How to get your DeepSeek API key
DeepSeek is a Chinese AI lab providing strong models at extremely low prices.
A great choice if you’re in a region where OpenAI/Anthropic/Gemini are blocked.
Pricing (as of 2026)
| Model |
Input $/1M |
Output $/1M |
| DeepSeek V3.1 |
$0.27 |
$1.10 |
| DeepSeek R1 |
$0.55 |
$2.19 |
A $5 top-up gives you roughly 18 million tokens — thousands of itinerary extractions.
Steps
- Go to https://platform.deepseek.com and sign up.
- Email signup works in most regions including Hong Kong and mainland China.
- Open the API Keys page: https://platform.deepseek.com/api_keys
- Click Create API Key, name it (e.g.
Itinr).
- Copy the key — starts with
sk-....
- Top up a small amount (minimum $1–2) under Billing if you want to use the API.
- In Itinr → Settings → AI Models → DeepSeek → paste into the API Key field.
- Tap Test Connection to verify.
Notes
- Region: DeepSeek works in Hong Kong, mainland China, and most other countries. No VPN needed.
- For Itinr, DeepSeek V3 is the right pick — strong at structured extraction, very cheap.
- The R1 (reasoning) model is slower and more expensive — use only if V3 misses details.
- Your key is stored only on your device (in iOS Keychain).