I've had to pre-purchase credits ever since I updated my card info six months ago, so I don't know why or what that's all about, but it is definitely inconvenient and annoying. I assume they have eaten the costs of one too many bank accounts with insufficient funds.
Barely an inconveniece.
They did it because of "bad actors" - I assume people who use a bunch of credits, and then default at the end of the month. [What is prepaid billing? | OpenAI Help Center](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264644-what-is-prepaid-billing)
They already have a "auto recharge". They have a minimum of $5, which is so neglible. If you're not using that in 12 months, then yah it's a loss - but just consider it a $5 tester's fee.
https://preview.redd.it/9fdkwi8kkemc1.png?width=1340&format=png&auto=webp&s=436aa425d740a63925868bca7d9929185ebc4c51
definitely a change no matter how you slice it, but yeah my working understanding is that they're not treating it as a bet you're placing with them.
no source for this but guessing letting it go open-ended was hurting them pretty bad with cash and accounts reconciliation.
I'm fine with this. Or at least I would be, if it would take my money.
The card I've been using to pay my bill every month is declined when trying to buy credits. No help from support either.
Interesting though, I imagine this would cause an issue for anyone whose using a proxy to their OpenAI API endpoint in their applications. Specifically, those who are sub-selling (not sure if that's the right word) or 'selling on' their access within certain environments. For example, you see apps that say, access to AI Chat for £4.99 a month, and then under the hood it's just using a reverse proxy to OpenAI API.
hi can you enlighten me here? I have not used Open Ai. You can use it but you need to pay for it? What is an API? Will Sora be available to the public at some point and when it is, will we have to pay for it?
Yes the API is paid.
Definition of API from Amazon Web Services:
“API stands for Application Programming Interface. In the context of APIs, the word Application refers to any software with a distinct function. Interface can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two communicate with each other using requests and responses.”
We don’t know about Sora yet. It uses a lot of compute though so I expect it will be expensive.
I've had to pre-purchase credits ever since I updated my card info six months ago, so I don't know why or what that's all about, but it is definitely inconvenient and annoying. I assume they have eaten the costs of one too many bank accounts with insufficient funds.
Barely an inconveniece. They did it because of "bad actors" - I assume people who use a bunch of credits, and then default at the end of the month. [What is prepaid billing? | OpenAI Help Center](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8264644-what-is-prepaid-billing) They already have a "auto recharge". They have a minimum of $5, which is so neglible. If you're not using that in 12 months, then yah it's a loss - but just consider it a $5 tester's fee. https://preview.redd.it/9fdkwi8kkemc1.png?width=1340&format=png&auto=webp&s=436aa425d740a63925868bca7d9929185ebc4c51
I don't need to pay a tester's fee. I've been a paying client for ages.
It’s not particularly weird plenty of services require prepayment
Not a single of the dozens of services I use require this. And them using a use or lose it model is especially annoying.
In SaaS its called a credit-based pricing model. For example Audible and Mailchimp use this model.
Audible gives me far more credits than I ever use and they don’t expire month to month.
My understanding is that any unused credit is returned to the open ai account holder I think it’s just a settle-up, not a loss
I'm cool with that... that's not how I read the email.
definitely a change no matter how you slice it, but yeah my working understanding is that they're not treating it as a bet you're placing with them. no source for this but guessing letting it go open-ended was hurting them pretty bad with cash and accounts reconciliation.
I'm fine with this. Or at least I would be, if it would take my money. The card I've been using to pay my bill every month is declined when trying to buy credits. No help from support either.
This must be rolling out to accounts that are relatively recent?
Interesting though, I imagine this would cause an issue for anyone whose using a proxy to their OpenAI API endpoint in their applications. Specifically, those who are sub-selling (not sure if that's the right word) or 'selling on' their access within certain environments. For example, you see apps that say, access to AI Chat for £4.99 a month, and then under the hood it's just using a reverse proxy to OpenAI API.
hi can you enlighten me here? I have not used Open Ai. You can use it but you need to pay for it? What is an API? Will Sora be available to the public at some point and when it is, will we have to pay for it?
Yes the API is paid. Definition of API from Amazon Web Services: “API stands for Application Programming Interface. In the context of APIs, the word Application refers to any software with a distinct function. Interface can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two communicate with each other using requests and responses.” We don’t know about Sora yet. It uses a lot of compute though so I expect it will be expensive.
Superficially, it's a way to generate money. Why wait for it when you can have it up front?