Trapped Prepay Balance ($8.73) / API Blocked and GCP Billing Account Split Disconnect

Google AI Studio
1

Hello AI Studio Team,

I am writing to request assistance with an inaccessible prepay balance on my account (My Gemini API Billing ID is 016668-249308-3F5F..).

The Issue:
On July 8 2026, I deposited $10.00 into my prepay account

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to use the Gemini API via an external tool (DYAD). The API worked perfectly initially. However, once my balance naturally dropped to $8.73 due to usage, my API access was completely cut off.

I am now encountering a red error banner stating: “To complete setup, add at least $10.00 to your prepay account.”

The Disconnect:
Furthermore, when I look at the main Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Console under Billing Account Management to check my status, the console acts as if no billing account exists and prompts me to “create an account” from scratch. It appears my remaining $8.73 is completely trapped inside the standalone Google AI Studio wallet, yet the API will not let me use my remaining funds unless I deposit even more money.

My Request:
Because the billing systems have disconnected and I cannot utilize the remaining $8.73 across Vertex AI or standard GCP endpoints without a forced top-up, I would like to request either:

  1. A manual refund of the remaining $8.73 back to my original payment method, or
  2. A way to bypass the $10 minimum restriction block so I can actually utilize the remaining balance I already paid for.

I have attached a screenshot of my Gemini API Billing page showing the active $8.73 balance alongside the setup restriction banner.

Thank you for your time and assistance in resolving this billing glitch.

2

Hi @Mary_Mba
I have DM’ed you for more details

3

okay thank you, i have replied to you. Heres my billing ID - 016668-249308-3F5…

4

@Mustan_lokhand

Hello AI Studio / Google Cloud Support Team,

I am writing to request assistance with a billing account issue that is blocking API access despite having a positive prepay balance.

My Gemini API Billing ID is: 014DAD-26EB74-A64…
Project ID: gen-lang-client-0795990..

The Issue:
I have a “Prepay - AI Studio” billing account with a remaining balance of $14.73 (starting balance $0.00, minimal usage of -$0.02). However, my GCP project that uses other Google APIs (Speech-to-Text) is returning the following error on every request:

403 PERMISSION_DENIED: “Your project has been denied access. Please contact support.”

When I check Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Console under Billing Account Management, my project does not appear properly connected to a usable billing account for standard API access — it behaves as if the Prepay - AI Studio account is disconnected from the rest of my GCP billing (I also have a separate “Postpay - Google Cloud Services” billing account).

The Disconnect:
It appears my remaining $14.73 is trapped inside the standalone AI Studio prepay wallet and cannot be used to authorize API access on my GCP project, yet the project itself is being denied access rather than simply prompting for a top-up.

My Request:
Could you please help with one of the following:

  1. Properly reconnect/relink my project to a supported billing account so I can use my existing balance, or
  2. Clarify exactly why the project is receiving PERMISSION_DENIED despite having available prepay funds, or
  3. If the Prepay - AI Studio account type cannot be used for this project, provide a way to transfer the remaining $14.73 to my Postpay - Google Cloud Services account or refund it to my original payment method.

I have account screenshots available showing the active balance and the error banner/logs if needed.

Thank you for your time and assistance in resolving this billing issue.

Sarkorbek Abilkasimov