I’m reaching out here in the hope of finding some guidance or assistance from anyone familiar with Google Play and subscription-related issues.
The Issue:
I purchased a ChatGPT Plus subscription via Google Play on Jan 5, 2025, but the subscription has not been activated on my ChatGPT app. It’s been 6 days. Despite extensive communication with both Google Play support and OpenAI support, I am stuck in a loop with no resolution.
Details of the Case:
Google Play’s Standpoint:
Google Play has denied my refund request, stating that the purchase falls under the app developer’s jurisdiction.
They claim to have no access to the subscription details as they only serve as a payment platform for third-party apps.
Upon asking for escalation details, the support team ended the chat without resolving my concerns.
OpenAI Support’s Standpoint:
OpenAI has been responsive but unable to find any subscription linked to my account.
They’ve mentioned that they cannot process a refund as the subscription falls under Google Play’s jurisdiction.
They also suggested reaching out to Google Play for a refund, but Google Play has already refused.
Relevant Details:
The email address used for the purchase on Google Play and the email address associated with my ChatGPT account are the same.
This is not my first subscription; I used ChatGPT Plus in 2024 (via Google Play Billing) for around 3-4 months with no issues.
Actions I’ve Taken:
Reached out to both Google Play support and OpenAI support multiple times.
Requested a formal letter or statement from OpenAI to assist with the refund process. OpenAI has stated they are unable to provide one.
Attempted all troubleshooting steps suggested by both parties.
How This Affects Me:
I cannot access the service I paid for or receive a refund. I was also considering upgrading to ChatGPT Pro, but with my money stuck and no resolution in sight, I’m hesitant to proceed further.
My Ask:
Has anyone faced similar issues with Google Play?
Are there any escalation paths that I can follow to resolve this issue?
Any advice on how OpenAI and Google Play might coordinate in such cases would also be helpful.
I’m in exactly the same situation. I had initially subscribed through the website. That first subscription lasted until the end of December 2024 (my intention was to try it for one month). In January, I made a second subscription, this time through Google Play. Now, I log in to ChatGPT using my Google account, but they don’t grant access to ChatGPT Plus.
Here’s the current situation: OpenAI doesn’t activate Plus because they can’t identify the payment; Google refused the refund, stating that the payment was processed normally and that I should request the refund from OpenAI; OpenAI’s support says the refund must be processed by Google. I keep trying to explain the situation to OpenAI’s support, but they don’t seem to understand the issue.
I encountered the same issue on 20th February 2025, and as of today, the 25th, I still do not have access to ChatGPT Plus. The payment was processed through Google Play via Experian.
I plan to escalate this matter with my bank soon. Hopefully, my bank draft below provides some useful insights.
Re: Dispute of Unauthorized Charge on Account No. [Your Account Number]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to formally dispute an unauthorized charge on my account. Below are the details of the transaction in question:
Transaction Date: [Date of Transaction]
Amount: [Transaction Amount]
Merchant Name: [Merchant Name as It Appears on Statement]
Description: Payment for ChatGPT Plus subscription via Google Play
Details of the Dispute:
On [Date of Transaction], a charge of [Transaction Amount] was debited from my account for a ChatGPT Plus subscription processed through Google Play. Despite this payment, I have not received access to the subscribed service. Attempts to resolve the issue with both Google Play and OpenAI have been unsuccessful, as each party directs me to the other for resolution.
Given that I have not received the services for which I was charged, I am requesting that this charge be investigated and the amount of [Transaction Amount] be refunded to my account. Enclosed are copies of the following documents to support my claim:
Proof of Payment: [Attach a copy of your bank statement or transaction receipt showing the charge.]
Correspondence Records: [Include copies of any communication with Google Play and OpenAI regarding this issue.]
Service Access Attempts: [Provide any evidence of attempts to access the service or error messages received.]
I kindly request that you acknowledge receipt of this dispute and inform me of the outcome of your investigation at your earliest convenience. Please contact me if you require any additional information or documentation.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
You must understand that your bank has no role in this issue, but I am genuinely surprised that two tech giants are handling the situation in such a manner. This is not the level of service I would expect from companies of this caliber.
The primary responsibility, in my view, falls on OpenAI. Despite providing clear proof of payment, I am still being denied access to my subscription. The justification for locking my subscription is baffling, leaving me to question whether this is an oversight or an intentional decision.
If the issue is that my account is not properly linked, and I have already submitted evidence of my payment, what is preventing OpenAI from resolving this on their end? There should be no reason for a paying customer to go through this much trouble to access a service they have already paid for.
If you have multiple accounts on your device or have ever used any account on that device, try logging into each one and checking your subscription status.
It worked for me when I checked almost all the Google accounts linked to my device.
I stumbled upon this few days ago as I was also facing the same issue. My issue is resolved & I thought, I’ll just put it out here, if anyone in the future visits here with the same issue.
I had the same issue. Paid via play store though I will suggest that use your card and purchase it from the chatgpt website rather than play-store, it is a much better option as payment goes directly to openai rather than google being a mediator.
Had the receipt. Contacted google, openAI through all mediums, yet nothing. My refund was also rejected. Even tweeted, tagged & poked them through every way possible. Went to my bank.
At-last, i expressed my frustration to chat-gpt itself and it gave me a particular solution which as an IT guy i thought, this is the simplest troubleshooting option we give to our clients in US, Philippines, Australia etc and it works like 80% of the times for them, so I thought of giving it a shot as well.
STEP 1: Switch to incognito. Login in ChatGPT there. There’s a 90% chance that it will show your plus subscription there. If it is not, don’t bother to read further. Then deal with google, openAI or your bank.
STEP 2- Simply log out chat-gpt from all your devices. Open chrome. Press CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE (Clear browsing history). Check the cache & cookies only as i didn’t wish to delete my browsing history. Clear cache & cookies. Close chrome. Close any running apps & Restart system.
& Log in again.
It worked for me. I hope it does for you as well.
This only meant my account did have ChatGPT Plus, but the regular session wasn’t recognizing it. The issue was likely cache-related or session corruption.
I did it but I haven’t received any refund. I am experienced with administrative work. I provided all the information they requested from me. They cannot link the payment despite all the proofs I’ve given. I wonder if they are waiting for complaints on Twitter? Best regards, Guillaume Evrard Stanislas BERTRAND
PS: Google refused the refund
Conclusion : I have paid two times
This constitutes deceptive practices on a massive scale. If you are here still dealing with the Google Play issue, report OpenAI to the FTC.
They should not be able to get away with scamming consumers out of millions of dollars like this. The more people report them to the FTC, the sooner they will be forced to fix the issue.
Go to the FTC website and submit a complaint. Then stop doing business with OpenAI forever. It’s crazy this issue has been going on for so long and they’ve done NOTHING to help their customers.
