Runpod starts charging sales tax on credit purchases

Runpod began collecting sales tax on purchases of Runpod credits on September 10, 2026. Runpod accounts pay for GPU time from a prepaid credit balance, unless an enterprise contract moves them to invoicing. In jurisdictions where Runpod now collects tax, checkout adds the tax on top of the credit amount. Businesses can add a tax ID, which may exempt them.

How it works

• What decides your rate. Your billing address and your payment method. If either is registered in a jurisdiction where Runpod collects tax, checkout adds that jurisdiction’s rate. Rates vary by country and by state or province.
• Tax goes on top. Runpod’s example: at an 18% rate, buying $100 of credits costs $118, and you still get $100 in credits. Tax never reduces your credit balance.
• Auto-reload too. If you have auto-reload on, each reload is taxed the same way. The reload threshold and amount you set are in credits, not in what your card is charged.
• Receipts. Tax shows as a separate line on the receipt email and on the billing page in the console.

Runpod’s help page doesn’t list the jurisdictions where it collects tax or their rates. It says B2B purchases may be exempt from digital sales taxes that apply only to consumers, and that Runpod pays the tax it collects to the tax authority.

Adding a tax ID

If your business is registered for tax, you can enter its tax ID in two places:

• at checkout, through Add a business tax ID in the Stripe payment screen; it is then saved for later purchases;
• in the console under Settings, then Account Information, then Tax ID.

Runpod accepts tax IDs from 23 countries plus the EU as a whole, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Japan, Australia and Brazil. A valid ID may exempt you from tax; Runpod doesn’t promise that it will.

Who is affected

Anyone who buys Runpod credits with a billing address or card in a jurisdiction where Runpod collects tax. The tax doesn’t change Runpod’s hourly GPU prices, which are charged in credits, but the cash cost of the same GPU hours goes up by the tax rate.

What to do

Check your last receipt for a tax line. If you buy for a registered business, add your tax ID before your next top-up. If you use auto-reload, remember that a reload of $100 in credits can now charge your card more than $100.