# QCode for Users Outside Mainland China

Everything on QCode.cc works the same for you, with **three** things decided differently: which
currency you top up in, which access domain you point your tool at, and which documentation
language you read. This page walks through all three and links to the detail pages.

## 1. Create an account

Use **Sign Up** in the top-right corner of [qcode.cc](https://qcode.cc) and register with your
email address. You land on the console, whose subtitle is *"Manage your API keys, top-up and
usage"* — see [Dashboard Guide](/docs/reference/dashboard-guide).

## 2. Top up in USD

The top-up page has a currency tab per balance: *"CNY and USD balances are separate. Recharge amount
will be added to the corresponding currency balance."* Outside mainland China you normally use the
**USD** tab, where the page currently offers:

- **Credit / Debit Card** — *"Credit / Debit card fee {rate}"*, opened in a new window.
- **Cryptocurrency** — *"0% platform fee · ~1d manual reconcile"*: an on-chain transfer verified by
  hand, so plan for a short wait instead of a processing fee.

Limits printed on the USD tab: *"Minimum $1"* / *"Maximum $2,000"*. Russian payment rails (SBP,
Russian bank card) appear only in the Russian interface, and they credit a **USD** balance while you
pay in rubles. The full comparison, including Alipay and WeChat Pay for CNY, is in
[Payment Methods Overview](/docs/reference/payment-methods); crypto specifics are in
[Crypto Payment Guide](/docs/reference/crypto-payment).

## 3. Buy a plan and copy your key

Plans are bought from the console with your balance — **Buy a Plan** opens the subscribe page with
**Recommended Plans** and **Custom Configuration** tabs. On success the page says *"Subscription
Activated — Your API Key is created and ready to use"*. Keys start with `cr_`
(see [FAQ](/docs/reference/faq)), and one key serves all three protocols.

## 4. Pick the right access domain

All three domains carry the same account and the same key; they differ only in routing
([Endpoints & API Paths](/docs/getting-started/endpoints-and-api-paths) is the authority here):

| Domain | Target users | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| `api.qcode.cc` | Global (Route 53 latency-based) | Default outside mainland China — it picks the nearest node |
| `us.qcode.cc` | North America / Europe (Backup) | If the global address misbehaves for you |
| `asia.qcode.cc` | Asia (Backup) | If you are in Asia and the global address misbehaves |

In the console, the **API Access Address** block highlights `https://api.qcode.cc` as recommended in
any non-Chinese interface, and lists the other two as **Backup** rows. Fill it in
per tool, ending at the protocol prefix and **without a trailing slash**:

```bash
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.qcode.cc/api"
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="cr_your_key"
claude
```

`/api` is the Anthropic leg (Claude Code), `/openai` is the Codex leg and `/gemini` is the Google
leg — the whole per-tool table is in
[Environment Variables](/docs/getting-started/environment).

## 5. Install the tools

The console's **One-Click Setup (Recommended)** block writes the interface language for you: in a
non-Chinese interface the command it shows carries `--lang en`, while the Chinese interface prints
the command with no language flag at all. The plain form is:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://qcode.cc/install/claude-code.sh | bash -s -- --lang en
curl -fsSL https://qcode.cc/install/codex.sh | bash -s -- --lang en
```

The script picks the fastest endpoint with a latency test, asks for your `cr_` key (input is not
echoed), installs Node.js and the CLI if needed, and sends a test request. Windows uses the
`irm … | iex` form. Details and rollback: [One-Click Setup Script](/docs/getting-started/one-click-install),
then [Quick Start](/docs/getting-started/quick-start) or
[Codex Quick Start](/docs/getting-started/codex-quick-start).

## 6. Read the docs in your language

The documentation site has a language menu in its header — the **🌐** button next to the search box
lists the languages the docs are published in. Picking one stores the choice (a cookie shared with
qcode.cc itself) and reloads the page under that language's address. Every page is also directly
addressable per language, which makes links shareable:

```text
https://docs.qcode.cc/docs/<category>/<slug>            no prefix: your browser language decides, Chinese is the fallback
https://docs.qcode.cc/en/docs/<category>/<slug>         English
https://docs.qcode.cc/<lang>/docs/<category>/<slug>     any other published language
```

If a page you need is not yet in your language, read the English version and keep the same URL tail.
To make **the tools** answer in your language rather than English, see
[Language Settings](/docs/usage/language-settings).

## 7. Support across time zones

Support is online in UTC+8 business hours — *"Weekdays 10:00 - 21:00 (UTC+8) online response"*, with
off-hours messages *"checked intermittently, replies may be delayed"*. The console's
**Contact Us** button in the bottom-right corner reaches Telegram and email; email
[hi@qcode.cc](mailto:hi@qcode.cc) works at any hour and is the channel for upgrades, invoice
requests and stalled payments. Live endpoint measurements are public at
[probe.qcode.cc](https://probe.qcode.cc).

## Good to know

- **Your Claude / ChatGPT subscription is not used and not consumed.** QCode runs on its own plans —
  see [Subscriptions vs API Keys vs QCode Keys](/docs/reference/subscription-vs-api-key).
- **Refunds:** sold quota is not refundable, with the narrow exceptions listed in
  [FAQ](/docs/reference/faq); unused value from an upgrade is credited back to your balance.
- **Paper for expense reimbursement:** invoices as such are a China-only service; a company outside
  China that needs a contract, corporate transfer and official invoice goes through
  [Enterprise Team Guide](/docs/reference/enterprise-guide).
- **Prices** are per token, synced to [qcode.cc/models](https://qcode.cc/models):
  [Billing Description](/docs/reference/billing).

## Related Pages

- [Dashboard Guide](/docs/reference/dashboard-guide)
- [Payment Methods Overview](/docs/reference/payment-methods)
- [Crypto Payment Guide](/docs/reference/crypto-payment)
- [Endpoints & API Paths](/docs/getting-started/endpoints-and-api-paths)
- [Environment Variables](/docs/getting-started/environment)
- [One-Click Setup Script](/docs/getting-started/one-click-install)
- [Introduction to Claude Code](/docs/getting-started/introduction)
- [Language Settings](/docs/usage/language-settings)
- [Troubleshooting Guide](/docs/reference/troubleshooting)