Funding the Aggregator With USDC: Choosing a Chain, Confirming the Deposit, and Not Losing a Top-Up

Why the Deposit Step Matters More Than It Seems

Before you can call any model, you need a positive balance. The deposit path is the first real interaction you have with the aggregator, and small mistakes here can stall your access or send funds into a void. This guide walks through the practical steps: choosing the right chain, understanding confirmation times, and handling edge cases like mis-sent or under-confirmed transfers.

Choosing the Right Chain: Base

The aggregator accepts USDC on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2. Base is the only supported network for top-ups. Sending USDC on any other chain (Ethereum mainnet, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, etc.) will not be credited automatically and may require manual recovery, which is not guaranteed.

Why Base? It offers low fees and fast block times, making small top-ups economical. Always double-check the network before sending.

How to send USDC on Base

• From a centralized exchange: withdraw USDC and select Base as the network. Some exchanges label it "Base" or "Base (ERC-20)".
• From a self-custodial wallet: switch to the Base network, then send USDC to the deposit address provided by the aggregator.
• Always verify the deposit address starts with 0x and matches exactly what the aggregator shows. Do not reuse addresses from other services.

Confirming the Deposit

Once you broadcast the transaction, it enters the Base mempool. Crediting is automatic after a small number of block confirmations. In practice, this usually takes a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on network conditions.

What you can do while waiting

• Check the transaction status on Basescan using the transaction hash.
• Confirm the recipient address and amount match your top-up intent.
• Do not send a second transfer until the first is confirmed, unless you are certain it failed.

If the transaction is confirmed on-chain but your balance does not update after a reasonable wait, contact support with the transaction hash. Do not send another deposit.

Under-Confirmed Transfers

A transfer that is still pending (0 confirmations) is not yet credited. This is normal. If it remains pending for an unusually long time, the transaction may be stuck due to low gas. Base fees are typically low, but you can speed up a stuck transaction by replacing it with a higher fee if your wallet supports it.

Never assume a pending transfer is lost; wait for at least one confirmation before taking further action.

Mis-Sent Transfers

If you send USDC on the wrong network or to the wrong address, recovery is not automatic. The aggregator may not control the destination address on other chains. In most cases, mis-sent funds are unrecoverable. Always triple-check the network and address before sending.

Common mis-send scenarios

• Sending on Ethereum mainnet instead of Base: funds arrive at the same address on mainnet but are not credited. Recovery depends on whether the aggregator controls that address on mainnet; do not count on it.
• Sending to a deposit address from a different service: funds are likely lost.
• Sending a different token (e.g., USDT) instead of USDC: not credited and may be unrecoverable.

After the Top-Up: What You Get

Once credited, your balance is denominated in USDC. You can use it to call any supported model. Pricing is official price × 1.3. If you contribute keys, you are credited official price × 1.1 (or × 1.2 for premium models) in USDC.

No KYC is required at any point.

Summary

• Send USDC on Base only.
• Confirm the deposit address and network before sending.
• Wait for on-chain confirmation; crediting is automatic after a few blocks.
• Do not send a second transfer until the first is resolved.
• Mis-sent transfers are usually unrecoverable; double-check everything.

By following these steps, your first top-up should go smoothly, and you can start calling models with a single API key.