I am posting here because the Google Issue Tracker team explicitly closed my bug report (#2**) and instructed me to post here.**
I am currently trapped in a support deadlock and need a Googler’s immediate attention.
1. The Critical Bug (Documentation vs. Code)
I have a billing account linked to my project to access Paid Tier benefits (privacy), but I strictly use the AI Studio Web Interface for testing.
The Promise (FAQ): “Google AI Studio usage remains free of charge regardless of whether you set up billing.”
The Confirmation: Even Logan Kilpatrick (Google Product Lead) confirmed: “AI Studio remains free even after you set up billing.” (See attached screenshot).
The Reality: I was CHARGED for using models inside the Web UI.
It charged for “Gemini 2.5 Pro”.
It even charged for “Nano Banana Pro” (Gemini 3.0 Pro Image Preview).
Yes, the system is draining my credits even for Preview models.
2. Technical Evidence (It’s a Logic Failure)
This is not a user error. The backend billing logic is completely inconsistent and aggressive.
Evidence A (Logs): My billing report shows “Log Storage cost: 0 bytes / $0”.
If I had used external API calls via code, logs would be generated. This proves I was strictly using the Web UI.
“Search tool” count is 2. → Proof of manual Web UI testing.
Nano Banana Pro (Preview):CHARGED. The system applied a price tag to a Preview model and consumed my credits for text input tokens.
3. The Deadlock (Why I am here)
I have tried every official channel, but the system is broken for “Free Trial” users.
Issue Tracker: I reported this as a bug. They closed it saying “Go to Support.”
Billing Support: They BLOCKED me saying “Live support is not available for Free Trial accounts.”
Feedback: No response.
4. My Request
You have created a system where a user is charged against the FAQ’s promise (even for Previews!), yet has NO WAY to report it officially.
Please acknowledge this as a Billing Logic Bug in AI Studio and restore my deducted credits.
Attachments:
Official FAQ & Logan Kilpatrick’s Comment (The Promise)
It sounds like the charges are being generated because the models you’re invoking in AI Studio are tied to billable Vertex AI endpoints, even when accessed via the web UI. The FAQ applies to “free” model tiers, but Gemini Pro variants are billed per token regardless of interface, and preview models may still map to paid SKUs in Vertex AI’s backend. You can confirm this by checking Cloud Console > Billing > Reports and filtering by SKU name to see the exact service being charged.
However, your interpretation contradicts the official FAQ directly.
1. The FAQ states: “Google AI Studio usage remains free of charge regardless of whether you set up billing.”
→ It does NOT say “Only free tier models are free.” It says “AI Studio usage” is free.
2. If what you say is true (that Web UI calls are mapped to paid Vertex endpoints), then Google’s FAQ is providing false information.
→ A user connects a key relying on the “Regardless of billing” promise. If the system charges them because “it maps to a paid SKU in the backend,” that is a trap, not a feature.
3. Also, “Gemini 3.0 Preview” was free ($0) in the past with the same setup, but now it is charged. This inconsistency proves the billing logic is unstable, not “working as intended.”
I am asking Google to fix this discrepancy between their Documentation (Free) and System (Paid).
It sounds like your AI Studio usage is being billed as Vertex AI API calls rather than remaining in the free tier as expected. The AI Studio web interface is free for certain models and tiers, but if you select a Pro model (like Gemini 2.5 Pro or Gemini 3.0 Pro) in the UI, that request is routed through Vertex AI’s paid endpoints and will incur charges tied to your billing account. This is documented in Vertex AI pricing where Pro tier usage is billable regardless of interface.
To confirm, open Cloud Console > Billing > Reports and filter by vertex-ai.googleapis.com to see which SKUs were charged. If you believe the charges are incorrect based on the stated free tier terms, you’ll need to submit a Billing Dispute Form from Billing > Overview > Contact support; even free trial accounts can submit disputes via the form, which is reviewed by the billing team. You can also post the exact SKU names from your billing export to the Vertex AI community so the product team can verify whether the models were intended to be exempt.
Hi Taz, thanks for the technical insight regarding Vertex AI routing.
