First, where the connector actually is. OpenRouter's own site never connects to your wallet. When you choose the crypto option, OpenRouter generates a payment link and hands you to a Coinbase Business checkout page, and the Connect Wallet button, Phantom included, belongs to that Coinbase page. OpenRouter Support said as much on their Discord on 9 September 2026. So a Phantom that will not connect is a problem between your browser and the Coinbase page, and there is no OpenRouter setting that changes it.
A few quick checks fix most cases: make sure the Phantom extension is unlocked before you click Connect; make sure Phantom is switched to the network the page names and holds USDC there, because at the time of writing the link settles USDC on Base, not Solana; allow pop-ups for the Coinbase page, since the connect prompt is often a pop-up your browser blocked silently; and open the Coinbase page in a fresh tab or a private window with other wallet extensions disabled, because two wallet extensions fighting over the same connect request is a common cause of a button that does nothing.
If it still will not connect, or the page says "Coinbase checkout is unavailable for this account" (an account-level restriction, not a balance problem), the same OpenRouter link can be paid through ROZO Checkout instead. On the Solana route Phantom, Solflare or Backpack sign a USDC or USDT transfer directly on Solana, with no Coinbase page in between, and it takes about 30 seconds. ROZO charges a 1% service fee, shown before you approve. The $10 minimum and OpenRouter's 5% fee on the link stay as they are, and crypto purchases remain non-refundable per OpenRouter. ROZO is independent and not affiliated with OpenRouter, Coinbase or Phantom.