Why a '30% Off' Relay Can Cost More Than List: Multipliers, Units and Exchange Rates (2026)
Two relays both say '30% off'; one is cheap, the other costs double list. The gap hides in multiplier bases, pricing units and exchange rates.
Trap one: the multiplier's base moves
Multiplier pricing is fine in itself (many platforms use it); the problem is an opaque base. If the base is the vendor's list price, your cost falls when the vendor cuts prices; if the base is the platform's own sticker price, you cannot know in advance when or how much it changes. The test: ask 'how many dollars for one million tokens of Claude Sonnet' — demand a number, not a multiplier.
Trap two: mismatched units, numbers off by 1000x
Chinese models are quoted in yuan per thousand tokens; overseas models in dollars per million. ¥0.015 per 1K looks cheaper than $2 per million, but converts to ¥15 per million ≈ $2.1 — more expensive. Normalize to USD per million tokens before comparing, and always separate input from output: many workloads produce far fewer output tokens, and comparing input alone can invert the conclusion.
Trap three: exchange rate and spread
A CNY-priced platform calling USD models must convert your dollar cost to yuan. Which day's rate, whether a spread (typically 1-3%) is added, whether swings are adjusted retroactively — rarely stated on the page. The test: ask 'is your rate live or fixed, and is there a spread'. If they cannot answer, assume a hidden cost.
A one-minute check of any vendor's real price
① Normalize quotes to USD per million tokens, input and output separately; ② look up the vendor's current list price (the only public baseline); ③ compute the ratio — below list is a discount, above is a markup; ④ test small: top up the minimum, run 10 calls, reconcile each charge against the listed price. Step 4 matters most — the page is a promise, the bill is the fact.
Our convention (use it as a yardstick)
Our pricing page shows, per model, the vendor list price, our price and the percentage saved, in USD, input and output listed separately; time-of-day discounts state the hours — see cocodot.co/pricing. Listed price is the actual charge, failed calls are not billed, and the wallet ledger records every call with model name and token count. You do not have to believe this paragraph — top up a small amount, run it, and reconcile.
Converting three quote styles into comparable prices
| What you see | What it means | Comparable price |
|---|---|---|
| ×1.5 multiplier | Base price × 1.5; base is usually list | List × 1.5 = your real cost |
| ¥0.015 / 1K tokens | Unit price per thousand tokens | × 1000 ÷ exchange rate = USD per million tokens |
| 30% off list | List × 0.7 (but ask which list) | Look up current list × 0.7 |