OpenAI ad service can bill customers for up to one day after they pause campaigns

OpenAI's ad service can bill customers for up to one day after they pause campaigns, according to recent reports. The company began testing ad sales in ChatGPT in the US in February and has since expanded the service to other regions such as the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea. With 50 million out of 900 million weekly ChatGPT users paying for the service, advertising revenue is a crucial part of OpenAI's strategy to offset costs and demonstrate potential profitability before a future initial public offering.

However, the ad service has been experiencing issues with timing and billing accuracy. Ed Bolton, managing director of UK-based Excel4Business, encountered an odd billing practice when experimenting with ChatGPT Ads in the US and Canada. Ads were being delivered through the night and morning on paused campaigns, despite the campaign being marked as paused.

OpenAI acknowledged the issue and determined that the company would not provide any refund or credit, citing their Advertising Terms which state that ads may continue running for up to one business day after a campaign is canceled or changed.