but i am obliged to update my phone number to the new one because the previous one will no longer belong to me. I donât want to have another personâs phone number linked to my account!
You can remove all payment information and close the account. The old phone number will then forever be unusable to make more OpenAI accounts (with current policy).
In operation, the phone number is only used for initial verification by SMS. It doesnât seem to have any other purpose than verification (of country, of ability to get a phone): no ability to access the account, or change credentials.
I got your point but the problem is that I will no longer own this phone number , so it wonât reflect my identity anymore. Thatâs why I want to update it to my correct number
Plus, I donât want to lose my data by deleting the account in case I attempt this step.
In the meantime, will be waiting for their support solution
While you can send a message via the help.openai.com assistant (lower right), clicking âotherâ until you are able to ask about changing the phone number, the response others have received is that it is currently not supported at this time to change an accountâs phone number.
Yes, a lot is not thought out well and is annoying.
The issue is likely technological and by implementation - the new phone number would need to use the same verification techniques as when you initially sign up, an action that canât be triggered by OpenAI account support staff on an existing account. And that while they are giving out free API trial credits for new users, they need to limit methods to exploit that gift. (and your new unused account on a new phone number gets free trial again!).
Thank you @_j . Just to update you and others with the response I received from the support team:
" We recognize the importance of updating the phone number linked to your account for your future access.
Truthfully, it is not possible to change or switch phone numbers for an OpenAI account.
Each phone number can only be used to verify a maximum of two unique accounts and the first API account verified with that number is eligible for free trial tokens.
We recommend creating another account with your new email address and phone number.
You may also cancel your ChatGPT Plus subscription at any time by following these steps:
Click on âMy Planâ in the sidebar on the ChatGPT website.
Click on âManage my subscriptionâ in the pop-up window.
You will be directed to your billing page where you can select âCancel Planâ
Please note that your cancellation will take effect the day after the next billing date, and you can continue using our services until then. To avoid being charged for your next billing period, please cancel your subscription at least 24 hours before your next billing date."