API credits expired without any warning – request for transparency

API
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Hello OpenAI team and community,

I’m a small independent developer. On May 31, 2024, I topped up $10 in API credits.
Over the course of a year, I only used about $2. When I recently logged into my dashboard, I was surprised to see my balance at $0, with no prior indication that the credits had expired.

After contacting support, I was told that:
– Credits expire after 12 months (understood).
– Expired credits are non-refundable and can’t be reinstated (disappointing, but okay).
– No notification was sent.
– No dashboard alert, countdown, or reminder was ever shown.

This is very frustrating. I respect that policies exist, but I believe silent expiration without any user-facing reminders is a bad UX, especially for casual or light users like me. It feels like a dark pattern — and I say that as someone who respects and admires OpenAI’s work.

I’m not asking for a refund, just fairness:

A visible countdown in the dashboard

An email warning a month or week before expiration

Maybe even a small grace period or one-time extension option

I hope this post helps highlight a user pain point that can be improved.

Has anyone else experienced this? Would love to hear how you handled it.

Thanks :folded_hands:

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Some folks have come here after losing hundreds of dollars to this scam. OpenAI doesn’t care, and the employees that work at OpenAI and frequent the forums don’t have the power to change this practice.

The advice I always give is to take OpenAI to your local small claims court. It may only be $8 but it’s not about the money. It’s about sending the message that this is illegal and we do not stand for it. OpenAI sending a lawyer to attend your small claims case is very expensive to them and they’ll eventually have to shape up.

Friendly reminder that placing something in your ToS doesn’t mean you get free reign to do whatever you want.

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