To all developers using the Gemini API,
I am writing to share critical information about a severe billing bug we have encountered with the Gemini API and the emergency actions we have taken. We hope this information helps anyone else facing the same terrifying situation.
【The Problem We Are Facing】
Our company received an erroneous bill for over 10 million JPY (more than $70,000 USD) for Gemini API usage that we did not incur.
Most alarmingly, even after deleting all related API keys, the charges are STILL INCREASING by approximately 1.5 million JPY (nearly $10,000 USD) EVERY DAY.
Fortunately, we had noticed the suspicious billing increase a few days prior and had removed our company’s debit card from the payment profile. This action prevented the catastrophic transaction from completing. However, had we not caught this in time, it could have led to a situation that would threaten the survival of our business. We consider this to be an issue of the utmost severity.
【Our Recommended Action Plan for Affected Users】
We are currently working with Google’s billing support, who have now acknowledged the bug, and the issue is under investigation by their technical department. In the meantime, here are the steps we have taken that we believe are essential for anyone in this situation.
1. Send the Official Status Page Link to Billing Support Immediately contact Google Cloud billing support and provide them with the URL to the official Google AI Studio status page. This will prove that you are not an isolated case. Google AI Studio
Key Point: When we first contacted support, the agent was not aware of this specific bug. Showing them this official acknowledgment helps them quickly understand that it’s a widespread system failure, not an issue with your individual account.
2. Delete All Your Gemini API Keys Immediately To stop the source of the billing, go to your Google Cloud Platform console and delete or disable every single API key associated with your projects.
3. Document and Report Continued Billing After Key Deletion In our case, the billing has continued to increase daily even after all API keys were deleted. This is the most critical evidence you can provide.
Take screenshots of your console showing that no API keys exist, alongside screenshots of your billing dashboard showing the charges still rising. Submit this as objective proof that the problem is entirely on Google’s end and beyond your control.
4. Request to Prevent Service Suspension Due to “Non-Payment” This massive erroneous charge will likely result in a failed payment. It is crucial to insist that your other essential Google Cloud services are NOT suspended due to this “non-payment.” Make it clear that you will not pay for fraudulent charges, but you need your other services to remain active.
This billing bug could be an extremely widespread and devastating issue, potentially affecting a significant percentage of Gemini API users worldwide.
If you are facing a similar situation, we sincerely hope this information helps you take action. We also encourage you to share any other effective measures you have discovered in the comments below. Let’s share information to get through this.
