# Billing setup complete but Quota Tier stuck on "Free tier" — multiple projects, multiple keys **URL:** \ **Category:** Gemini API\ **Tags:** api-key\ **Created:** [March 9, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113 "2026-03-09T17:31:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Walter\_Davis](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/walter_davis/32/57540_2.png) [@Walter\_Davis](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Walter_Davis)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/1 "2026-03-09T17:31:51Z")
I’ve set up billing correctly but AI Studio continues to show “Free tier” for every API key I create. I’ve now tried this across multiple projects and keys over two days with the same result. **What I’ve done:** 1. Created a Google Cloud billing account with a valid payment method (not free trial credits) 2. Created a project (“Test Again” — gen-lang-client-0631488633) in AI Studio 3. Linked the billing account to the project — confirmed in Cloud Console under Billing → Account Management → linked projects 4. Completed the billing setup flow in AI Studio — received the confirmation message: “Your Google Cloud billing account and Gemini API project are now linked. You can now access higher rate limits, advanced models, and more exclusive features.” 5. Created a new API key within the billed project 6. Quota Tier column still shows “Free tier” with no clickable upgrade link 7. Repeated the entire process with a brand new project and new API key — same result **What I’ve verified:** - Billing account is NOT a free trial — it’s a full paid account with a real payment method - Project is confirmed linked to billing account in Cloud Console - AI Studio completed the billing flow and showed the success confirmation - Tried hard refresh, incognito browser, creating new keys — all still show Free tier - This has persisted for 24+ hours **Environment:** - Google AI Studio ([aistudio.google.com](http://aistudio.google.com)) - Date: March 8-9, 2026 - Goal: Access Gemini 3.1 models at paid tier rate limits **Expected:** Quota Tier should show “Tier 1” after billing setup **Actual:** Quota Tier shows “Free tier” despite billing being fully linked and confirmed Is there a known sync issue currently? Can someone on the Google AI team verify my account/project status on the backend? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Isaac\_Roberts](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/isaac_roberts/32/102249_2.png) [@Isaac\_Roberts](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Isaac_Roberts)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/2 "2026-03-09T22:06:28Z")
I’m having the same issue, so annoying. You’d think they’d want to make it easy for us to give them money ---
**Author:** ![Zijian\_Ma](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/zijian_ma/32/25437_2.png) [@Zijian\_Ma](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Zijian_Ma)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 5:26am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/3 "2026-03-10T05:26:15Z")
Same I have the same issue. I also use a different google account and different credit card, but it is still not working for me. ---
**Author:** ![Riaan\_Cillie](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/riaan_cillie/32/102557_2.png) [@Riaan\_Cillie](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Riaan_Cillie)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/4 "2026-03-10T16:46:22Z")
I’m getting the same problem. Tried every possible way to get off “Free Tier”. Still stuck on “Free Tier” ---
**Author:** ![Mustan\_lokhand](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/mustan_lokhand/32/86726_2.png) [@Mustan\_lokhand](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Mustan_lokhand)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/5 "2026-03-10T19:51:00Z")
Hi Can you DM me with your project numbers ? ---
**Author:** ![PraveenKumar\_Y](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/praveenkumar_y/32/102712_2.png) [@PraveenKumar\_Y](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/PraveenKumar_Y)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:18am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/6 "2026-03-11T05:18:21Z")
I’m facing the exact same issue with mine as well. Shows “Free Tier” instead of “Tier 1”. Hope someone is working on a fix for this. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_t](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/scott_t/32/102851_2.png) [@scott\_t](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/scott_t)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/7 "2026-03-11T14:11:33Z")
Is there any update on this? I’ve tried recreating API keys, payment methods, signing in and out of google accounts; tried everything at this point. I link up billing and it confirms a paid API key is linked, but I can’t do anything in any model. It keeps saying I’m on a free account and I’ve reached a quota when I haven’t been able to do anything. Trying to access Nano B Pro 2.. ---
**Author:** ![Adam\_Topolewicz](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/adam_topolewicz/32/102853_2.png) [@Adam\_Topolewicz](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Adam_Topolewicz)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/8 "2026-03-11T14:19:05Z")
Same problem here. I wanted to make use of 3.1 pro, and I’m getting 429 error… ---
**Author:** ![Mark70](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/mark70/32/34230_2.png) [@Mark70](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Mark70)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/9 "2026-03-11T14:19:55Z")
You might have to give them a month to update it ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Davis](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/walter_davis/32/57540_2.png) [@Walter\_Davis](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Walter_Davis)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/10 "2026-03-11T14:24:01Z")
