How do I avoid getting charged for failed API calls?

Billing for failures varies

Some APIs charge even if generation fails. Others only charge on success. Read the pricing page carefully—it should state this. If it's unclear, ask support before generating thousands of images.

Validate inputs locally first

Check prompt length, image dimensions, and parameter ranges before calling the API. Most APIs have minimums and maximums. Sending invalid data wastes a call. Catch these errors in your code before making requests.

Handle partial failures

If an API returns partial success (some images generated, some failed), understand what you're charged for. Some bill only completed images. Keep logs of what was charged vs. what succeeded.

Catch auth and quota errors early

Invalid API keys and exceeded quotas fail immediately—these cost money for no work. Test authentication once at startup. Check rate limits before processing batches. Failed auth wastes every subsequent call in a batch.