How to Claim $4,000 in Free AI API Credits for DeepSeek V3, GLM 5.2 & KIMI K2

Accessing frontier AI models no longer requires an enterprise budget or a high monthly subscription fee. Development platforms now hand out substantial credit grants to developers who are willing to test next-generation open-weight and regional frontier models.

These include Zhipu AI’s GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V3 and R1, Moonshot’s KIMI K2, and ByteDance’s Doubao. All of them are worth a serious look.

Through aggregated base endpoints like hcnsec, you can claim $4,000 in free API credits right now. No credit card. No manual review. No initial out-of-pocket cost.

This guide walks you through the whole setup step by step.

Model Benchmark & Capability Breakdown

Instead of managing separate accounts and billing pipelines across multiple AI labs, a single OpenAI-compatible base URL gives you access to a unified pool of frontier models.

Technical Specifications & Integration Architecture

The API infrastructure uses a standard REST API format that is fully compatible with the official openai SDK, litellm, and modern agentic code editors like Cursor, VS Code (via Continue.dev), Claude Code, and Antigravity.

• Base Endpoint: https://api.hcnsec.cn/v1
• Authentication Header: Authorization: Bearer sk-YOUR_KEY
• Chat Route: /v1/chat/completions
• Compatibility: Standard JSON payloads accepting messages, temperature, max_tokens, and tools parameters.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Follow these sequential steps to claim your initial $4,000 credit grant and connect the endpoint to your development environment.

Step 1: Account Registration & Credit Claim

Navigate to the registration portal at https://api.hcnsec.cn/sign-up?aff=OSMc.

1. Register your developer account using your primary email address. No credit card or identity verification is required.
2. Log in to your account dashboard. The initial $4,000 balance will automatically reflect in your console.
3. Optional bonus. Navigate to Console → Profile → Check-in to claim an additional $2,000 daily activity bonus credit.

Step 2: Generate Your API Key

1. From the main sidebar, open Console → API Keys.
2. Click Create New Key, give your secret key an identifier, for example cursor-dev-key, and copy the generated sk- string.
3. Save your API key in a secure location or in your local environment file (.env).

Step 3: Implement in Python or Node.js

Python (openai SDK)

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-YOUR_HCNSEC_API_KEY",
    base_url="https://api.hcnsec.cn/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="glm-5.2",  # Or 'deepseek-v3', 'kimi-k2'
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": "You are an expert software engineer."},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python script to monitor API endpoint latency."}
    ],
    temperature=0.2
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

Node.js / TypeScript

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const openai = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: 'sk-YOUR_HCNSEC_API_KEY',
  baseURL: 'https://api.hcnsec.cn/v1',
});

async function run() {
  const completion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
    messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Explain vector database indexing algorithms.' }],
    model: 'deepseek-v3',
  });

  console.log(completion.choices[0].message.content);
}

run();

Connecting to Cursor & VS Code

To use your free credits for inline AI code generation, debugging, and agentic workflows inside your favorite IDE:

Cursor IDE

1. Open Settings → Cursor Settings → Models.
2. Turn off the standard OpenAI default keys.
3. Under Override OpenAI Base URL, input: https://api.hcnsec.cn/v1.
4. Paste your sk- API key into the OpenAI API Key field.
5. Add glm-5.2 and deepseek-v3 to the active model list.

VS Code (via Continue Extension)

Edit your ~/.continue/config.json file and configure the model provider block:

{
  "title": "GLM 5.2",
  "provider": "openai",
  "model": "glm-5.2",
  "apiKey": "sk-YOUR_HCNSEC_API_KEY",
  "apiBase": "https://api.hcnsec.cn/v1"
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a credit card to claim the $4,000 in AI API credits?

No. You register with your email only. No credit card and no identity verification are required. The $4,000 balance appears in your console automatically after login.

Can I use these free credits inside Cursor or VS Code?

Yes. The endpoint is OpenAI-compatible, so you can point Cursor at it through the OpenAI Base URL override, or configure VS Code with the Continue extension using the same base URL and key.

Which models can I access with the free credits?

You get access to GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V3 and R1, KIMI K2, Doubao, StepFun and more through one base URL. You can also earn an extra $2,000 daily check-in bonus from your profile.

Is there any daily bonus on top of the free credits?

Yes. Go to Console, open Profile, and use the Check-in option to claim an additional $2,000 daily activity bonus credit.

How do I connect my API key in Python or Node.js?

Set the base URL to https://api.hcnsec.cn/v1 and use your sk- key with the standard openai SDK. The endpoint works with the same payload format you already use.

Claim Your Credits

The setup takes under a minute and the credits land instantly. No card, no waiting, and no trial expiry.

Plug into Cursor or VS Code today and start testing GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V3 and KIMI K2 for free.

Register and claim your $4,000 in free AI API credits.