Every aspect of API operations should ultimately be evaluated through the lens of cost and value—both the expenses incurred to develop and maintain APIs and the direct or indirect revenue generated from their use. While API access may not always be directly metered or billed, understanding the financial investment required to deliver an API and the business value it drives is essential. Framing API operations in financial terms helps clarify priorities and justify decisions. Although financial considerations are the primary driver of API operations, they’re not always fully understood at the operational level. After nearly 25 years of API proliferation, enterprises are becoming more focused on justifying expenditures related to building and maintaining HTTP API infrastructure, as well as the growing costs of consuming third-party APIs—which now form a significant part of the enterprise digital supply chain.