Free Tier: Error code: 429 : You exceeded your current quota

API Bugs
1

I am exploring openAI API as a first time user. I have read that free tier allows some requests per day. However, when i tried this quickstart guide for python and adding my api key, i got the below exception:

Error code: 429 - {‘error’: {‘message’: ‘You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details. For more information on this error, read the docs: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/error-codes/api-errors.’, ‘type’: ‘insufficient_quota’, ‘param’: None, ‘code’: ‘insufficient_quota’}}

I have checked my dashboard for usage and there is nothing there that suggests i am over limit. I shouldn’t be ideally as i am first time user too.

Screenshot 2024-07-05 at 14.42.51
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Having no success despite trying all options, can anyone help me figure what’s happening here?

2 Likes
2

It seems there might be a bit of confusion regarding the service.

The API operates strictly on a pay-per-use basis, without a free trial, free requests, or free credits. To use the API, you’ll need to purchase account credits upfront.

You can review your plan and billing details to get a better understanding of your usage and costs.

I hope this clarifies things! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Best regards!

3

I see, but how come their page suggests there is a free tier and has limited requests - https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/rate-limits/usage-tiers

I wanted to just test the integration experience at this time and not necessarily get into payment as i am considering all available solutions

1 Like
4

even when i visit usage section, this is how it appears to me which makes me believe i have some requests that i can try out.

Screenshot 2024-07-05 at 15.18.14
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1 Like
5

There was a time when new accounts received about $5 in free credits.
However, because many people started creating multiple accounts, free credits are no longer provided.
Now, to create an API key, you’ll need to verify your phone number first and add credits to your account in advance.

6

Because there used to be free trial grant amounts given out, some which may still be in effect, along with research grants and other programs.

The reason for free trial credit discontinuation has never been stated or even acknowledged, but from people coming here and asking why it no longer works we see that it was being reused.

7

is there anyway i can test openAI API for a while till i make a decision?

I read somewhere if i add 5 USD credits and a credit card, first few requests would be free. I am now puzzled by their billing policy now

8

I tried verifying my mobile number and this is the modal i got here.

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definitely confused as this number is not associated to any other account

9

The only capacity of “free” is within ChatGPT, where you can, even without logging in, use AI, and if you create an account, also have some turns available with gpt-4o. It is OpenAI’s own web product, competing aganst your application space for API development.

There’s other AI companies that grant credits for their own models, such as Mistral AI, Anthropic, or have low usage for free, like Google Gemini API. There was one company that had a near duplicate of OpenAI chat API, for their model now non-competitive and erased from my mental bookmarks.

1 Like
10

Thanks, appreciate these reference models, would be definitely helpful as i am just exploring atm and don’t have a business model. So any free solution that has API support would just do for me.

Prompts i want to test out is quite simple, so i believe i can test out others. Thank you