1. The Problem: The Chinese Phone Number Wall
🚫 The Barrier
DeepSeek's official registration requires a Chinese (+86) phone number for SMS verification. If you live in the US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, or anywhere else outside China, you cannot create an account. Virtual phone numbers (Google Voice, temporary SMS sites) are blocked. Even if you get past verification, you need a Chinese bank card to add credits.
This "Chinese phone number wall" is the single biggest obstacle preventing US and European developers from using DeepSeek's world-class AI models — despite the models themselves being objectively among the best available.
2. The Solution: AI Nexus (tokencnn.com)
✅ No Phone Number Required
AI Nexus (tokencnn.com) is an API gateway that gives you access to DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, and 30+ Chinese AI models — all through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Sign up with just your email. Pay with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or crypto. No Chinese phone number, no Chinese bank card, no VPN needed.
Here's what makes AI Nexus different:
- Email-only signup — Register with any email. No SMS verification. No mobile number at all.
- International payments — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT.
- OpenAI-compatible API — Drop-in replacement. Change your base URL and everything works.
- 30+ models, one key — DeepSeek V4, V4 Flash, Qwen-Max, GLM-4, and many more.
- Free credits — $3 free on signup. No payment method required to start.
- English docs & support — Full documentation, code examples, and responsive support in English.
3. Three-Step Tutorial: From Zero to API Call
Create an Account
Go to tokencnn.com/register. Enter your email address and choose a password. No phone number required. Check your inbox for a confirmation email, click the link, and you're in.
Get Your API Key
Log in to your dashboard and navigate to API Keys. Click "Create New Key." Your key will look like sk-nex-.... Copy it and store it securely. Your account comes with $3 in free credits — no credit card needed.
Start Coding
Use any OpenAI SDK. Just change the base_url to https://www.tokencnn.com/v1 and use your new key. See the code examples below.
Python SDK Example
from openai import OpenAI
import os
client = OpenAI(
api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY"),
base_url="https://www.tokencnn.com/v1"
)
# Chat with DeepSeek V4 Flash
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="deepseek-v4-flash",
messages=[
{"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant."},
{"role": "user", "content": "What Chinese AI models are available through your API?"}
],
temperature=0.7,
max_tokens=500
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)
cURL Example
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ***-key" \
-d '{
"model": "deepseek-v4-flash",
"messages": [
{"role": "user", "content": "Hello from the US! What models can I access?"}
],
"temperature": 0.7,
"max_tokens": 500
}'
That's it. You're now using DeepSeek from the US or Europe — no Chinese phone number, no VPN, no hassle.
4. Available Models
Your single AI Nexus API key unlocks all of these models:
| Provider | Model Name | Best For | Price / 1M input |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek | deepseek-v4-flash | General chat, prototyping | $0.15 |
| DeepSeek | deepseek-chat | Production, complex tasks | $0.50 |
| DeepSeek | deepseek-reasoner | Math, logic, coding | $0.55 |
| Qwen (Alibaba) | qwen-max | Multilingual, long context | $0.80 |
| Qwen (Alibaba) | qwen-plus | Cost-effective general | $0.12 |
| GLM (Zhipu AI) | glm-4-flash | Free tier, prototyping | Free |
| GLM (Zhipu AI) | glm-4-plus | Production chat | $0.50 |
5. FAQ
Q: Do I need a VPN to access DeepSeek through AI Nexus?
A: No. AI Nexus is hosted on global CDN infrastructure optimized for US and European traffic. You access it directly from your browser or terminal — no VPN, no proxy, no special configuration needed. It works just like any other API you use.
Q: What payment methods do you accept? Can I use my credit card?
A: Yes, absolutely. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. We also support PayPal and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT). No Chinese bank card, no UnionPay, no Alipay required. You also get $3 in free credits on signup — no payment method needed at all.
Q: Which models can I access? Just DeepSeek or others too?
A: 30+ models from multiple providers. Your single API key works with DeepSeek (V4 Flash, V4, R1), Qwen (Max, Plus, Turbo), GLM (4-Flash, 4-Plus), ERNIE (Baidu), MiniMax, Yi (01.AI), Baichuan, and more. Switch models by simply changing the model parameter — no new keys or accounts needed.
Q: Is my data secure? Does AI Nexus log my prompts?
A: Your prompts are private. AI Nexus does not log the content of your API requests. We only track aggregate token counts for billing purposes. All traffic is encrypted over HTTPS. Your API key is stored encrypted at rest and in transit.
Q: Are there rate limits? Can I use this in production?
A: Yes, this is built for production. Free-tier accounts have reasonable limits for development. Paid accounts get significantly higher throughput. Thousands of businesses use AI Nexus in production for chatbots, code generation, content creation, and data analysis. Contact us for enterprise pricing if you need high-volume access.