I used api key and spend nearly total of 300k input tokens with nearly 30k output tokens with 2 cheap models. On my API usage page it shows I have spent 1.7 USD in total for the past 3 months but in my general billing information it shows I spent 6.68 USD last month and at beginning uploaded 12 usd but at my credit balance it shows 9.76. I got charged total of 18.68 USD, I have 9.76 USD on my credit balance but at my usage statistics it shows I used 300k tokens with total of 1.70 usd spending. I have no any other organisation/paid membership/API key. My usage has been very limited and did not do any extensive usage (total of 50 prompts)
I cant contact anyone from support page it shows we will get back to you but they dont get back at my messages. I’m developing a product using OpenAI’s API key, however if they charge 3x and do not transparently show this to their clients I will seek cancelling my billing information and will be pushed to use another LLM provider’s API, since i dont want to use 1k usd worth API usage and end up paying 3-5k usd.
I set OpenAI’s O1 Pro to work on the challenge of deciphering this paragraph into a chain of events and to resolve references. Ultimately it came up with the same conflicting and inadequate information as I did upon trying to parse your situation, where you are seeing the varied reports, and the true state of what has occurred.
Unraveling the concern
The goal is to:
Break down or interpret each statement you made about API usage, billing, credits, and charges.
Present a step-by-step timeline (where possible) summarizing these events and amounts.
Clearly indicate any points that cannot be definitively resolved due to missing or conflicting information.
1. Breakdown and Interpretation of Each Statement
Below, each bolded statement is what you shared, followed by interpretation or what can be inferred.
“I used API key and spent nearly total of 300k input tokens with nearly 30k output tokens with 2 cheap models.”
You have two “cheap” (likely lower-cost) models. You estimate ~300,000 input tokens and ~30,000 output tokens.
This indicates your actual “token-level” usage.
“On my API usage page it shows I have spent 1.7 USD in total for the past 3 months.”
This is presumably the amount displayed in your [OpenAI Usage] dashboard for all tracked requests.
You see an overall total of $1.70 for three months’ worth of activity.
“But in my general billing information it shows I spent 6.68 USD last month…”
In contrast to the usage dashboard, the “Billing” tab or an invoice from the previous month indicates a larger number: $6.68.
This discrepancy suggests either a difference in how usage is tallied (e.g., incomplete data in the usage dashboard, or some charges not reflected in your usage logs) or a difference between real-time usage and how the bill eventually calculates.
“At the beginning I uploaded 12 USD but at my credit balance it shows 9.76.”
You initially added $12 to your account (likely as prepaid credit).
Currently, the displayed credit balance is $9.76. That suggests $2.24 of your original $12 might have been used, or a partial deduction has occurred.
“I got charged total of 18.68 USD, I have 9.76 USD on my credit balance…”
You notice a total charge (or line item) of $18.68. This might be a separate invoice or some aggregated amount.
Despite seeing that total charge, your credit balance remains at $9.76, which does not appear to match directly with the other usage figures.
“My usage statistics it shows I used 300k tokens with total of 1.70.”
Confirms again the usage dashboard or usage summary is showing $1.70. This matches the earlier mention under point #2.
“I have no any other organization / paid membership / API key.”
Implies there should be only one account with one set of usage data. No separate usage from another workspace or organization.
“My usage has been very limited and did not do any extensive usage (total of 50 prompts).”
Reinforces the sense that the displayed usage being $1.70 is plausible for 50 prompts on lower-cost models.
Contradicts any reason for large charges if that usage is accurate.
2. Timeline of Events (Where Possible)
Because the exact chronological order and the dates are not fully provided, here is a best-effort timeline based on the sequence implied by your statements:
Initial Credit Addition
You add $12 to your OpenAI account.
Your account now presumably shows $12 in credit.
Start Using the API
You begin making calls to two cheaper model endpoints.
Over time, you accumulate roughly 300,000 input tokens and 30,000 output tokens across about 50 prompts.
