A SXONGQUGQWWJUTM charge on a credit card, debit card, or bank statement is strongly associated with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
The strongest evidence comes from a cardholder report posted in the OpenAI Developer Community. After requesting expanded transaction information from the bank, the cardholder reported that the payment record contained:
SXONGQUGQWWJUTM
USA
SAN FRANCISCO
OPENAI
This makes OpenAI an important company to check if the unusual SXONGQUGQWWJUTM descriptor appears on your statement.
What Is the SXONGQUGQWWJUTM Charge?
SXONGQUGQWWJUTM appears to be an unusual transaction identifier or merchant descriptor associated with OpenAI billing.
A June 2024 discussion in the OpenAI Developer Community involved multiple cardholders investigating unfamiliar OpenAI transactions.
One participant reported receiving detailed information directly from their bank showing:
SXONGQUGQWWJUTM\USA\SAN FRANCISCO\OPENAI
That provides a considerably stronger identification clue than simply finding another website claiming the random-looking code belongs to OpenAI.
However, OpenAI does not currently publish SXONGQUGQWWJUTM in its Help Center as its standard or universal billing descriptor.
For that reason, the best approach is to verify the individual transaction against your OpenAI billing records.
Is SXONGQUGQWWJUTM an OpenAI Charge?
The available evidence strongly points to OpenAI.
The reported expanded bank transaction specifically included:
- SXONGQUGQWWJUTM
- USA
- San Francisco
- OPENAI
OpenAI is the company behind:
- ChatGPT
- ChatGPT Plus
- Other paid ChatGPT plans
- OpenAI API services
- API credit purchases and usage
- Business and organizational OpenAI services
If the expanded transaction also contains OPENAI, the identification becomes substantially stronger.
Could SXONGQUGQWWJUTM Be a ChatGPT Plus Charge?
Yes, potentially.
OpenAI currently charges $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus.
If your SXONGQUGQWWJUTM transaction is approximately $20, check whether you or another authorized card user has an active ChatGPT Plus subscription.
Possible explanations include:
- A monthly ChatGPT Plus renewal
- A recently purchased Plus subscription
- A subscription under another email address
- A subscription purchased by a family member
- A ChatGPT account used for work or school
However, do not assume every $20 transaction is ChatGPT Plus, and do not assume every SXONGQUGQWWJUTM charge must be $20.
OpenAI offers other paid products and services with different billing amounts.
Could SXONGQUGQWWJUTM Be an OpenAI API Charge?
Yes.
OpenAI specifically distinguishes between ChatGPT billing and API platform billing.
The two use separate billing systems.
This matters because someone can:
- Have no paid ChatGPT subscription but still have API charges
- Pay for both ChatGPT and API usage
- Purchase API credits separately
- Have API billing associated with a business or developer account
OpenAI’s current guidance for unrecognized charges specifically refers to both ChatGPT subscriptions and API credit purchases.
If the amount does not match your normal ChatGPT subscription, check the OpenAI API platform as well.
Why Is the Code Random Instead of Saying OpenAI?
The exact reason for the SXONGQUGQWWJUTM string has not been publicly explained by OpenAI.
It may represent:
- A transaction identifier
- A merchant-account identifier
- Payment-processing information
- An internal billing reference
- Information displayed differently by a particular bank
Those are possible explanations only.
We found no official OpenAI document defining what each character in SXONGQUGQWWJUTM means.
What matters more is the additional merchant information attached to the transaction.
In the reported bank record, that additional information identified:
OPENAI
SAN FRANCISCO
USA
Why Does San Francisco Appear With the Charge?
The reported transaction data included:
SAN FRANCISCO
alongside OpenAI.
OpenAI has longstanding corporate connections with San Francisco, California.
A San Francisco location together with OPENAI and SXONGQUGQWWJUTM therefore provides a stronger identification clue than SXONGQUGQWWJUTM by itself.
Another OpenAI-related address sometimes seen by cardholders is 548 Market Street in San Francisco.
See our 548 Market St charge guide if that address also appears in your transaction details.
How to Check Whether the Charge Is From ChatGPT
If you use ChatGPT, start with your billing records.
- Sign in to ChatGPT. Make sure you are using the correct email address or login method.
- Open your billing or account settings. Review your current paid plan.
- Check invoice history. Look for an invoice matching the amount and date of the card transaction.
- Check other ChatGPT accounts. You may have signed in previously using Google, Apple, Microsoft, or another email.
- Search your email. Look for OpenAI, ChatGPT, invoice, receipt, subscription, payment, and the exact amount.
- Ask other card users. A family member, employee, coworker, or other authorized user may have subscribed.
OpenAI’s current billing guidance recommends checking invoices when investigating an unfamiliar transaction.
