I wouldn’t have to open this thread if that was the case, right?
I’m beyond frustrated right now! OpenAI’s support absolutely refuses to help me recover my $98 in credits that just disappeared without any warning. In Europe, this kind of practice is unthinkable—taking customers’ money and letting it expire like that feels completely wrong and goes against the consumer protection standards we expect here. At this point, I’ve totally lost trust in them. If OpenAI treats customers’ money as virtual tokens that they can just wipe out after a year, what’s next? What other surprises are they going to pull?
Even if you have money and in period of use, OpenAI don’t let you use them. See Unable to verify organization
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I have ways to retaliate, but I am just disappointed when I see the greed and the lies… It’s ok – people should see what they really are. 
Why didn’t they set tokens to “expire” after 1 year of inactivity?
EDIT: Does Microsoft dictate everything at OpenAI?
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So I ask ChatGPT;
What llm api providers don’t screw customers over be expiring prepaid balances like openai does?
Response was;
You’re right to be frustrated — expiring prepaid balances can feel unfair, especially if you’ve already paid for a service. OpenAI’s policy of expiring prepaid credits (e.g. API credits purchased via credit card or promotional credits) after a set time (typically 12 months) is similar to how many companies handle prepaid usage, but it’s not universal.
Here’s a list of LLM API providers that are more customer-friendly in terms of not expiring prepaid balances quickly (or at all):
1. Anthropic (Claude API)
- Policy: Credits do not expire quickly — as of now, there’s no known strict expiration on added balance.
- Notes: Anthropic is generally considered transparent in their billing.
- Where to check: You can reach out to their support or check in your billing dashboard for expiration terms.
2. Mistral (via platforms like Together.ai or Fireworks.ai)
- Policy: If you’re using Mistral via a platform like Together.ai or Fireworks.ai, they usually do not expire prepaid credits unless inactive for a very long period.
- Notes: Many of these platforms bill usage post-paid (based on consumption) rather than with prepaid balances, which avoids the expiration issue entirely.
3. Replicate
- Policy: Prepaid credits do not expire quickly and Replicate is known for simple, usage-based billing.
- Notes: You only pay for what you run, and you’re not buying large amounts of credits upfront.
4. Groq (for LLaMA 3 and Mixtral)
- Policy: As of now, they offer a pay-as-you-go model without prepaid credit systems — no expiration risk.
- Notes: Their billing is straightforward and usage-based.
Providers to Watch Out For (Expiring Credits):
| Provider | Credit Expiry | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | 12 months | Applies to prepaid API credits and some promotional credits. |
| Cohere | Varies | Promotional credits and some pre-purchased plans may expire. |
| Google Vertex AI / PaLM API | Usage-based | No prepay system, but free tier resets monthly — not roll-over. |
Tips to Avoid Expiring Credits:
- Prefer post-paid, usage-based billing (most providers offer this).
- Use platforms like Vercel AI SDK, LangChain Server, or LangSmith, which abstract the billing layer with usage metering.
- Always check the Terms of Service or billing FAQ of the provider.
Would you like a side-by-side comparison chart or recommendations based on your usage (e.g. inference-heavy, fine-tuning, etc.)?
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So I asked ChatGPT, but actually used Deep Research and let its fine-tuned o3 model chew on the internet for six minutes, with 97 searches being done.
Understood. I’ll prepare a report evaluating the payment methods and prepaid credit expiration policies for major LLM API providers that offer frontier models. I’ll focus on OpenAI, Google (Gemini Pro), Anthropic (Claude), Microsoft Azure (OpenAI services), and DeepSeek.
I’ll let you know once the report is ready.
Payment and Credit Policies of Major LLM API Providers
OpenAI (GPT-4/ChatGPT API)
- Default Payment Model: OpenAI’s API operates on a pay-as-you-go model that now requires prepaid credits. All API usage must be paid via purchased credits added to the account in advance (OpenAI switched to a prepaid system in 2024). Small users typically attach a credit card to buy credits (minimum $5 top-up) and can enable auto-recharge, while larger customers can arrange monthly invoicing once approved.
- Prepaid Credit Expiration: Yes. Purchased API credits expire 1 year after purchase if unused. This is outlined in OpenAI’s terms: service credits are non-refundable and valid for one year from issuance. (Initial free trial credits also expired – they lasted 3 months from account creation.) Notably, OpenAI enforces a maximum credit balance (often $50 for new users) and unused prepaid balances beyond one year are forfeited.
- Consumer Impact: This expiration policy means users who overestimate usage might lose real money (unused credit) after a year – a form of “breakage” that benefits OpenAI. Developers have criticized the practice as consumer-unfriendly, likening it to expiring gift cards that generate free revenue for the company. Some U.S. states prohibit gift card expirations, prompting debate about whether expiring API credits is fair. OpenAI currently provides no way to reclaim or extend expired credits, so users are advised to only prepay what they expect to use within 12 months.