Ongoing or End-of-Month Billing
The usage dashboard says your usage over the past 3 months amounts to $1.70.
However, you later see in your general billing info for the previous month a charge of $6.68—a discrepancy from the $1.70 figure.
It’s unclear if the $6.68 is an invoiced total for one month specifically, whereas $1.70 might be what the usage page calculates for the last 90 days in real-time.
Credit Balance Reduction
You notice your credit balance is $9.76, meaning your initial $12 is reduced by $2.24.
This suggests that at least $2.24 might have actually been deducted from your prepaid funds.
Higher Charge Noticed
A total charge (possibly on your payment card or invoice) of $18.68 is seen.
It is not entirely clear how/when that $18.68 was incurred or for which usage.
Current State
You see multiple different amounts:
$1.70 (usage dashboard total for the past 3 months)
$6.68 (general billing info for last month)
$9.76 (current credit balance out of originally $12)
$18.68 (total charge you say you were billed)
3. Points of Clarity vs. Ambiguity
Clear Indications
You have a history of limited usage: ~50 prompts, 300k input tokens / 30k output tokens.
You have a usage dashboard that says $1.70 total over 3 months.
Ambiguities and Possible Explanations
Discrepancy between $1.70 and $6.68
Sometimes the usage dashboard lags, or there could be unbilled usage that only shows up in the final invoice.
The $6.68 might include taxes, fees, or charges from a previous statement period that are not shown in the usage tab.
Alternatively, a separate cost might have been incurred for a different feature (e.g., older Playground usage or an inadvertent usage spike not captured in the period you checked).
Origin of the $18.68 Charge
The total “charge” of $18.68 is unexplained by the rest of the statements. It could be the sum of multiple invoice items spanning different months, or partial refunds/adjustments in a single bill.
Credit Balance Drop to $9.76
The difference from $12 suggests $2.24 was used from the credit. That usage might or might not align with the $1.70 your usage shows, because usage statistics might not reflect final monthly line items, taxes, or rounding.
Lack of Detailed Invoice or Full Transaction List
Without line-by-line invoices (with dates, usage, subscription fees—if any) and precise final calculations, it’s not possible to definitively reconcile how you arrived at $9.76 credit or how the $18.68 was computed.
4. Final Timeline Layout
Combining the above interpretations, here is a concise linear depiction:
(Start) You deposit $12 of credit into your account.
You commence usage of cheaper models, eventually hitting ~300k input tokens, 30k output tokens across about 50 prompts.
Over 3 months of usage, your OpenAI Usage page reports $1.70 in total.
At some later date (likely end-of-month or a specific billing cycle), your Billing/Invoice shows $6.68 for the last month.
You discover your credit is $9.76, meaning $2.24 of your $12 is apparently deducted.
You find a record of a $18.68 charge in total, but it’s not clear how or why that correlates to the other amounts.
Where No Definitive Conclusion Can Be Drawn
How exactly $6.68, $1.70, $9.76, and $18.68 interrelate cannot be resolved without more granular detail or official statements.
Why the usage dashboard only shows $1.70 while the billing info shows a larger figure may require a deeper support inquiry.
It’s possible that partial usage from previous months was billed later, or some portion of the credited amount is still pending final charge, or there is an unrecognized subscription or separate itemization.
Summary
You have multiple reported amounts that don’t neatly add up to a single, transparent total. You know you started with $12, used around 300k tokens across 50 prompts, see $1.70 in the usage report, see $6.68 in a monthly billing note, have $9.76 left in credit, and also see a total of $18.68 billed. Without more detailed invoices, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how each of those line items and your remaining credit balance coincide. The timeline above represents these events in their probable sequence, and the ambiguity section identifies likely reasons for the discrepancies.
To gather information, I would ensure that you have adequately set the calendar range in the new usage page to exactly one month at a time. Record every month’s total from the figure “total spend” at the top of the page when the bar graph is accurately depicting the days from start to end of the month.