diff --git a/litellm/cost_calculator.py b/litellm/cost_calculator.py
index e358636c105..1bf2da87448 100644
--- a/litellm/cost_calculator.py
+++ b/litellm/cost_calculator.py
@@ -803,11 +803,18 @@ def _get_hidden_str_for_cost_calc(hidden_params: object, key: str) -> str | None
 _NON_TOKEN_RATE_FIELDS: Final = frozenset(
     {"cost_per_second", "input_cost_per_second", "output_cost_per_second", "input_cost_per_query", "tiered_pricing"}
 )
+# Count only when picking a deployment's own entry: speech bills per character, realtime bills per token
+_PER_CHARACTER_RATE_FIELDS: Final = frozenset({"input_cost_per_character", "output_cost_per_character"})
 
 
-def _cost_map_entry_prices_anything(entry: Mapping[str, object]) -> bool:
+def _cost_map_entry_prices_anything(
+    entry: Mapping[str, object], extra_rate_fields: frozenset[str] = frozenset()
+) -> bool:
     return any(
-        value is not None and (field in _NON_TOKEN_RATE_FIELDS or ("cost_per" in field and "token" in field))
+        value is not None
+        and (
+            field in _NON_TOKEN_RATE_FIELDS or field in extra_rate_fields or ("cost_per" in field and "token" in field)
+        )
         for field, value in entry.items()
     )
 
@@ -850,7 +857,7 @@ def _select_model_name_for_cost_calc(
     if custom_pricing is True:
         if router_model_id is not None and router_model_id in litellm.model_cost:
             entry: Final = litellm.model_cost[router_model_id]
-            if _cost_map_entry_prices_anything(entry):
+            if _cost_map_entry_prices_anything(entry, extra_rate_fields=_PER_CHARACTER_RATE_FIELDS):
                 return_model = router_model_id
             else:
                 return_model = model
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cost_calculator.py b/tests/unit/test_cost_calculator.py
index 9a7c22f6f82..5e314cb46fd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cost_calculator.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cost_calculator.py
@@ -1068,6 +1068,122 @@ def test_per_query_priced_rerank_deployment_completion_cost_is_nonzero():
     assert cost == pytest.approx(3 * 0.001)
 
 
+def test_per_character_priced_speech_deployment_bills_its_own_rate(_local_model_cost_map: None) -> None:
+    from litellm import Router
+
+    rate: Final = 1e-8
+    prompt: Final = "abcdefghijklm"
+    router: Final = Router(
+        model_list=[
+            {
+                "model_name": "custom-tts",
+                "litellm_params": {
+                    "model": "openai/custom-tts-unmapped",
+                    "api_key": "sk-fake",
+                    "input_cost_per_character": rate,
+                },
+            },
+        ]
+    )
+    router_model_id: Final = router.model_list[0]["model_info"]["id"]
+
+    cost: Final = completion_cost(
+        completion_response=None,
+        model="openai/custom-tts-unmapped",
+        custom_llm_provider="openai",
+        call_type="speech",
+        prompt=prompt,
+        custom_pricing=True,
+        router_model_id=router_model_id,
+    )
+
+    assert cost == pytest.approx(len(prompt) * rate)
+
+
+def test_per_character_rate_on_mapped_speech_deployment_beats_the_public_rate(_local_model_cost_map: None) -> None:
+    from litellm import Router
+
+    public_rate: Final = litellm.model_cost["tts-1"]["input_cost_per_character"]
+    deployment_rate: Final = public_rate / 3
+    prompt: Final = "abcdefghijklm"
+    router: Final = Router(
+        model_list=[
+            {
+                "model_name": "discounted-tts",
+                "litellm_params": {
+                    "model": "openai/tts-1",
+                    "api_key": "sk-fake",
+                    "input_cost_per_character": deployment_rate,
+                },
+            },
+        ]
+    )
+    router_model_id: Final = router.model_list[0]["model_info"]["id"]
+
+    cost: Final = completion_cost(
+        completion_response=None,
+        model="openai/tts-1",
+        custom_llm_provider="openai",
+        call_type="speech",
+        prompt=prompt,
+        custom_pricing=True,
+        router_model_id=router_model_id,
+    )
+
+    assert cost == pytest.approx(len(prompt) * deployment_rate)
+    assert cost != pytest.approx(len(prompt) * public_rate)
+
+
+def test_per_character_rate_on_realtime_deployment_keeps_session_token_pricing(
+    _local_model_cost_map: None, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    """Realtime is billed per token, so a character rate alone must not stop the
+    lookup at the deployment and bill the session nothing."""
+    from litellm.types.utils import CompletionTokensDetailsWrapper
+
+    model: Final = "gpt-realtime"
+    deployment_key: Final = "deployment-id-for-a-character-priced-realtime-group"
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        litellm.model_cost,
+        deployment_key,
+        {"litellm_provider": "openai", "mode": "realtime", "input_cost_per_character": 1e-6},
+    )
+    logging_object: Final = LiteLLMRealtimeStreamLoggingObject(
+        usage=Usage(
+            prompt_tokens=120,
+            completion_tokens=60,
+            total_tokens=180,
+            prompt_tokens_details=PromptTokensDetailsWrapper(text_tokens=20, audio_tokens=100),
+            completion_tokens_details=CompletionTokensDetailsWrapper(text_tokens=10, audio_tokens=50),
+        ),
+        results=[
+            {"type": "session.created", "session": {"model": model}},
+            {
+                "type": "response.done",
+                "response": {"usage": {"input_tokens": 120, "output_tokens": 60, "total_tokens": 180}},
+            },
+        ],
+    )
+
+    public_cost: Final = completion_cost(
+        completion_response=logging_object,
+        model=model,
+        call_type=CallTypes.arealtime.value,
+        custom_llm_provider="openai",
+    )
+    deployment_cost: Final = completion_cost(
+        completion_response=logging_object,
+        model=model,
+        call_type=CallTypes.arealtime.value,
+        custom_llm_provider="openai",
+        custom_pricing=True,
+        router_model_id=deployment_key,
+    )
+
+    assert public_cost > 0
+    assert deployment_cost == pytest.approx(public_cost, rel=1e-9)
+
+
 def test_azure_realtime_cost_calculator(_local_model_cost_map):
 
     cost = handle_realtime_stream_cost_calculation(