is now an ernd partner: 10% back on inference 
In this guide
Disclosure: ernd partners with Wafer, which is named below.
What does the error mean?
DeepSeek’s error codes page lists 402 - Insufficient Balance with the cause You have run out of balance. Its suggested fix is to check your account’s balance and add funds on the Top up page.
So it’s a billing problem, not a bug in your request. Every call bills tokens times price against what’s in your account. Once that hits zero, calls start failing with a 402.
Your AI bill, with ernd
What could your AI bill earn?
Enter an amount from $0 to $100,000,000.
back a year at 4%
For US companies. No annual fee. Illustration based on AI vendor spend only. Rewards are points redeemable as cash back.
How do you fix it?
- Sign in to the DeepSeek platform and check your balance.
- Open the Top up page and add funds.
- Retry the failed requests.
If you also have a granted balance, DeepSeek spends that first. A top-up only starts going down once the granted balance is used up.
How do you keep it from coming back?
DeepSeek suggests topping up based on your actual usage, and it can change its prices, so check the pricing page now and then.
Off-peak hours are the easy win. Rates are half price outside 01:00 to 04:00 and 06:00 to 10:00 UTC on weekdays, and all weekend. Batch jobs and evals that can wait should run then.
You can also run the same open-weight DeepSeek models through another provider. See DeepSeek V4.1 Flash prices by provider and DeepSeek V4 Pro prices. Wafer is one of the providers on both lists, and ernd cardholders earn 10% back on Wafer inference.
Whoever you buy from, put the top-ups on a card that pays you back. ernd is a credit card for US companies with 4% back on AI vendor spend and 1.5% on everything else. Request the card at app.ernd.ai.
The ernd card
Once your billing is back on track.
The card earns rewards on AI spend. It does not bypass provider quotas, fix account restrictions or change provider prices.
Request your cardThe ernd card is a credit card for US companies, with partners across the AI stack built in.
Common questions.
Which balance does DeepSeek charge first?
DeepSeek deducts fees from your granted balance first when you have both a granted and a topped-up balance.
Is a DeepSeek 429 the same problem?
No. A 429 means you sent requests too fast or went over a concurrency limit. Topping up won't fix it. Slow down, or ask DeepSeek for more concurrency.
Is DeepSeek cheaper at certain times of day?
Yes. DeepSeek's off-peak rates are half its peak rates. Peak hours are 01:00 to 04:00 and 06:00 to 10:00 UTC, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays.
Sources & methodology
Checked . Providers change prices and terms; the linked official page is the final word. This guide is published by ernd.
ernd is run by Provenance Research Inc.