If you need an AI coding tool for work in mainland China, settle access and data handling before setting up payment. Otherwise you may buy a subscription that the intended user cannot properly access, or send company code to a service the company has not approved.
Separate three decisions
| Decision | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Service eligibility | Is your actual location and account covered? Mainland China is not listed for OpenAI API or Anthropic’s direct services. |
| Product entitlement | Do you need a chat account, an IDE/terminal tool, or an API project? Verify the exact product in the agreement. |
| Company data | May this code or document be sent to that provider, under those retention and access settings? |
For an employer-provided account
Ask IT or procurement for the service name, provider, authorized user locations, support contact and billing owner. A corporate gateway or third-party platform may have its own contract and product coverage; do not assume it is equivalent to a direct consumer account, or that an overseas server changes the user’s eligibility.
Use a named account assigned to you. Confirm what happens when you leave the company, whether the organization can view work, and where the repository is processed. Start with a non-sensitive sample task until the correct workspace is clear.
If you are choosing for yourself
- Check the provider’s current location and product rules. If the service does not cover you, compare tools that explicitly do.
- Avoid prepaid annual commitments until you can sign into your own eligible account and complete the task you need.
- Price the actual work: subscription allowance, separately billed API calls and any platform fee.
- Keep the invoice, terms and cancellation process. A reseller’s promise of permanent access is not a substitute for these.