Tell HN: OpenAI now requires ID verification and won't refund API credits

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Scope of ID Verification & Model Access

  • ID checks appear to gate specific high-end features/models, especially GPT‑5 streaming; some users report GPT‑5 non‑streaming and GPT‑4o still working without verification.
  • Confusion over which endpoints require verification; some mention that automatic “reasoning summary”/classifier features can trigger the requirement.
  • Several see GPT‑4o as “good enough” and even preferable on cost/performance; others insist GPT‑5 is clearly superior and cheaper per token.

Credits, Refunds & Legal Concerns

  • Official docs confirm: organization verification policies, non‑refundable service credits, and 1‑year credit expiry.
  • Many describe refusing refunds when verification fails as “scammy” and “terrible customer service,” especially for users who bought credits specifically for gated models.
  • EU commenters argue such terms may conflict with strong consumer protection laws; others counter that most users won’t invest the effort to challenge, so chargebacks are the pragmatic solution.
  • Practical tips: use credit cards (not debit), SEPA reversals in Europe, but some note hardship reversing payments with government‑issued benefit cards.

Motivations for KYC & Surveillance

  • Speculated reasons:
    • Blocking foreign/competitor training access (e.g., Chinese models).
    • Fraud prevention and abuse mitigation.
    • Legal holds for copyright lawsuits and record‑keeping.
    • Age verification for adult content.
    • Preventing model‑output data from being used to train rivals.
  • Strong current of mistrust: some see it as mass data collection, reputation staking, and de‑facto integration into state‑level surveillance (e.g., NSLs, “suspicious activity” reporting).
  • CEO’s involvement with a biometric crypto/ID project is cited as reinforcing distrust, even though that system isn’t used here.

Privacy, Phone Numbers & Business Accounts

  • Many refuse to hand over government ID or even phone numbers to SaaS/LLM providers; others say their phone number is already effectively public and rely on do‑not‑call lists.
  • For corporate accounts, people are unsure whose ID should be submitted and whether tying a personal ID to an org account weakens the “corporate veil.”

Content Policy & “Porn Company” Debate

  • Some frame the new adult‑content policy for verified adults as turning the company into a porn producer.
  • Others push back, likening it to a search engine returning porn results, though critics note this is generation, not aggregation.

Alternatives, Local AI & Enshittification

  • Users point to DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM 4.6, and Chinese models as cheaper, though criticisms include weaker coding performance, heavy censorship, and traffic routing via Hong Kong.
  • Strong advocacy for local AI: Ollama, LM Studio, Open WebUI, custom hardware, and open‑source models to avoid KYC and central control.
  • Some see this as early “enshittification”: higher prices, lock‑in, friction, and the prospect of undisclosed, conversational advertising already creeping into recommendations.