How to Check OpenAI API Billing
If you are a developer, business owner, employee, or someone who has experimented with the OpenAI API, check API billing separately.
Review:
- API billing history
- Credit purchases
- Usage
- Organizations associated with your account
- Payment methods
- Other users with access to the organization
This is important because a charge may not appear in ordinary ChatGPT subscription history if it came from API activity.
OpenAI currently states that ChatGPT and API billing are maintained separately.
What If I See No Charge in My ChatGPT Billing History?
That does not automatically mean the transaction is unrelated to OpenAI.
Check:
- Another ChatGPT account
- A different email address
- A work or school account
- OpenAI API billing
- Another authorized cardholder’s account
- Apple subscriptions
- Google Play subscriptions
OpenAI subscriptions can be purchased through the web or supported mobile app stores.
A mobile subscription may be managed through Apple or Google rather than appearing exactly like a direct web subscription.
Could I Have More Than One OpenAI Charge?
Yes.
Multiple charges can result from legitimate situations such as:
- Two ChatGPT accounts with paid subscriptions
- A ChatGPT subscription plus API billing
- A personal subscription plus a work-related account
- Separate web and mobile subscriptions
- API credit purchases
- Multiple authorized users using the same card
However, multiple rapid unfamiliar transactions should be investigated promptly.
The OpenAI Developer Community discussion involving SXONGQUGQWWJUTM included cardholders reporting several transactions in quick succession that they said they had not authorized.
If that happens, contact your card issuer immediately.
What If the Charge Is $20?
A $20 amount is especially worth comparing with ChatGPT Plus because OpenAI currently prices Plus at $20 per month.
Check:
- Your ChatGPT plan
- The renewal date
- Invoice history
- Other ChatGPT accounts
- Family members or employees using the card
Sales taxes or other applicable taxes can affect the final amount depending on your location.
Do not rely solely on the amount to identify the merchant.
What If the Charge Is $5, $100, $200, $500, or Another Amount?
Do not assume it cannot be OpenAI simply because it is not $20.
The OpenAI Developer Community discussion involving this descriptor included reported transactions for amounts other than a normal ChatGPT Plus subscription.
OpenAI also separately bills for API-related activity and credit purchases.
A different amount could therefore require checking:
- API billing
- API credit purchases
- Business or organizational billing
- Another paid OpenAI product
- An unauthorized transaction
If several large charges occur unexpectedly, contact your financial institution immediately.
Could Someone Else Have Purchased ChatGPT With My Card?
Yes.
OpenAI’s current guidance for unrecognized charges specifically recommends considering whether a family member or someone else with access to the card made the purchase.
Ask:
- Spouse or partner
- Children
- Other family members
- Employees
- Business partners
- Anyone authorized to use a company card
Ask specifically about:
- ChatGPT Plus
- ChatGPT paid plans
- OpenAI
- AI tools
- API credits
- Coding or development projects
Someone may recognize “ChatGPT” immediately even though nobody recognizes “SXONGQUGQWWJUTM.”
How to Contact OpenAI About an Unrecognized Charge
Use OpenAI’s official Help Center:
OpenAI’s current instructions for unrecognized ChatGPT or API credit-purchase charges say to use the support chat available through the Help Center.
OpenAI may request information such as:
- Charge date
- Charge amount
- Last four digits of the card
- A screenshot of the transaction
Do not post transaction screenshots, invoice details, full card numbers, API keys, passwords, or account information in public forums.
How to Request an OpenAI Refund
Refund procedures depend on how the subscription or purchase was made.
For subscriptions purchased directly through ChatGPT on the web, OpenAI currently directs users to its Help Center support process.
For subscriptions purchased through Apple, refund requests are handled through Apple.
Google Play subscription refund procedures can differ from Apple and web billing.
OpenAI currently states that accidental web subscription purchases are generally eligible for consideration if the user contacts support within 14 days, although eligibility depends on the individual situation and location.
Always check OpenAI’s current refund instructions because policies can change.
What If SXONGQUGQWWJUTM Is Unauthorized?
OpenAI has specific guidance for unrecognized ChatGPT and API purchases.
If you cannot match the transaction with any authorized account or invoice:
- Contact OpenAI support. Use the official Help Center.
- Contact your bank immediately. OpenAI itself recommends this for unauthorized charges.
- Ask whether the card should be locked or replaced.
- Check for additional transactions.
- Review ChatGPT and API accounts.
- Change account credentials if you suspect account compromise.
OpenAI’s current guidance states that prompt contact with the bank can help limit liability and begin the dispute process.
What Should You Ask Your Card Issuer?
If your statement only shows SXONGQUGQWWJUTM, ask the bank for:
- The complete merchant descriptor
- Merchant name
- Merchant city
- Merchant state and country
- Merchant telephone number
- Merchant website, if available
- Merchant category
- Whether the transaction was recurring
- Whether the transaction was online
- Whether a digital wallet was involved
The most useful confirmation would be expanded information containing OPENAI or another recognizable OpenAI billing reference.
