How do I check my balance with the API?

To check your balance from code, call the balance endpoint with a system AccessToken. The AccessToken comes from account settings, not from Token management.

Item	Details
Endpoint	`GET https://api.laozhang.ai/api/user/self`
Authentication	The system AccessToken in the `Authorization` header
Remaining balance	`data.quota`, in quota units; 500,000 units are about 1 USD
Full reference	The balance query API reference has the setup steps, response fields, and Python and Node.js examples

export LAOZHANG_ACCESS_TOKEN="YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

curl --compressed -s "https://api.laozhang.ai/api/user/self" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: $LAOZHANG_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Replace the placeholder with your AccessToken before you run the command.

Why is the output garbled?

The response is compressed and cURL has not decoded it. Add --compressed, as in the command above. The same fix applies when jq reports Invalid numeric literal. Python requests and Node.js fetch decompress responses automatically.

Why do I get 401 Unauthorized?

The endpoint did not accept the credential. Check that:

The Authorization header is present and holds the complete AccessToken, with no extra spaces or line breaks.
You are sending the system AccessToken, not a model API key.
The AccessToken is still current. Generating a new AccessToken may invalidate the old one, so every service must use the latest one.

If the header looks correct, generate a new AccessToken in account settings under System Token, update your environment variable, and try again.

Does the console send balance alerts?

Build alerts on the balance endpoint: check the remaining quota on a schedule and let your own monitoring send the alert; see the script and cron example in Balance API monitoring recommendations.

How is an AccessToken different from an API key?

	API key	System AccessToken
Where to get it	Token management	Account settings, System Token
Used for	Model requests, such as `/v1/chat/completions`	Account endpoints, such as `/api/user/self`
Scope	Limited by the token’s group, billing mode, and quota	Broad account permissions

The two credentials are not interchangeable. Keep both on your server and out of source code, browser apps, and logs. To create, rotate, or revoke API keys, see API key management.

​Why is the output garbled?

​Why do I get 401 Unauthorized?

​Does the console send balance alerts?

​How is an AccessToken different from an API key?

Why is the output garbled?

Why do I get 401 Unauthorized?

Does the console send balance alerts?

How is an AccessToken different from an API key?