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bug: All droplet actions, including DELETE are blocked on outstanding balances

Posted on October 7, 2025

I reached out to support and they told me to relay it here where engineers watch:

From what I found from support is that this behavior is not intentional.

Intended behavior: Deletes, power on/offs, and power cycles can be done with outstanding balances Observed behavior: NO actions can be take.



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I’ve run into the same issue — couldn’t power-off or delete a droplet after a billing notice. I always thought we should still be able to manage or remove resources even with a balance due. Glad you raised it here; hopefully the engineers can confirm and patch this soon.

Hi there,

You’re right that this isn’t the expected behavior. The best way to get this resolved is through the support team directly, since they can look into the specific account issue and unblock the actions if needed: https://www.digitalocean.com/support/

This issue typically occurs when your account has an outstanding balance, which can restrict certain actions like creating, modifying, or deleting droplets. DigitalOcean (or similar cloud providers) usually blocks droplet actions (such as DELETE) until the outstanding balance is cleared, as part of their billing and account management process.

Here’s what you can do to resolve the issue:

  1. Check Your Billing: Log into your DigitalOcean account and navigate to the billing section to check if there is an unpaid balance. This might include any fees related to services such as additional storage, backups, or unused resources.

  2. Make a Payment: If there is an outstanding balance, make the necessary payment to bring your account back into good standing. You can typically pay via credit card, PayPal, or other methods supported by your provider.

  3. Contact Support: If you’ve already paid your balance or believe there’s an error, reach out to DigitalOcean’s support team for further assistance. They can help ensure your account is properly cleared up.

  4. Account Status: After clearing the balance, wait a few minutes for the account status to update. You should be able to perform actions on your droplets (including deletion) again.

If the issue persists, it might be worth checking if there are any specific terms or service restrictions affecting your account.

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