## TL;DR

OpenAI returns insufficient_quota when the key has no credit: new keys need billing set up, or the quota is exhausted. Add billing or check usage limits.

## Error

```text
insufficient_quota on completions with a new key
```

## Steps

1. Check the account's billing and usage in the dashboard Expected: you see zero credit or exhausted quota.
2. Add a payment method or top up credit Expected: the account is funded.
3. Wait for the quota to reset if it is a rate-based limit Expected: or upgrade the tier.
4. Retry the completion Expected: it succeeds.

## When to use

- insufficient_quota on a new key
- The account has no billing

## When not to use

- Billing is fine (then check per-key or org limits)
- The error is rate_limit_exceeded (different: slow down, not billing)

## Tool compatibility

- OpenAI billing and quotas
- LLM integrations

## Variant phrasings

### openai insufficient_quota new key

New keys need billing set up. Fund the account.

### insufficient_quota completions

Same: quota, not your code.

## Why it happens

Agents assume a fresh key just works. OpenAI requires billing before any paid call, and the error surprises everyone once.

## Edge cases

- Free trial credit expires; check the expiry
- Org-level limits can block even funded keys

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_hKWbmoM5QRCcZZFYLw4wcw