However, I must respectfully disagree with your interpretation of the policy.
The Official FAQ explicitly states:“Google AI Studio usage remains free of charge regardless of whether you set up billing.”
→ It does NOT say “Except for Pro models.” It says “AI Studio usage” is free.
→ If the system routes Web UI traffic to paid Vertex endpoints, that contradicts the FAQ and is a system failure, not a feature.
I strictly used the Web Interface relying on the FAQ. The system charging me is a breach of that promise.
Regarding the Dispute Form:
I checked “Billing > Overview”, “Billing > Documents”, and “Support”. There is NO “Billing Dispute Form” available for my account.
It seems that because I am on a “Free Trial” (paying with credits, not credit card directly yet), the system does not generate an eligible invoice to dispute, or simply hides the option.
So my initial claim stands: I am completely BLOCKED from any official support channel.
The only way left is for a Google Staff member to see this forum post and help me manually.
I’m sorry to hear about the confusion. Based on the model you mentioned, here is likely why this happened:
To use the Nano Banana Pro Preview (gemini-3-pro-image-preview) , you are required to use a key from a paid project in Google AI Studio. Unlike the standard models, this specific preview model does not have a Free Tier.
Once you added a paid key to AI Studio to access this model, all the usage fell under ‘Pay-as-you-go’ billing. You can verify this by looking at your Cloud Console, which will show a breakdown by SKU for the dates you see charges.
However, if you feel this was unclear, I recommend you reach out to the Billing Support team for more details.
I am aware that there is a pricing label (“Paid” or “$”) displayed for the Nano Banana Pro model in the UI.
However, this is exactly where the contradiction lies:
The Official FAQ states: “Google AI Studio usage remains free of charge regardless of whether you set up billing.”
Because of this explicit FAQ, I interpreted the “Paid” label in the UI to mean “Paid when used via external API,” not when used within the AI Studio Web interface.
If the Web UI usage is indeed charged, then the FAQ statement (“Free regardless…”) is technically misleading. It should have clearly stated: “Free, except for specific Paid models.”
Regarding your suggestion to contact Billing Support:
I’m afraid that option is currently blocked for me. Since I am on a “Free Trial” account, the system prevents me from accessing live billing support channels.
This deadlock (FAQ contradiction + Support blocked) is why I am reporting the issue here, hoping for a Google Staff member’s help.
Hi @hoshino,
Thanks for following up.
Nano Banana Pro is not available for free tier users unlike the standard models and you can access it only by adding a paid API key. Also, to access the other models for free, remove the paid project while using Google AI studio.
According to the documentation your access to Google AI Studio is a “Paid Service” even when it is offered free of charge, as long as the account you are using to access Google AI Studio has access to a Cloud Project with an associated and active Cloud Billing account.
Thank you for your detailed explanation regarding the “Nano Banana Pro” model and how paid keys work. I understand your point that linking a paid key might technically classify the usage as a “Paid Service.”
However, this is exactly where the fundamental contradiction lies:
“Regardless of Billing”:
The Official FAQ explicitly states: “Google AI Studio usage remains free of charge regardless of whether you set up billing.”
If the system charges simply because a key is linked (billing is set up), as you explained, this directly contradicts the “regardless of billing” statement in the FAQ. The FAQ essentially promised that linking a key would NOT trigger charges in the Web UI.
No Mention of Exceptions:
The FAQ makes it sound like ALL usage within AI Studio is free. It does not mention any exceptions for specific models like “Nano Banana Pro” or “Gemini 2.5 Pro.”
If there are hidden exceptions where “Preview” or “Pro” models are charged, the FAQ is providing incomplete and misleading information.
Standard Models Charged:
Furthermore, my billing logs show charges for “Gemini 2.5 Pro” as well, which is a standard model. This confirms that the system is overriding the “Free” promise for everything once a key is linked, not just for special preview models.
I relied on the FAQ’s promise when using the service. This discrepancy between the “Public Promise (FAQ)” and the “Actual System Behavior” is the core issue I am reporting.
Thanks again for helping me understand the technical side!
