# Billing and Cost Management APIs Research Summary
## 1. Anthropic API
### Overview
Anthropic's billing system uses prepaid "usage credits" that must be purchased before using the API. Currently, billing and usage tracking is primarily available through the Anthropic Console web interface rather than programmatic API endpoints.
### Key Features
- **Usage Tracking**: Available through the Developer Console's Usage and Cost tabs
- **Billing Page**: Track credit usage
- **Monitoring**: OpenTelemetry metrics for advanced monitoring
### API Endpoints
- **Status**: No public programmatic API endpoints for billing/usage data currently available
- **Access Method**: Web-based console only
### Authentication
- API Key authentication for the main API
- Console login required for billing information access
### Data Available
- Usage breakdown by model and API keys
- Cost breakdown by models
- Credit balance tracking
- Performance metrics via OpenTelemetry
### Limitations
- Cannot break down usage by individual users
- Cost metrics are approximations
- No programmatic API access to billing data
### Recommendations
- Use the Anthropic Console for manual monitoring
- Implement OpenTelemetry for detailed usage metrics
- Monitor usage through the web interface regularly
## 2. OpenAI API
### Overview
OpenAI recently launched (December 2024) a new Usage API that provides programmatic access to granular API usage data and daily spend breakdowns.
### Key Features
- **Usage API**: Get granular API usage data
- **Costs Endpoint**: Daily spend breakdown
- **Filtering**: By API key, project ID, user ID, model
- **Time Granularity**: Monitor by minute/hour/day
### API Endpoints
- **Base URL**: `https://api.openai.com/v1/`
- **Usage Endpoint**: `/usage` (specific path to be confirmed in official docs)
- **Costs Endpoint**: `/costs` (specific path to be confirmed in official docs)
### Authentication
- API Key authentication (Bearer token in headers)
- Same API key used for regular API access
### Response Format
- JSON format (specific structure pending official documentation)
- Includes token usage, costs, and metadata
### Rate Limits
- Standard OpenAI API rate limits apply
- Specific limits for usage endpoints not yet documented
### SDK Support
- Available through official OpenAI SDKs
- Python, Node.js, and other language libraries
### Recommendations
- Use the new Usage API for programmatic access
- Implement regular polling for usage tracking
- Store historical data for trend analysis
## 3. AWS Cost Explorer API
### Overview
AWS Cost Explorer API provides comprehensive cost and usage data with powerful filtering and grouping capabilities.
### API Endpoints
- **Service Endpoint**: `https://ce.us-east-1.amazonaws.com`
- **Key Operations**:
- `GetCostAndUsage`: Primary endpoint for cost data
- `GetCostForecast`: Cost predictions
- `GetDimensionValues`: Available filter dimensions
- `GetTags`: Tag-based filtering options
### Authentication
- **Method**: AWS Signature Version 4
- **Requirements**:
- IAM user with Cost Explorer permissions
- Access Key ID and Secret Access Key
- Explicit permission grant required
### Response Format
- JSON format
- Includes:
- Time period data
- Grouped results by dimensions
- Metrics (BlendedCosts, UnblendedCosts, UsageQuantity, etc.)
- Forecast data
### Rate Limits & Pricing
- **API Pricing**: $0.01 per paginated request
- **Update Frequency**: Billing data updated up to 3 times daily
- **Best Practice**: Implement caching layer
### SDK Support
- AWS SDK available for all major languages
- AWS CLI support
- Boto3 for Python with full CostExplorer client
### Key Features
- Granular filtering by service, region, tags, etc.
- Time-based aggregation
- Cost allocation tags support
- Forecast capabilities
### Setup Requirements
1. Enable Cost Explorer in AWS Console (irreversible)
2. Create IAM user with appropriate permissions
3. Generate access credentials
4. Configure SDK/CLI with credentials
### Recommendations
- Use SDK instead of raw API calls
- Implement caching to reduce API costs
- Query specific time ranges for up-to-date data
- Use GetCostAndUsage for most use cases
## 4. Google Cloud Billing API
### Overview
Google Cloud Billing API provides comprehensive billing management and cost data retrieval capabilities.
### API Endpoints
- **Base URL**: `https://cloudbilling.googleapis.com`
- **Key Resources**:
- `/v1/billingAccounts`: Billing account management
- `/v1/services`: Service listing and details
- `/v1/skus`: SKU pricing information
- `/v1beta/estimateCostScenario`: Cost estimation
### Authentication Methods
1. **Application Default Credentials (ADC)** (Recommended)
- Automatic credential discovery
- Works across environments
2. **Service Account Authentication**
- For workloads running on Google Cloud
- JSON key file authentication
3. **OAuth 2.0**
- For user-based authentication
- Supports various OAuth flows
4. **gcloud CLI Credentials**
- For local development
- Uses gcloud auth application-default login
### Response Format
- RESTful JSON responses
- Paginated results for list operations
- Detailed pricing and usage data structures
### Key Features
- Billing account management
- Project association with billing accounts
- Real-time pricing information
- SKU-level pricing details
- Cost estimation capabilities
- IAM policy management for billing
### Rate Limits
- Standard Google Cloud API quotas apply
- Can be increased through quota requests
### SDK Support
- Client libraries for:
- Python
- Java
- Node.js
- Go
- .NET
- PHP
- Ruby
### API Versions
- **v1**: Stable version for production
- **v1beta**: Beta features
- **v2beta**: Latest beta features
### Setup Requirements
1. Enable Cloud Billing API in Google Cloud Console
2. Set up authentication (preferably ADC)
3. Grant necessary IAM roles:
- `billing.accounts.get`
- `billing.accounts.list`
- `billing.resourceCosts.get`
### Recommendations
- Use client libraries for easier integration
- Implement ADC for flexible authentication
- Use v1 endpoints for production stability
- Cache pricing data to reduce API calls
## General Implementation Recommendations
### For MCP Server Development
1. **Authentication Strategy**
- Store API keys/credentials securely
- Support multiple authentication methods
- Implement credential rotation capabilities
2. **Data Collection**
- Implement regular polling intervals
- Cache responses to minimize API costs
- Store historical data for trend analysis
3. **Error Handling**
- Implement retry logic with exponential backoff
- Handle rate limits gracefully
- Provide meaningful error messages
4. **Data Normalization**
- Create unified data models across providers
- Standardize cost units and currencies
- Implement data transformation layers
5. **Performance Optimization**
- Batch API requests where possible
- Implement intelligent caching strategies
- Use pagination effectively
6. **Monitoring & Logging**
- Log all API interactions
- Monitor API usage to avoid limits
- Track API costs (especially AWS)
### Priority Implementation Order
1. **AWS Cost Explorer**: Most mature and feature-rich
2. **Google Cloud Billing**: Comprehensive with good SDK support
3. **OpenAI Usage API**: New but essential for AI cost tracking
4. **Anthropic**: Limited API access, rely on manual monitoring
### Security Considerations
- Never expose API credentials in code
- Use environment variables or secure vaults
- Implement least-privilege access principles
- Regular security audits of stored credentials
