diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/llm_cost_calc/utils.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/llm_cost_calc/utils.py
index 19e3f624268..ad64ab1488b 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/llm_cost_calc/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/llm_cost_calc/utils.py
@@ -137,10 +137,16 @@ def select_cost_metric_for_model(
     """
     Select 'cost_per_character' if model_info has 'input_cost_per_character'
     Select 'cost_per_token' if model_info has 'input_cost_per_token'
+
+    Presence is what selects the metric, not truthiness: a rate of ``0`` is a
+    valid price, declaring the model free. Testing truthiness treated such a
+    model as unpriced and raised below, reporting that fields it had explicitly
+    set were missing. This matches ``tier_rate`` in this package, where an
+    explicit zero already wins over the fallback.
     """
-    if model_info.get("input_cost_per_character"):
+    if model_info.get("input_cost_per_character") is not None:
         return "cost_per_character"
-    elif model_info.get("input_cost_per_token"):
+    elif model_info.get("input_cost_per_token") is not None:
         return "cost_per_token"
     else:
         raise ValueError(
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_zero_cost_metric_selection.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_zero_cost_metric_selection.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0d666d8daa4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_zero_cost_metric_selection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""Tests for cost-metric selection on models priced at zero.
+
+`select_cost_metric_for_model` chose a metric by truthiness, so a rate of 0 --
+a valid price declaring the model free -- was indistinguishable from an absent
+one, and the speech cost path raised ValueError claiming fields the model had
+explicitly set were missing.
+"""
+
+import pytest
+
+from litellm.litellm_core_utils.llm_cost_calc.utils import (
+    select_cost_metric_for_model,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "model_info, expected",
+    [
+        ({"key": "tts-1", "input_cost_per_token": 1.5e-05}, "cost_per_token"),
+        ({"key": "tts-1", "input_cost_per_character": 1.5e-05}, "cost_per_character"),
+        # character pricing wins when both are present
+        (
+            {
+                "key": "tts-1",
+                "input_cost_per_character": 1.5e-05,
+                "input_cost_per_token": 3.0e-05,
+            },
+            "cost_per_character",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_priced_models_select_their_metric(model_info, expected):
+    assert select_cost_metric_for_model(model_info) == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "model_info, expected",
+    [
+        ({"key": "free-tts", "input_cost_per_character": 0}, "cost_per_character"),
+        ({"key": "free-tts", "input_cost_per_token": 0}, "cost_per_token"),
+        ({"key": "free-tts", "input_cost_per_character": 0.0}, "cost_per_character"),
+        (
+            {"key": "free-tts", "input_cost_per_character": 0, "input_cost_per_token": 0},
+            "cost_per_character",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_zero_is_a_price_not_an_absent_field(model_info, expected):
+    # A zero rate declares the model free. Selecting on truthiness dropped
+    # through to the ValueError below, so a free TTS model could not be costed.
+    assert select_cost_metric_for_model(model_info) == expected
+
+
+def test_missing_cost_fields_still_raise():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="does not have"):
+        select_cost_metric_for_model({"key": "unpriced-tts"})
+
+
+def test_explicit_none_is_treated_as_absent():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="does not have"):
+        select_cost_metric_for_model(
+            {"key": "unpriced-tts", "input_cost_per_character": None, "input_cost_per_token": None}
+        )