If you’re building with Claude — whether coding with Cursor, shipping with Claude Code, or integrating via API — you’ve probably noticed the costs add up fast.
The official rate for Claude Opus 4.6 is roughly $100 per 50M tokens. For a team of 5 developers actively using AI coding tools, that’s easily $500-1000/month.
But what if you could get the exact same models, same quality, same speed — for $4 to $24 instead of $100?
What Is an API Relay (中转)?
An API relay service acts as an intermediary between your application and the official Anthropic API. Here’s what happens:
- You send your request to the relay endpoint
- The relay routes it to an official Anthropic API pool
- You get back the exact same response
The key difference: relay services buy API credits in bulk and pass the savings to you. Token billing stays identical (1 USD ≈ 500K tokens), but your effective cost drops dramatically.
Think of it like a wholesale buyer’s club for AI APIs.
Claude API Pricing Comparison: Official vs Relay
Here’s the real math, based on $100 USD equivalent of API credits:
| Channel | Price | You Save | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic Official | $100 | — | Direct enterprise contracts |
| Official Direct Relay | $24 | 76% | Production workloads |
| Hybrid Relay | $13 | 87% | Dev & testing |
| Codex 5.3/5.4 | $4 | 96% | Coding & prototyping |
All options maintain the official 1:1 token rate — no hidden multipliers, no rate inflation.
Which Models Are Available?
| Model | Status | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.6 | ✅ Live | Complex reasoning, production AI products |
| Codex 5.4 / 5.3 High | ✅ Live | AI-assisted coding, code generation |
| Sonnet 4.6 | ✅ Live | Balanced performance, general tasks |
| Haiku 4.5 | ✅ Live | Fast, lightweight tasks |
Setup: 5 Minutes to Save 96%
Step 1: Get Your API Key
Contact us via Telegram or WeChat (Moumlbius) to get your API key.
Step 2: Replace the Endpoint
Wherever you currently point to https://api.anthropic.com, replace it with:
https://business-agent.cc/apiStep 3: That’s It
No code changes needed. No SDK modifications. Just swap the base URL.
For Cursor users:
- Open Settings → Models
- Set “Override OpenAI Base URL” to
https://business-agent.cc/api - Paste your API key
- You’re done
For Claude Code users:
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://business-agent.cc/api
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-hereIs It Safe?
This is the #1 question teams ask. Here’s our security posture:
- Zero data-at-rest: We don’t store any request or response content
- Zero-log policy: No logging of API payloads
- Encrypted transit: All data in motion is encrypted
- DPA available: Enterprise plans include formal Data Processing Agreements
All requests ultimately reach Anthropic’s servers. We’re a routing layer, not a model host.
Who Uses API Relays?
- Startups building AI products who need to keep costs low
- Dev teams using Cursor/Claude Code daily for development
- Research labs running experiments with specific model requirements
- Agencies managing multiple client projects with separate API keys
Team Features
For teams of 2+, BusinessAgent offers:
- Multi-key management: Each developer gets their own API key
- Usage dashboard: Real-time monitoring of token consumption per key
- Spending limits: Set per-key or per-team spending caps
- CSV export: For finance/accounting reconciliation
- Invoice support: VAT invoices for enterprise procurement
The Bottom Line
| If you spend monthly | Official | With Relay | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $100 | $4-24 | $76-96 |
| $500 | $500 | $20-120 | $380-480 |
| $1,000 | $1,000 | $40-240 | $760-960 |
| $5,000 | $5,000 | $200-1,200 | $3,800-4,800 |
For a team spending $1,000/month on Claude API, that’s $9,000-11,500 saved per year — enough to hire another developer.
Get Started
Ready to cut your AI API costs? Two ways to start:
- Telegram: @zhoumo_828 — fastest response
- WeChat: Moumlbius — say “API Key”
Or visit business-agent.cc to see our full pricing and feature comparison.
Last updated: March 2026. Pricing based on current Anthropic official rates.