Can I pay for DeepSeek API with Alipay from Europe? And is it cheaper than paying in USD?

Hey everyone, Has anyone from Europe actually managed to pay with Alipay without having a Chinese bank account or a +86 phone number? I've read conflicting reports: · Some say API registration requires a Chinese number (+86) and an Alipay/WeChat account linked to a Chinese bank. · Others say if you register with an email (not a phone number), the payment gateway still lets you use Alipay. · I've also seen that available payment methods vary by region. I've read that paying with Alipay in RMB is way cheaper than paying in USD via Mastercard or PayPal. From what I understand, if you top up the equivalent of $10 using Alipay, you pay exactly 10 RMB (about €1.30). But if you pay those same $10 with Mastercard, you get hit with the currency exchange (roughly 72 RMB at market rate) plus VAT / extra taxes – so your final cost could easily exceed 72 RMB (around €9-10). That's almost 7 times more expensive. Can anyone confirm if this is true? Is the RMB top‑up really 1:1 (i.e., $1 = 1 RMB)? Or am I misunderstanding the conversion? Because if that's accurate, the difference is massive. If anyone has recent experience (2026) paying for the DeepSeek API from outside China, I'd really appreciate hearing how you did it and what it actually cost you in EUR. Thanks in advance!