I have to set up workspace so I can use a custom domain for my OAuth support email. Upon setting up, I was only offered Business Plus, no other option. Read around that I have to just start the trial with that plan, then downgrade. Went to Billing to change plan, and it doesn't offer any plan below business plus?

Hello All!

I have my own domain name. Many years ago I set up a single email address in Gmail using that domain name ([email protected]) and it was free for all the years until recently, when Google started charging me for this; I now pay about $7.20/month. This email is now administered via a "Google Workspace Business Starter" account. I am the only user, there is only 1 email address using my domain name, and I use it for personal stuff (I am not running a business).

Is there any way for me to do my emailing through Gmail and not pay for this email address that uses my domain name?

I tried going to "upgrade or downgrade" in my Google Workspace admin panel, but there is no option for anything free. I don't want to pay $7.20/month for the rest of my life. I also can't fathom not using the email address that is on my own domain name because it would be a massive hassle to change the literally hundreds of things I have connected to it, and get everyone I've ever know to stop using it; I don't even know how I would sort all that out even if I felt it was worth it.

I understand that there are free ways to use Gmail. Is this an option for me if I want to retain my [email protected] email?

Thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help. I am pretty lost here.

It seems many are finding success now after all hope seemed futile weeks prior. Just wanted to quick share my own experience.

I missed the June 27, 2022 deadline to signify personal use of one of my legacy g-suite accounts. It was tied to a domain and inherited free from a web host many years ago. Attempting to visit that link after that point said it was unavailable.

I then upgraded to Business Workspace, which was offered at a discounted rate where it'd be free until October, then $3/month for so long and then $6/month after that.

After that I again attempted to indicate personal use but it still said not available. I let it sit and kind of forgot about it for some time, but made the effort once more tonight and was successful.

You may try directly visiting: https://admin.google.com/u/1/ac/billing/legacytransition and after logging in as an admin see if you have the blue button available to acknowledge personal use. Otherwise more detailed steps are below:

1. Under ADMIN account and control panel, select Billing - Subscriptions and make sure it indicates you are on Workspace or Workspace Business Starter. Mine took some amount of days to migrate after manually switching.

2. Click the HELP icon in top-right, select Contact Support - Questions about G Suite Legacy Free Edition - I used G Suite Legacy free edition for personal use.

3. An agreement will appear to confirm you used it for personal use (and with the disclaimer that they may once again decide at any point to remove more features), click YES.

4. Click the blue button "I used G-Suite Legacy Free for Personal Use."

5. Sign-in under your Admin account.

6. Click the blue button on the new page that appears, again to confirm personal use.

If successful, you will see: "Your account already has the no-cost option."

Now when you check billing, you should see Google Workspace Business Starter with 300 licenses available, and it will indicate "Free Plan" and "Free Edition (No Charges)"

If you check your Payment Accounts and had a credit card on file, it should say it is "not in use" anymore for the plan, meaning you're good to go!