Optional AI Connection — Open Source Barware

Do you need this?

No. The bar inventory program runs entirely on your laptop without any AI connection. Voice walks, counts, reconciliation, spreadsheets, PAR levels, and weekly Process all work locally. You can paste invoice text or type purchase numbers yourself — that path is fully supported.

Connect an AI key only if you want the program to read photos of paper invoices (phone camera uploads in All inputs) and pull line items into your input log. A wine-cooler video walk feature is coming; that will also use this optional connection.

What is an API key?

Think of it like a private password that lets this inventory program talk to your AI account on your behalf — for invoice images only. You create the key inside your AI provider's website. You paste it once into Settings (or during first-time setup). The program stores it only on this computer — not on our servers, not in the cloud.

Open Source Barware stays free. Your AI provider may charge for API usage the same way they charge for heavy chat use. You control that account and can revoke the key anytime.

What AI is used for (and what it is not)

Invoice photos — snap Southern Glazer's, Breakthru, or other paper invoices on your phone; upload in All inputs
Coming: wine-cooler video walks parsed from phone video

AI does not power voice walks, count parsing, reconciliation, or spreadsheet math. Those run on built-in local parsers — the same path you've been testing without a key.

Claude (Anthropic)

Good if you already use Claude

Sign in at console.anthropic.com
Open API Keys in the left menu (or Settings → API keys)
Click Create Key, name it something like OSB Invoice Photos
Copy the key immediately — you usually cannot view the full key again
Paste it into Settings → Optional AI on this machine

Costs

API billing is separate from a Claude Pro chat subscription. Anthropic charges per token. A few invoice photos per week is usually modest; large photo batches cost more. Check current pricing at anthropic.com/pricing. Set a monthly spend limit in the console if you want a hard cap.

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Good if your team already lives in ChatGPT

Sign in at platform.openai.com
Go to API keys (profile menu → API keys)
Create a new secret key — name it OSB Invoice Photos
Copy and paste into Settings on this computer
Add a payment method under Billing if prompted (API is pay-as-you-go)

Costs

ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) covers the chat app, not API calls. API usage is metered by model and tokens. Invoice image parsing costs more than text paste (which needs no key). Review openai.com/api/pricing and set usage limits under Billing → Limits.

Grok (xAI)

Good if you already use Grok for operations work

Sign in at console.x.ai
Open API Keys in the developer console
Create a key and copy it once
Paste into Settings on this machine

Costs

Grok API pricing changes with model tier. Check x.ai/api for current rates. Same rule: a few invoice photos is modest; large batches add up.

Our recommendations

Skip AI at first if you type invoice numbers or paste text — the program is built for that.
Use the AI you already pay for. No need to add a second subscription just for inventory.
Create a dedicated key named OSB Invoice Photos so you can revoke it without breaking other tools.
Set a monthly spend cap in your provider's console before uploading large photo batches.
Never email or screenshot your key. Paste only into this program on the bar's computer.

Security checklist

Key is stored in data/ai_secrets.json on this Mac only (not in the cloud)
Revoke the key anytime from your provider's console
Replacing the key: return to Settings → Optional AI, paste the new key, save again

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