TRANSPARENCY INDEX · FROZEN 2026-08-27
OPENROUTER
Right of reply
Contacted 2026-08-28 via email [email protected]. No reply within the 14-day window (closed 2026-09-11).
Support agent, not a company position, replied 2026-09-21 (after the window had closed): said this inbox is the customer support queue and not the right place for media inquiries, and offered no alternative channel. Disputed no criterion.
Methodology and the 14-day process: the frozen RFC.
PRICING CLARITY
List prices per 1M tokens (input/output) published on an official page without login.
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/modelsCaptured 2026-08-28
Price unit is unambiguous (per 1M tokens; input vs output separated).
https://openrouter.ai/docs/faqCaptured 2026-08-28
Page states an effective/updated date (attributable to a snapshot).
https://openrouter.ai/modelsWe checked three surfaces - the models index, an individual model page with its per-provider table, and the pricing page - and none carries an effective date. The created timestamp in the API dates the model, not its price.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Cached/batch/discount tiers (where offered) published officially.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/features/prompt-cachingCaptured 2026-08-28
Promotional pricing labeled as promotional (with end date if time-limited).
https://openrouter.ai/collections/discounted-modelsYour discounted-models collection labels promotional pricing clearly, which we credit. We found no end date published for any of them, and the criterion requires one where the offer is time-limited.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
BILLING PREDICTABILITY
How usage is metered is documented (tokenizer, counting rules, rounding).
https://openrouter.ai/docs/cookbook/administration/usage-accountingCaptured 2026-08-28
Cached/prefix behavior is documented (automatic vs opt-in).
https://openrouter.ai/docs/features/prompt-cachingCaptured 2026-08-28
A tool/formula to estimate request cost before sending is published.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/openapi/openapi.yamlWe searched your full OpenAPI specification and found no tokenizer, token-count or cost-estimate endpoint. The Cost Simulator we found is retrospective - it re-prices past generations rather than estimating a request before it is sent.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Known billing surprises (TTLs, write premiums, minimums) disclosed in docs.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/faqCaptured 2026-08-28
Historical prices are discoverable or retrievable on request.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/changelogYour changelog states that it is generated from OpenAPI specification diffs, which places prices outside its scope by construction. We found no archived pricing page, no per-model price history, and no documented way to request historical rates.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
SPEND OBSERVABILITY
Usage available per model in console/API (not only aggregated).
https://openrouter.ai/docs/api/api-reference/analytics/get-user-activity-grouped-by-endpointCaptured 2026-08-28
Token counts (input/output) reported alongside spend.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/cookbook/administration/usage-accountingCaptured 2026-08-28
Per-request or per-API-key breakdown available.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/api-reference/get-a-generationCaptured 2026-08-28
Usage/cost export exists (CSV/API) without premium tier.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/cookbook/administration/activity-exportCaptured 2026-08-28
Near-real-time spend tracking (sub-hour refresh) exists.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/cookbook/administration/usage-accountingCaptured 2026-08-28
BILLING / INVOICE QUALITY
Invoices line-item by service/model.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/cookbook/administration/tax-idYour billing is prepaid: the invoice covers a credit purchase and is issued before any usage occurs, so it cannot itemise model consumption that has not happened yet. We record this as NOT MET against the criterion as written, but we consider it a consequence of a prepaid model rather than a quality failure, and we intend to say so where these scores are published.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Invoice shows unit quantities and rates, not only totals.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/cookbook/administration/tax-idCaptured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Usage CSV/API and invoice are reconcilable without manual mapping.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/faqSame root cause as D1: usage lives in per-generation rows denominated in credits, while the invoice records dollars of credit purchased. There is no shared key because the invoice never contains spend. A consequence of prepaid billing, not of poor invoice design.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Invoice/notification includes readable date range and currency.
https://openrouter.ai/termsCaptured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Billing docs/invoices available via API for automation.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/openapi/openapi.yamlWe searched your full OpenAPI specification and found no billing or invoice tag and no matching path. Related to the prepaid model: what would be retrievable is a credit-purchase receipt rather than a usage invoice.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
DISCLOSURE
Data-use-for-training policy is clearly published.
https://openrouter.ai/docs/guides/privacy/data-collectionCaptured 2026-08-28
Energy/environmental information is clearly published (yes/no — never a grade).
We searched your full documentation index of 410 pages and your FAQ for carbon, energy, emissions, environment, sustainability and CO2 and found no substantive result, and your Trust Center has no environmental section. We score whether disclosure exists; we never estimate emissions.
Captured 2026-08-28 · re-verified against the live page 2026-09-13
Pricing/support changes are communicated before taking effect.
https://openrouter.ai/termsCaptured 2026-08-28
Terms specify billing, refund and cancellation terms unambiguously.
https://openrouter.ai/termsCaptured 2026-08-28