Unexpected $17 Charge via Quick Eval – No Warning Displayed

API Feedback
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Hi OpenAI Team,

I’m reaching out regarding an unexpected charge of $17 that occurred after I unintentionally triggered the Quick Eval feature using 61 prompts and 4 different models (GPT-4.1, o4-mini, mini, nano). This action resulted in 244 completions, and the usage appeared immediately in my account dashboard.

Here’s the issue:

  • I didn’t realize Quick Eval was a paid feature.
  • There was no clear warning or cost estimate before running the prompts.
  • English is not my native language, and I may have missed subtle cues — but nothing explicitly indicated that this would result in paid API usage.
  • I had only purchased a $10 credit, and this single action used up $17, going beyond what I expected or authorized.

I submitted a refund request two days ago through the support form, but I haven’t received any response yet. This feels like a UX flaw that could harm other users as well — there should be a visible cost preview or confirmation prompt before executing something that results in billing.

Could a moderator or someone from the OpenAI staff please escalate my case or at least provide a status update?

Thanks in advance.
Much appreciated.

The image shows a usage dashboard with a bar graph displaying total spend of $19.40 on various API capabilities, broken down by category and date, with a detailed tooltip highlighting individual costs for May 7, 2025. (Captioned by AI)
The image shows a usage dashboard with a bar graph displaying total spend of $19.40 on various API capabilities, broken down by category and date, with a detailed tooltip highlighting individual costs for May 7, 2025. (Captioned by AI)2848×562 55.2 KB

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I know this is probably not the answer you’d like to hear but…

But there are good news too, there is a chance that you are eligible for free eval if you share data with openai.

https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10306912-sharing-feedback-evaluation-and-fine-tuning-data-and-api-inputs-and-outputs-with-openai

The image provides information about sharing evaluation and fine-tuning data with OpenAI, stating that users are eligible for up to 7 free weekly evaluations, with additional usage billed at standard rates. (Captioned by AI)
The image provides information about sharing evaluation and fine-tuning data with OpenAI, stating that users are eligible for up to 7 free weekly evaluations, with additional usage billed at standard rates. (Captioned by AI)638×191 41.5 KB

Not sure if everyone has it, you need to check your data controls.

1 Like
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Hi, can you share the eval_id for this eval?
You can just copy past the url when you visit the report page!

3 Likes
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Hi, here is the eval report link you requested:

https://platform.openai.com/evaluations/eval_681acff692848190ade33cc2cc23ba3a

Please let me know if you need anything else. Thanks!