DeepSeek implements dynamic pricing for its API with reduced rates during off-peak hours

DeepSeek announced on August 13 a change in its API pricing model. Starting today, the platform uses a dynamic pricing system where off-peak hours have prices equivalent to half those charged during peak periods. Peak hours, in Beijing time, are from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. The new pricing structure came into effect on August 17, 2026 at midnight. The DeepSeek-V4 model, which offers support for extremely long context, is among the offerings affected by the pricing change.