OpenAI Requires ID Verification and No Refunds for API Credits

Published:Oct 25, 2025 09:02
1 min read
Hacker News

Analysis

The article highlights user frustration with OpenAI's new ID verification requirement and non-refundable API credits. The user is unwilling to share personal data with a third-party vendor and is canceling their ChatGPT Plus subscription and disputing the payment. The user is also considering switching to Deepseek, which is perceived as cheaper. The edit clarifies that verification might only be needed for GPT-5, not GPT-4o.

Reference

“I credited my OpenAI API account with credits, and then it turns out I have to go through some verification process to actually use the API, which involves disclosing personal data to some third-party vendor, which I am not prepared to do. So I asked for a refund and am told that that refunds are against their policy.”