Why your BYO runs show as $0 in the ledger
If you've added your own OpenRouter key and notice every run posting as $0 in your ledger, that's expected — it's how bring-your-own-key billing works.
BYO runs are unmetered
An active OpenRouter BYO key flags your account as "byo." When that flag is set, models run on your OpenRouter account, so HIIE doesn't charge you any credits. Those runs are recorded as $0 / free rows in your ledger and do not draw down your managed credit balance or monthly capacity.
What the ledger is telling you
The $0 entries aren't an error or a free trial — they're an accurate reflection that the inference cost was carried by your own provider key, not by HIIE-managed infrastructure. Your balance view will typically show "Bringing your own key (unmetered)" instead of a managed balance countdown.
You're also exempt from free-tier ceilings
Because your own key carries the cost, BYO callers are exempt from the free-tier managed-inference ceiling ($2/month) and the tighter programmatic API/MCP sub-cap ($0.20/month). Automated API calls on your key likewise post as $0 metered.
Where you'd see real charges
Managed-infrastructure features can still cost credits even with a BYO OpenRouter key — for example, the build123d CAD engine meters a small flat rate per generation, and the premium Meshy text-to-3D path debits 75 credits per run (with its own 2-per-month free-plan allowance; connecting your own Meshy key makes those runs $0 too). But ordinary model inference on your OpenRouter key stays $0.
If you'd rather meter through HIIE
Remove your OpenRouter key from the credential vault, and runs revert to managed metering against your plan's credits.