[Awaiting checklist] [$250] Green dot on avatar displayed even when no action is required in Account Settings

[m-natarajan]

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Version Number:
Reproducible in staging?: Needs Reproduction
Reproducible in production?: Needs Reproduction
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail:
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers):
Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856
Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:
Issue reported by: @rafecolton
Slack conversation (hyperlinked to channel name): #Expensify Bugs

Action Performed:

1. Log in to the application
2. Observe the avatar in the header
3. Navigate to Account Settings → Profile, Contact Methods, Security, etc
4. Confirm that no pending actions or warnings are displayed.

Expected Result:

The green dot should only appear when there is a valid action required (e.g., verifying contact methods, completing security setup). If no actions are outstanding, the indicator should not be shown.

Actual Result:

The green dot is visible on the avatar despite no pending actions in any section of Account Settings.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

Select the officially supported platforms where the issue was reproduced:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Platforms Tested:

On which of our officially supported platforms was this issue tested:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Screenshots/Videos

Add any screenshot/video evidence

View all open jobs on GitHub

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021996933758162514095
• Upwork Job ID: 1996933758162514095
• Last Price Increase: 2025-12-05
• Automatic offers:
• abzokhattab | Reviewer | 109744157
• cretadn22 | Contributor | 109744161

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @garrettmknight

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @garrettmknight (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[abbasifaizan70]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

The green dot indicator appears on the Account avatar in the header even when there are no pending actions or warnings in Account Settings. The green dot should only appear when there is a valid action required (e.g., verifying contact methods, completing security setup, updating expiring cards).

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Log in to the application
2. Observe the avatar in the header (green dot is visible)
3. Navigate to Account Settings → Profile, Contact Methods, Security, etc.
4. Confirm that no pending actions or warnings are displayed

Expected Result: The green dot should only appear when there is a valid action required. If no actions are outstanding, the indicator should not be shown.

Actual Result: The green dot is visible on the avatar despite no pending actions in any section of Account Settings.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The root cause is in the hasSubscriptionGreenDotInfo() function in App/src/libs/SubscriptionUtils.ts. The function currently returns true for any subscription status where isError === false, which includes both:

1. RETRY_BILLING_SUCCESS - An informational success message that can be dismissed (not actionable)
2. CARD_EXPIRE_SOON - A status that requires user action (update card)

Current Implementation:

script:406:413:App/src/libs/SubscriptionUtils.ts

function hasSubscriptionGreenDotInfo(
    stripeCustomerId: OnyxEntry<StripeCustomerID>,
    retryBillingSuccessful: boolean | undefined,
    billingDisputePending: number | undefined,
    retryBillingFailed: boolean | undefined,
): boolean {
    return getSubscriptionStatus(stripeCustomerId, retryBillingSuccessful, billingDisputePending, retryBillingFailed)?.isError === false;
}

The Problem:

When getSubscriptionStatus() returns { status: PAYMENT_STATUS.RETRY_BILLING_SUCCESS, isError: false }, the function returns true, causing the green dot to appear. However, RETRY_BILLING_SUCCESS is just an informational banner that can be dismissed - it does not represent a pending action that requires user attention.

According to the Green Brick Road philosophy (documented in App/contributingGuides/philosophies/RED_BRICK_ROAD_AND_GREEN_BRICK_ROAD.md):

"The GBR MUST show up when there is a pending action to take or item to review."

"For both Brick Roads, it MUST take the user to something that is actionable. If there is nothing the user can do to resolve the brick road, then the brick road should not exist."

Since RETRY_BILLING_SUCCESS is informational and dismissible (it has a close icon in the banner), it does not meet the criteria for showing a green dot indicator.

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Update hasSubscriptionGreenDotInfo() to only return true for subscription statuses that require user action, not for informational success messages.

File: App/src/libs/SubscriptionUtils.ts

Replace the hasSubscriptionGreenDotInfo function (lines 406-413) with:

/**
 * @returns Whether there is a subscription green dot info.
 */
function hasSubscriptionGreenDotInfo(
    stripeCustomerId: OnyxEntry<StripeCustomerID>,
    retryBillingSuccessful: boolean | undefined,
    billingDisputePending: number | undefined,
    retryBillingFailed: boolean | undefined,
): boolean {
    const subscriptionStatus = getSubscriptionStatus(stripeCustomerId, retryBillingSuccessful, billingDisputePending, retryBillingFailed);
    
    // Only show green dot for statuses that require user action
    // RETRY_BILLING_SUCCESS is informational and dismissible, not actionable
    return subscriptionStatus?.status === CONST.PAYMENT_STATUS.CARD_EXPIRE_SOON;
}

Why this works:

1. CARD_EXPIRE_SOON - Requires the user to update their expiring card → Actionable → Shows green dot ✅
2. RETRY_BILLING_SUCCESS - Just a success message that can be dismissed → Not actionable → No green dot ✅
3. Other statuses - All other statuses either have isError: true (red dot) or are undefined → No green dot ✅

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

N/A

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021996933758162514095

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @abzokhattab (External)

[cretadn22]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

The green dot appears on the avatar even though there are no pending actions in any section of Account Settings.

What is the root cause of that problem?

We are not passing privatePersonalDetails to the hasPendingExpensifyCardAction function. As a result, hasPendingExpensifyCardAction incorrectly returns true, causing the green dot to appear on the avatar.

App/src/hooks/useAccountTabIndicatorStatus.ts

Line 60 in 68d4da3

[CONST.INDICATOR_STATUS.HAS_PENDING_CARD_INFO]: hasPendingExpensifyCardAction(allCards),

When privatePersonalDetails is missing, arePersonalDetailsMissing returns true, which makes isExpensifyCardPendingAction return true, and therefore hasPendingExpensifyCardAction also returns true.

In contrast, InitialSettingsPage returns the correct value because it properly passes privatePersonalDetails:

App/src/pages/settings/InitialSettingsPage.tsx

Line 133 in 68d4da3

const hasPendingCardAction = hasPendingExpensifyCardAction(allCards, privatePersonalDetails);

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Pass privatePersonalDetails to hasPendingExpensifyCardAction in the useAccountTabIndicatorStatus hook:

App/src/hooks/useAccountTabIndicatorStatus.ts

Line 60 in 68d4da3

[CONST.INDICATOR_STATUS.HAS_PENDING_CARD_INFO]: hasPendingExpensifyCardAction(allCards),

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

No alternative solutions