Stripe glitch prevents Indian users from subscribing to ChatGPT Go
What's the story
OpenAI's launch of its India-specific payment subscription plan, ChatGPT Go, has been marred by a technical glitch involving global fintech giant Stripe. Users have been unable to make UPI payments for the new plan. The issue began on August 19, the day of the launch, and has persisted up to the time of writing.
Payment processor
Official statement on the issue
In response to the glitch, OpenAI issued a message on its website saying, "We experienced an issue where UPI payments were temporarily unavailable." "We are gradually reactivating the payment method, but it may not yet be accessible to all users. Full resolution is expected within 12-24 hours," it added. The exact cause of the problem remains unclear, with speculation ranging from a technical glitch to a larger operational issue due to cross-border payment complexities.
Subscription features
Plan priced at ₹399/month
The ChatGPT Go plan, which costs ₹399 per month, is one of OpenAI's most affordable offerings. It provides access to the latest GPT-5 model and other popular ChatGPT features at a lower entry cost. The launch comes after OpenAI switched to INR-based billing for subscriptions in India. Payments can be made via credit cards with recurring payments enabled, but UPI autopay is currently the most popular recurring payment method in India.
Expansion strategy
What does it offer?
OpenAI has clarified that the ChatGPT Go plan won't include connectors, legacy models, or Sora. Instead, it will focus on extended access to GPT-5 and multimodal features at a budget-friendly rate. The company intends to gather feedback from Indian users before considering expansion of the Go plan to other markets. As per OpenAI, "This subscription is initially available in India only. Other countries and regions may be eligible in the future."