Is SXONGQUGQWWJUTM Fraud?
Not automatically.
There is strong evidence connecting the descriptor with OpenAI billing, so it may represent a legitimate:
- ChatGPT subscription
- ChatGPT renewal
- OpenAI API payment
- API credit purchase
- Business-related OpenAI payment
- Purchase made by another authorized user
However, the OpenAI Developer Community discussion involving this exact code also included cardholders reporting OpenAI transactions they said were unauthorized.
Investigate immediately if:
- You have never paid for OpenAI or ChatGPT.
- The transaction does not appear in any billing account you control.
- Nobody authorized to use the card recognizes it.
- Several OpenAI charges occur rapidly.
- The amounts are substantially different from your normal billing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SXONGQUGQWWJUTM on my credit card?
SXONGQUGQWWJUTM is strongly associated with OpenAI. A cardholder who obtained expanded transaction data from their bank reported the exact code together with USA, San Francisco, and OPENAI.
Is SXONGQUGQWWJUTM ChatGPT?
It may be. ChatGPT is an OpenAI product, and paid ChatGPT subscriptions can result in OpenAI billing. Check your ChatGPT invoices and account history.
Is SXONGQUGQWWJUTM definitely OpenAI?
The available bank transaction report provides strong evidence, but OpenAI does not currently publish SXONGQUGQWWJUTM as its universal billing descriptor. Confirm your individual transaction through billing records and expanded bank information.
Could SXONGQUGQWWJUTM be ChatGPT Plus?
Yes. ChatGPT Plus currently costs $20 per month. A charge around that amount is worth checking against your Plus invoice, but other OpenAI purchases can have different amounts.
Could SXONGQUGQWWJUTM be an OpenAI API charge?
Yes. OpenAI API billing is separate from ordinary ChatGPT subscription billing, and OpenAI’s unrecognized-charge guidance specifically includes API credit purchases.
Why does it say San Francisco?
The reported expanded transaction containing SXONGQUGQWWJUTM also included San Francisco and OpenAI. OpenAI has longstanding corporate connections to San Francisco.
Why can’t I find the charge in ChatGPT?
Check whether you are using the correct ChatGPT account. Also check API billing, other email addresses, Apple or Google subscriptions, business accounts, and other authorized users.
What if I have several SXONGQUGQWWJUTM charges?
Check ChatGPT subscriptions and API billing immediately. If the transactions are rapid, unfamiliar, or unauthorized, contact your bank and OpenAI support promptly.
How do I contact OpenAI about the charge?
Use the official OpenAI Help Center at help.openai.com and follow the instructions for an unrecognized ChatGPT or API credit-purchase charge.
Is SXONGQUGQWWJUTM fraud?
Not necessarily. It may be legitimate OpenAI billing. If no authorized ChatGPT or API purchase explains the transaction, OpenAI recommends contacting both its support team and your bank.
Related Charge Guides
- 548 Market St charge: is it ChatGPT or OpenAI?
- Anthropic charge: Claude AI subscription or API billing
- Midjourney Inc AI subscription charge
- Paddle.net software and AI-tool charge
- Unrecognized credit-card or bank charge: what to do
Why Trust ChargeOnMyCard.com?
ChargeOnMyCard.com researches confusing credit-card, debit-card, AI-service, subscription, API, merchant-code, and bank-statement descriptors using current official company information, billing documentation, reported transaction records, and consumer financial resources.
For this guide, an OpenAI Developer Community participant reported obtaining expanded transaction information directly from their bank showing the exact SXONGQUGQWWJUTM code together with USA, San Francisco, and OPENAI.
Current OpenAI Help Center documentation independently confirms that OpenAI billing can involve ChatGPT subscriptions and API credit purchases, and that ChatGPT and API billing are separate systems.
OpenAI currently prices ChatGPT Plus at $20 per month, but other OpenAI payments may involve different amounts.
Because OpenAI does not currently publish SXONGQUGQWWJUTM as an official universal statement descriptor, we recommend confirming the specific transaction through OpenAI invoices, API billing history, and expanded information from the card issuer.
Last reviewed: August 20, 2026
ChargeOnMyCard.com is not affiliated with OpenAI, ChatGPT, SXONGQUGQWWJUTM, Apple, Google, any payment processor, card network, bank, or financial institution. This article provides general informational guidance and cannot access a ChatGPT account, OpenAI API organization, subscription, invoice, credit card, debit card, or bank account; identify who authorized a private transaction; cancel a subscription; issue a refund; disable an API account; block a card; or file a dispute. Verify an individual charge through official OpenAI billing records and your financial institution.