Yes this is the case. I can understand where you are coming from and understand your frustration. But please at least put your post in the right category. This would be either ChatGPT or feedback but “General API discussion” does not fit so good. Also this might increase the chance to get noticed by OpenAI Staff.
When OpenAI first released ChatGPT in November 2022 it was only as a “free research preview.” There was no mechanism in place at that time to accept payments other than through the pay-as-you-go API service.