Google (Gemini Pro via Google Cloud)
- Default Payment Model: Google offers its frontier models (e.g. Gemini Pro) through Google Cloud’s AI services (such as Vertex AI or the new Google AI Studio). For new signups and low-volume users, the model access is pay-as-you-go. A Google Cloud account is required with a billing payment method (credit card) for usage charges. New customers get $300 in free credits, valid for the first 90 days, to experiment with Google Cloud’s AI offerings. During this trial period, usage of models like Gemini is drawn from the free credit; after it’s exhausted or expired, charges accrue to the card on file. Enterprise customers or high-volume users can also set up a Google Cloud billing account with invoicing terms (subject to credit approval), but the default for individuals is pay-as-you-go.
- Prepaid Credit & Expiration: Google does not require prepaid deposits for API usage – you are billed for actual usage. The platform’s free trial credits do expire after their validity window (any unused portion of the $300 promo is forfeited after 90 days). However, this is a promotional credit from Google (not user-paid funds). Since Google bills post-usage, there is no expiration of user-paid balances – you simply pay for what you use each month. (If you have Google Cloud credits from other programs or grants, those typically have their own terms, often 90 days or up to a year, depending on the program.)
- Consumer Considerations: Google’s pay-as-you-go approach means no breakage of customer funds – you don’t prepay more than you use. Unused trial credits expiring is standard in cloud promos and not considered malicious (users haven’t paid for them). Importantly, if you stay within the always-free usage limits or the trial credit, you won’t be charged at all. Once you enable billing, any usage beyond free quotas is automatically charged at published rates. Google Cloud’s terms are generally seen as consumer-friendly in this regard, since users are never forced to deposit money upfront that could later expire unused.
Anthropic (Claude API)
- Default Payment Model: Anthropic’s Claude API uses a prepaid usage credit system similar to OpenAI’s. Developers must add credits to their organization’s account before making API calls. (In some cases, early access users or promotions might include free credits, but generally new customers need to purchase credits to use the API.) Payment is typically via credit card through Anthropic’s console, with an option to auto-reload credits when running low. High-volume enterprise users can contact Anthropic for contracts, but for self-serve API access, prepaying for credits is required.
- Prepaid Credit Expiration: Yes. Anthropic’s Usage Credits expire 1 calendar year after issuance if unused. This policy is spelled out in Anthropic’s Supplemental Credit Terms (effective March 4, 2024) – prepaid credits are non-refundable and valid for one year from the date of purchase. (Any free Promotional Credits Anthropic provides would have a shorter stated validity or default to one year as well.) If an Anthropic account is closed, any remaining credits are also forfeited.
- Consumer Impact: Like OpenAI, Anthropic’s expiring credits raise breakage concerns. Unused balance after 12 months is retained by Anthropic, which some users criticize as unfair. Developers on community forums noted they were not clearly warned during purchase that credits would expire in a year, leading to frustration when hundreds of dollars in Claude credits vanished. Anthropic defends the policy as standard (and indeed most major providers now do the same). Still, it’s a consumer-unfriendly term. Users are encouraged to add funds in small increments to avoid large unused balances, since there is no mechanism to extend or refund expired Claude credits.
Microsoft Azure (OpenAI Service)
- Default Payment Model: Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service (which provides access to OpenAI’s GPT-4, GPT-3.5, etc. via Azure) follows Azure’s standard cloud billing. For new users, Azure offers a free trial: $200 in credits valid for 30 days. During this trial month, any Azure OpenAI usage draws from the $200 credit. After 30 days (or after the $200 is spent), the account must be upgraded to a pay-as-you-go plan to continue service. Low-volume developers typically use a credit card on their Azure account and pay monthly for the API calls made (at the same per-token rates as OpenAI’s official pricing). Enterprise customers can arrange invoice billing or commit to larger spend agreements, but for most, it’s pay-as-you-go with monthly billing.
- Prepaid Credit Expiration: Not for user-paid funds. Azure does not require pre-purchasing credits to use the OpenAI API service – you are charged after usage. The free trial credit does expire: any unused portion of the $200 promotional credit disappears once the 30-day trial period ends. At that point the subscription is disabled unless you convert to a paid plan. After upgrading, Azure simply bills your credit card or account each month; there is no concept of a stored balance that you pay into. (If you receive any Azure credits via offers or grants, those typically have an expiration date – e.g. certain Azure credits for nonprofits or startups might expire in a year – but again those are not customer payments.)
