OpenClaw, a third-party tool built on Claude's API, has shifted from its previous billing model to pay-per-token pricing. The change means users now pay based on how much text goes in and comes back out of each request, rather than a flat rate.
Pay-per-token billing (where a "token" is roughly 3/4 of a word) is how Anthropic itself charges API access, so OpenClaw is essentially passing those costs through directly. For light users, this can mean lower bills. For anyone running longer sessions or bulk processing, costs can climb fast.
The OpenClaw team published a breakdown of the new rates and a migration guide on their blog. If you're using OpenClaw regularly, it's worth running a quick estimate against your typical usage before assuming the new model works in your favor.