Kimi K3, DeepSeek and GLM free from NVIDIA: I tested the claim and here is the catch

Description and use

Users can freely access four large LLMs from NVIDIA, but phone verification is required for key issuance. The rate limit is 40 requests per minute, with no daily cap.

Problem

Users want free access to high‑performance LLMs without a credit card, but phone verification limits availability.

Outcome

Free access to four large, multimodal LLMs is available for prototyping, with a 40 RPM rate limit and no daily cap, provided the user supplies a phone number from a supported country.

Workflow

• 1. Sign up on NVIDIA Build with email and password (no card required).
• 2. On the API keys page, enter a phone number from a supported country and receive an SMS code.
• 3. Enter the code to receive an API key.
• 4. Set the key in the environment (e.g., NVIDIA_API_KEY).
• 5. Make a request to https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1/chat/completions with the desired model ID and messages.

Evidence

New accounts used to get roughly 1,000 credits, and people still quote that number. Credits are gone.

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NVIDIA's own account verification dialog now says "Unlimited API requests without daily limits".

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What is limited is the rate: threads on the NVIDIA developer forum converge on about 40 requests per minute per key.

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Sign‑up itself is smooth: email, password, NVIDIA Developer Program account. No card, as promised.

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But on the API keys page you get a modal — "We'll need to verify your phone number" — and no key until you enter a one‑time SMS code.

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