How to Fix the Persistent "Provider venice has billing issue" Error in OpenClaw (Even After Adding Credits)

If you're using OpenClaw with Venice.ai models (kimi-k2-5, glm-4.7-flash, qwen-3, etc.) you've probably hit this frustrating loop:

You go to venice.ai/settings/billing, top up your credits, regenerate your API key, run openclaw onboard, restart the gateway... and the error still shows up.

You're not crazy. OpenClaw is just extremely stubborn.

Why This Happens

OpenClaw caches provider failures aggressively. The moment Venice returns a 402 (insufficient balance) error, the client writes a disabledUntil timestamp + disabledReason: "billing" into its auth state. Even after you add money, that lock stays active for hours. Deleting models, running doctor, or re-onboarding doesn't always clear it.

The Nuclear (and Cleanest) Fix

Delete the auth-state.json file and let OpenClaw create a fresh one.

Here's the exact sequence that finally worked:

# 1. Stop the gateway cleanly
openclaw gateway stop

# 2. (Optional but smart) Backup the file first
cp ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-state.json ~/.openclaw/auth-state-backup.json 2>/dev/null || true

# 3. Delete the locked auth state
rm -f ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-state.json

# 4. Restart the gateway (this creates a brand-new clean auth-state.json)
openclaw gateway restart

# 5. Re-authenticate Venice (recommended)
openclaw onboard --auth-choice venice-api-key

Now Test It

# Launch the TUI
openclaw tui

Inside the TUI, switch to your desired Venice model:

/model venice/kimi-k2-5

(or whichever model you want — you can see all of them with openclaw models list | grep venice)

You should now see the status bar update to your chosen Venice model with no billing warnings.

Extra Tips to Avoid This in the Future

• Always make sure you have actual USD/Diem balance on Venice.ai (raising your subscription tier doesn't automatically add pay-as-you-go credits).
• After topping up, regenerate your Venice API key at venice.ai/settings/api.
• If you ever see the error again, just delete auth-state.json — it's safe and OpenClaw will recreate it instantly.

You're Done!

That tiny hidden JSON file was the only thing standing between you and actually using those sweet Venice models. Deleting it + restarting the gateway is now the official "nuclear reset" for this exact issue.