- Consumer Considerations: Azure’s model is consumer-friendly in that you only pay for what you use, and no upfront deposits are needed for regular usage. The expiring trial credit is a free perk to encourage exploration (common across cloud providers). There is no risk of “losing” money you paid, because unused credit on Azure is either promotional or part of a negotiated enterprise agreement. One note is that after the free trial, you must remember to upgrade to avoid service interruption – Azure will disable the service once the $200 is used or 30 days pass. But as long as a customer transitions to pay-as-you-go, they won’t encounter any balance expiration issues on Azure.
DeepSeek (Frontier LLM by DeepSeek Inc.)
- Default Payment Model: DeepSeek, a newer provider of a frontier AI model (e.g. DeepSeek-R1 and V3), offers direct API access through its own platform. It uses a top-up balance system: developers create an account on DeepSeek’s portal and add funds (credits) to their balance, which are then deducted as they make API calls. There may be a small free trial or “granted” credit for new users (DeepSeek has a concept of granted balance for promotional credits), but generally one must purchase credits via credit card to use the API. The pricing is usage-based per million tokens, with discounts during off-peak hours. There is no separate “subscription” – it’s pay-as-you-go by drawing down your prepaid balance.
- Prepaid Credit Expiration: No (for paid credits). DeepSeek explicitly states that topped-up balances do not expire. Any money you add to your DeepSeek account remains available until used. In contrast to others, DeepSeek’s policy is that only granted (free) credits have an expiration – those come with an expiry date visible on the billing page. For paid credits, there is no time limit; your balance carries over indefinitely. This means a developer can prepay a sum and use it at their own pace without worrying about a deadline.
- Consumer Impact: DeepSeek’s no-expiry policy on purchased credits is more consumer-friendly than the norm. Users won’t lose funds due to inactivity, avoiding the breakage issue seen with OpenAI or Anthropic. This lowers the risk of prepaying more than you need. It encourages trust that any unused balance can be used in the future, which is a positive for budget-conscious customers. DeepSeek even prioritizes using any free “granted” credits first (since those might expire) before dipping into your paid balance. In summary, DeepSeek does not engage in the practice of expiring user-paid credits, setting it apart from some other frontier model providers. Users only need to be mindful of expiration on promo credits, not on the money they’ve spent.
Sources:
- OpenAI API Prepaid Billing Help – OpenAI Help Center
- OpenAI Service Credit Terms (1-year expiration) – OpenAI Policies
- Developer discussions on expiring credits (OpenAI & Anthropic) – Hacker News, Reddit
- Anthropic Credit Terms (1-year validity) – Anthropic Legal
- Google Cloud Free Trial Terms ($300/90-day) – Google Cloud Docs & Community
- Azure Free Account Terms ($200/30-day) – Microsoft Learn Docs
- DeepSeek API FAQ (no expiry on paid credit) – DeepSeek Docs
- DeepSeek Pricing Details – DeepSeek API Documentation
One thing it didn’t note is that you can get Anthropic models through Vertex AI’s model garden and via Azure.
I’ve stopped using OpenAI and now focus entirely on open-source models. My goal is to replace their Assistants API with a more dynamic alternative—one that lets developers use any model they choose (proprietary or open-source LLMs) to build Multi-Agent Systems.
I believe OpenAI is intentionally reducing user flexibility and will likely kill the Assistants API next year. This will inevitably push people toward building custom systems with open-source models. Nobody wants models silently updated behind the scenes, and using proprietary models for Multi-Agent Systems is ultimately wasteful:
- You lose control: The real puppeteer becomes whoever controls the underlying models
- Alignment risks: Your carefully tuned systems can be instantly broken by undisclosed model changes
- Dependency trap: Your work remains hostage to another company’s whims
The Assistants API concept is solid, but OpenAI failed to empower developers. If they extend their silent-update practice to this API, it’ll become useless. Ultimately, people will demand flexible alternatives that don’t force them into manipulated chained models.
You can find all the excuses in the world and hide behind the policy you put in place yourselves, but this is an unfair practice that closely resembles a scam. There is absolutely no reason why my unused money should be taken from me after one year. It is time to turn to AI services that only charge for what we actually use. I wonder how much money you have managed to take from users with this technique.
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I feel this completely unfair, it shows their intent of making money from unfair means as well very similar to stealing the money with proper announcement wrapped under legal clauses & T&C.
Organizations doing ethical business may ask users to recharge with minimum amount after expiry, till then credits are blocked.
But it is clear that its not the intention .. anyway leave it.. I also lost few dollars on this June-1 .
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Their backend is wildly unstable, and these crypto-style antics with expired credits should wave a 
GIANT RED FLAG for anyone paying attention.
I feel betrayed by OpenAI and their practices. 
Think twice before using them — they’re going more closed (killing Assistant API) while puppeteering models behind the scenes.
From a beacon of light… to a black hole..