Three months after issue; it expires automatically |
| Balance order | Voucher credit is deducted before top-up balance |
| After the voucher is used | API calls are charged against top-up balance; if the balance is zero, requests return a 403 error |
| Where to check credit | The console’s “Cost Details” page |
These are the English help page’s general voucher terms. For K3, Kimi’s official localized documents disagree about whether the voucher applies. The international K3 quickstart separately says K3 is unlocked after a successful top-up of at least $1. Treat the voucher as an uncertain K3 discount, not as proof that you can test K3 without paying. (kimi.com)
For the applicable signup and balance details, start with Kimi’s API trial guide and the K3 quickstart for the platform you plan to use. The English trial guide directs users to check remaining voucher credit in the console’s Cost Details page. (kimi.com)
Is there a free way to try Kimi without the API?
Kimi’s Chinese K3 pricing page lists a Free membership at ¥0 with basic Agent credits. That is a hosted membership option, not an API credit. The listing does not confirm the same offer, price, or eligibility for US accounts; check the plans shown after signing in from your region. (kimi.com)
Hosted access and API access have separate terms and budgets. A free or basic membership does not establish that API calls are free, and the API trial voucher should not be treated as a recurring production allowance. (kimi.com)
What to budget for Kimi API production use
For this estimate, the model is kimi-k3. Kimi’s pricing table labels its USD rates per million tokens as $0.30 for cache-hit input, $3.00 for cache-miss input, and $15.00 for output. Kimi also lists automatic context caching, tool calls, JSON mode, structured outputs, and a 1,048,576-token context window for K3. These are listed model features; confirm the current documentation and account terms for your workload before launch. (kimi.ai)
The listed USD rates exclude applicable taxes. Kimi also publishes yuan-denominated platform pricing, so do not mix that schedule with this USD estimate. (kimi.ai)
Worked monthly estimate
For 2 million cache-miss input tokens and 500,000 output tokens:
- Input: 2 × $3.00 = $6.00
- Output: 0.5 × $15.00 = $7.50
- Estimated total: $13.50, before applicable taxes
This assumes none of the input qualifies for the cache-hit rate. Repeated context that qualifies for a cache hit is listed at a lower input rate, but don’t assume all input will be cached. This estimate excludes any other charges that may apply to the account or workload. (kimi.ai)
Bottom line
Kimi documents an RMB 15 API trial voucher for eligible new users registering with a mainland China mobile number; it expires after three months and is applied automatically. But official Kimi pages conflict about whether that voucher can be used for K3. For the international K3 platform, Kimi’s quickstart says a $1 minimum top-up unlocks calls, so don’t assume K3 is available at zero cost. For hosted use, Kimi lists a ¥0 Free membership with basic Agent credits on its Chinese pricing page, but that does not confirm US availability. For K3 API planning, the listed rates produce a $13.50 estimate for the example workload, before applicable taxes. (kimi.com)
Sources
Kimi API Free Trial Credit Guide — Kimi Help Center
Kimi Open Platform Free Trial Credit Guide — Kimi Help Center