No update, no progress. No help. Disappointing!! ---
**Author:** ![Valerian\_Valkin](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/valerian_valkin/32/102922_2.png) [@Valerian\_Valkin](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Valerian_Valkin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/11 "2026-03-11T19:08:01Z")
Same issue. Tried re-adding the project and re-creating the key - nothing works, still says Free Tier although there’s a payment method associated with the project. ---
**Author:** ![Josh\_Hurst](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/josh_hurst/32/31800_2.png) [@Josh\_Hurst](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Josh_Hurst)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/12 "2026-03-11T19:30:36Z")
I’m having the same problem. No fix so far. ---
**Author:** ![Arjun\_Sahlot](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/arjun_sahlot/32/105922_2.png) [@Arjun\_Sahlot](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Arjun_Sahlot)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 7:09am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/13 "2026-03-17T07:09:41Z")
Still having this issue… ---
**Author:** ![Mark70](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/mark70/32/34230_2.png) [@Mark70](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Mark70)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/14 "2026-03-17T14:09:04Z")
Does a google AI employee look at this forum? Looks like theres a few people that need help[.](https://www.appoly.co.uk/) will someone look at this soon? ---
**Author:** ![Kyaw\_Thant\_Khine](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/kyaw_thant_khine/32/108065_2.png) [@Kyaw\_Thant\_Khine](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Kyaw_Thant_Khine)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 9:07am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/15 "2026-03-22T09:07:20Z")
I am also encountering this issue. Just upgraded the billing, but new api keys are stuck at free tier. ---
**Author:** ![Ahmad\_Abdullah](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/ahmad_abdullah/32/53573_2.png) [@Ahmad\_Abdullah](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Ahmad_Abdullah)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/16 "2026-03-22T14:04:15Z")
Same issue confirmed here too — billing linked, confirmation message received, but the quota tier still shows “Free tier” on all API keys. A few things worth checking for anyone stuck on this: 1. **Make sure you’re using the correct project** — go to [console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com), confirm the project you linked billing to, then create the API key specifically within that project. Sometimes AI Studio defaults to a different project. 2. **Check the API key’s project** — in AI Studio under “Get API key”, each key shows which project it belongs to. Verify it matches the billed project, not some auto-generated one. 3. **Wait up to 48 hours** — some users report that the tier upgrades with a delay after billing is linked, even if the quota page looks stuck. 4. **Submit a support ticket** via [support.google.com/gemini-api](https://support.google.com/gemini-api) if it’s been more than 48 hours — this seems to be a backend sync issue that requires manual intervention. Hopefully Google addresses this soon — it’s clearly affecting a lot of users. ---
**Author:** ![zh4ngx](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/zh4ngx/32/113121_2.png) [@zh4ngx](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/zh4ngx)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/17 "2026-04-08T22:59:35Z")
I’m stuck on tier 1 prepay even though i have credit and i’m getting a “429” ```auto Attempt 1 failed with status 429. Retrying with backoff... _ApiError: {"error":{"code":429,"message":"Your prepayment credits are depleted. Please go to AI Studio at https://ai.studio/projects to manage your project and billing.","status":"RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED"}} ``` ---
**Author:** ![Mark70](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/mark70/32/34230_2.png) [@Mark70](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Mark70)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 12:48pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/18 "2026-04-16T12:48:40Z")
it should automatically update ---
**Author:** ![Mark70](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/mark70/32/34230_2.png) [@Mark70](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Mark70)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/19 "2026-05-14T14:46:42Z")
1. > 1. **Make sure you’re using the correct project** — go to [console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com/), confirm the project you linked billing to, then create the API key specifically within that project. Sometimes AI Studio defaults to a different project. > 2. **Check the API key’s project** — in AI Studio under “Get API key”, each key shows which project it belongs to. Verify it matches the billed project, not some auto-generated one. > 3. **Wait up to 48 hours** — some users report that the tier upgrades with a delay after billing is linked, even if the quota page looks stuck. > 4. **Submit a support ticket** at [ai integration,](https://www.appoly.co.uk/services/ai-integration-services/) if it’s been more than 48 hours — this seems to be a backend sync issue that requires manual intervention. > Hopefully Google addresses this soon — it’s clearly affecting a lot of users. have you attempted this Walter Davis? ---
**Author:** ![Jatin\_Kapoor](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/jatin_kapoor/32/147696_2.png) [@Jatin\_Kapoor](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Jatin_Kapoor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 8:01am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/billing-setup-complete-but-quota-tier-stuck-on-free-tier-multiple-projects-multiple-keys/130113/20 "2026-09-06T08:01:35Z")
were you able to solve it?