AI-assisted source summary. Read the scope and exceptions, then follow the original documents below.
Applies to
AI gateways · OpenRouter as a documented example
Time context
Documentation checked October 20, 2026
Sources checked
This explains documented routing and suggests checks; we have not independently tested or accused a particular reseller of substitution.
Two kinds of switching
OpenRouter documents provider routing for a chosen model separately from fallback to another model. Provider fallback is enabled by default and can be restricted. Changing the inference provider is therefore not, by itself, evidence that a cheaper model was substituted.
Its model-fallback documentation says the response identifies the model ultimately used and that billing follows that model. Our buying checklist: request the model version, permitted fallbacks, actual-model record and corresponding price. Save the seller's promise alongside request IDs and invoices.
Our assessment: neither a model's self-introduction nor a proxy-controlled response field is independent authentication. Compare repeatable tasks under matched settings and retain records, but treat discrepancies as grounds to investigate. A fraud claim needs evidence connecting the advertised promise to the actual service.
Original documents used for this summary. Multiple links from one publisher are not independent corroboration. Policies can change after the check date.
AI-assisted research, writing and translation by No Secrets, using the linked public documents. This is a source summary, not firsthand reporting or an independently audited investigation. No affiliate links are used in this article.
The date above records this research pass, not the date of every underlying event. The English and Chinese versions are AI-assisted summaries; the linked original controls if they differ.