What is the OPENAI* charge on my bank statement?

The OPENAI* charge is a billing descriptor used by OpenAI when charging for services like ChatGPT Plus subscriptions ($20/month), OpenAI API usage, or team plan seats. Check your OpenAI account at platform.openai.com to confirm the exact charge.

Why does the charge say OPENAI* instead of just OpenAI?

The asterisk in OPENAI* is a standard payment processing convention used by OpenAI's billing provider. It sometimes appears with additional text such as OPENAI*CHATGPT or OPENAI*SUBSCRIPTION depending on your bank's display format.

Can I get a refund for an OPENAI* charge?

OpenAI does offer refunds in certain circumstances, such as accidental renewals or duplicate charges. Contact OpenAI support at help.openai.com with your invoice number and a brief explanation to request a refund for the OPENAI* charge.

How do I cancel my OpenAI subscription to stop OPENAI* charges?

Log into your account at chat.openai.com, go to Settings > Billing > Manage Subscription, and click 'Cancel Plan.' Your OPENAI* charges will stop at the end of the current billing period, and you'll retain access until then.

How do I stop future OPENAI* charges from appearing?

To permanently stop OPENAI* charges, cancel your ChatGPT Plus or API subscription inside your OpenAI account and remove your saved payment method under Settings > Billing > Payment Methods. This ensures no future billing can occur.

Home›Browse Charges›SaaS›OPENAI*

OPENAI* Charge (What It Is + Is It Legit?)

✓ Legitimate

The "OPENAI*" charge is from OpenAI. OpenAI ChatGPT or API charge.

🌍 US🕐 8 min read📅 Updated May 22, 2026

OpenAI

OpenAI ChatGPT or API charge.

OPENAI*

Understanding this descriptor

When OpenAI processes payments for its ChatGPT subscriptions and API usage, the charge is routed through Stripe, a widely used payment processor that truncates merchant names to fit within the limited character space allowed on bank statement descriptors. The asterisk in "OPENAI*" is a formatting convention Stripe uses to separate the merchant name from additional billing detail fields, which is why the full company name "OpenAI" doesn't appear on its own. If you're seeing a $20.00 monthly charge with this descriptor, it's almost certainly your ChatGPT Plus subscription billed by OpenAI through this Stripe-powered payment system.

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Identify the OpenAI charge

Log in to your account at openai.com and navigate to your billing history. The OPENAI* charge on your statement is typically linked to either a ChatGPT Plus subscription or API usage fees, so confirm which service you signed up for.

Review your OpenAI usage details

Visit platform.openai.com/account/billing to see a breakdown of your current billing cycle. OpenAI charges can vary based on API token consumption or your ChatGPT subscription tier, so check the usage dashboard to ensure the amount matches what you expected.

Manage or cancel your OpenAI subscription

If you no longer need the service or want to stop future OPENAI* charges, go directly to platform.openai.com/account/billing where you can downgrade your plan or cancel your subscription entirely before the next billing date.

Contact OpenAI support if the charge is unclear

If the OPENAI* charge amount does not match your expected plan or usage, reach out to OpenAI's support team through openai.com to request a detailed invoice or clarification, as billing discrepancies for API usage can sometimes occur due to unexpected spikes in usage.

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How to cancel OpenAI

OpenAI bills you Monthly. To stop future charges, cancel from your account directly.

Cancel at OpenAI

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Is this charge fraudulent?

No, this is a legitimate charge from OpenAI. However, if you did not authorize this charge or cancelled your subscription, you may be eligible for a refund.

ℹ️ Note

An OPENAI* charge is almost always a legitimate billing event from OpenAI. If you or someone on your household subscribed to ChatGPT Plus or created an OpenAI developer account with API credits, this $20.00 monthly charge is expected and authorized directly by OpenAI's payment system.

Is the OPENAI* Charge Legitimate or Fraud?

If you see OPENAI* on your bank or credit card statement, this charge almost certainly comes from OpenAI, the AI research company behind ChatGPT, DALL-E, and the OpenAI API. This descriptor appears when OpenAI bills you for a subscription or usage-based service. Before assuming fraud, consider these common legitimate reasons for an OPENAI* charge:

A ChatGPT Plus monthly subscription ($20/month), which renews automatically each billing cycle
An OpenAI API usage charge if you or a developer on your account consumed tokens during the billing period
A ChatGPT Team or Enterprise plan billed per seat on a monthly or annual basis
A DALL-E image generation credit purchase made through the OpenAI platform

If you do not recognize the OPENAI* charge after reviewing the above, it is possible a family member used your card, or in rare cases the charge may be unauthorized and worth disputing.

How to Verify the OPENAI* Charge

1
Log into your OpenAI account
Visit platform.openai.com or chat.openai.com and sign in. Navigate to Settings > Billing to view your invoice history and confirm whether the OPENAI* amount matches a recent charge.
2
Search your email for OpenAI receipts
Search your inbox for emails from 'billing@openai.com' or 'noreply@openai.com'. OpenAI sends an email receipt for every OPENAI* charge processed on your card.
3
Check if a household member has an OpenAI subscription
Ask family members or colleagues whether they used your card to sign up for ChatGPT Plus or the OpenAI API, as the OPENAI* descriptor will appear regardless of whose account was charged.
4
Review your active OpenAI subscriptions
Inside your OpenAI account, go to Settings > Billing > Subscription to see your current plan. If you have a ChatGPT Plus plan active, that is the source of the recurring OPENAI* charge.
5
Contact your bank for transaction details
Call the number on the back of your card and ask for the full merchant descriptor and transaction date for the OPENAI* charge. This can help confirm whether the amount matches any OpenAI plan pricing.

How to Dispute an OPENAI* Charge

1
Act within 60 days of the charge
Most banks require disputes to be filed within 60 days of the OPENAI* charge appearing on your statement. Acting quickly improves your chances of a successful chargeback or refund.
2
Contact OpenAI support first
Visit help.openai.com and submit a billing support request. OpenAI can often issue a refund for an unrecognized or erroneous OPENAI* charge faster than a bank dispute can be resolved.
3
File a chargeback with your bank
If OpenAI does not resolve the issue, call your bank or card issuer and report the OPENAI* charge as unauthorized. Provide any email correspondence with OpenAI to strengthen your case.
4
Request a new card number
If you suspect your card was used fraudulently to create an OpenAI account, ask your bank to issue a new card number so that no future OPENAI* charges can be processed against your old card.