Why Am I Not Receiving Free Credits and Getting a 401 Error with My API Key?

Below are some key points to help clarify the situation:

1. Understanding the API Key and Free Credits

• API Key Generation: When you sign up for an account, you receive an API key (often by email, which you will also find in your account dashboard). Note that generating an API key itself is not tied to granting any free credits.
• Free Credits: In some cases, new users may be eligible for free usage credits. However, these credits are not provided when you generate a secret API key—instead, any free credits would be applied toward your account usage. If you haven't seen any free credits, it might be due to eligibility criteria set by OpenAI.

2. Troubleshooting the 401 Error

The error message you're encountering – "401 - Incorrect API key provided" – indicates that the key used in your request is not recognized. This can happen due to several reasons:

• Typo or Extra Space: Double-check that there are no typos or unwanted spaces in your API key.
• Wrong Key Origin: Ensure that the API key you are using belongs to the correct organization or project.
• Deleted/Deactivated Key: Verify that the key hasn't been deleted or deactivated. If in doubt, generating a new key from your API dashboard is a good practice.
• Cached Revoked Key: Sometimes, older keys might be cached locally (for example, in your browser). Clearing your browser’s cache and cookies can help resolve the issue.

3. Next Steps

• Verify the API Key: Log in to your OpenAI account dashboard and confirm that you are using the current, active key.
• Generate a New Key: If there’s any uncertainty, generate a new API key and update it in your application.
• Contact Support: If the problem persists even after verifying and updating your key, consider reaching out to OpenAI support with details of your issue.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the 401 error and get your API requests functioning as expected.