TL;DR
What is changing with ChatGPT and Codex usage limits?
Starting in December, ChatGPT and Codex will share one usage allowance on Plus, Pro and Business plans. A heavy coding week could leave less room for big ChatGPT jobs, and the other way around. Nothing yet, but keep an eye on Settings, then Usage, and save any banked reset for a busy week.
What did OpenAI change?
On Saturday, October 31, 2026, OpenAI updated its help article on ChatGPT and Codex usage limits. It says that starting in December, the usage allowance on Plus, Pro and Business plans "will be shared across ChatGPT and Codex." Today those are separate limits. Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, the tool that writes and fixes code for you.
OpenAI ties the change to bringing "the agentic capabilities of Work into the main ChatGPT experience." Work is ChatGPT's mode for longer, multi-step tasks, so it's folding into regular ChatGPT and sharing the same pot.
No exact December date has been given, and OpenAI hasn't published how big the shared allowance will be on any plan.
How will the shared allowance be counted?
Usage will be measured in tokens, the small chunks of text an AI model reads and writes. OpenAI says how much you use "will depend on the model you choose and the task you ask it to do," and that more advanced models and complex tasks generally use more.
A few details matter for everyday users:
- Instant chat is free of the meter. OpenAI says "Instant chat will not draw from your usage." Instant is ChatGPT's fast everyday mode.
- One place to check. Settings, then Usage, will show your combined remaining usage and when it resets.
- Three options at the cap. You can wait for the reset, upgrade your plan or buy credits, which are paid top-ups for eligible features.
OpenAI also says it expects "most users won't need to wait for their usage to reset more often than they do now." That's a promise worth holding it to once the numbers appear.
Who does this affect?
The people who'll notice are those who use both tools on one account. Think of a freelancer who has Codex fixing a client's website in the afternoon and ChatGPT drafting a long proposal in the evening. From December, both jobs draw from the same allowance, so a big coding session could eat into the writing time, and a long writing day could squeeze the coding.
If you only chat with ChatGPT in Instant mode, little should change, since Instant doesn't count. If you never touch Codex, your ChatGPT use will still be measured in tokens, so picking the most advanced model for simple questions will cost more of your allowance than it needs to.
This is the third change to these limits in about five weeks. On Thursday, OpenAI doubled Work and Codex limits on Pro and Business Premium and dropped a planned Pro 200 cut. Plans with more headroom will feel the merge less.
What are banked resets?
A reset brings your usage back to full before its normal refresh. Tibo (Thibault Sottiaux), who leads Codex at OpenAI, posted early Saturday that the "next two days will be resets… banked." That evening at 8:43pm ET he posted "Banked 1/2," so one has gone out and a second looks due today.
OpenAI's help page on resets explains how banked ones work:
- You choose when to use it. A banked reset is saved to your account and doesn't refresh anything until you redeem it, before its expiry date.
- It only works when you need it. At least one allowance it covers must have less than 80% left. Otherwise you'll see "Your usage does not need a reset right now," and the reset stays saved.
- Where to redeem it: Settings, then Usage & billing in the desktop app; Usage settings on the web; or /usage, then Redeem reset in the Codex CLI (the command-line version). The mobile app can't do it.
- It isn't money. Banked resets are not cash, API credits or a transferable balance, and they don't permanently raise your limits.
- Not everyone gets one. OpenAI picks the recipients for each offer, so having the same plan as someone who got a reset doesn't guarantee you one.
There's also a desktop setting, "Allow your assistant to use resets," that lets Codex spend a banked reset for you once your main 5-hour or weekly allowance falls to 10% or less. Turn it off if you'd rather decide yourself.
X reactions
Tibo announced the resets alongside a small mobile update.
Our take
One pot for ChatGPT and Codex makes sense on paper. You pay for one plan, so you get one number to watch instead of two. Leaving Instant chat off the meter is a fair choice that protects the quick questions most people ask all day.
The catch is timing. OpenAI announced the switch a month out without saying how big the shared allowance will be, and token-based counting is hard for normal people to predict. "Most users" not waiting longer is a nice line, but people who lean on both tools aren't most users. We'd like to see the per-plan numbers well before December, plus a clear warning in the app before someone hits the wall mid-task.
Until then, treat the banked resets as a spare tire. Don't burn one out of curiosity.
— Artificially Nerdy
What to do now
- Check Settings, then Usage once a week from now to December, so you know your normal burn rate before the merge.
- Use Instant for everyday chat. It won't draw from your allowance after the change.
- Save the banked reset for a deadline week, and check its expiry date in Usage so it doesn't lapse.
- Turn off "Allow your assistant to use resets" in the Codex desktop app if you want to control when one gets used.
- Pick the model to fit the job. Simple questions don't need the most advanced model, and big models use more of your allowance.
FAQ
Does the shared limit apply to ChatGPT Free or Go?
OpenAI's help article names only Plus, Pro and Business plans. It says nothing about Free or Go changing in December.
Will my ChatGPT price change in December?
OpenAI hasn't announced any price change with this update. The change is to how usage is counted and shared.
Can I use a banked reset on my phone?
No. OpenAI says the mobile app doesn't have reset controls. Use the desktop app, Usage settings on the web or the Codex CLI.
What happens if I hit the shared limit?
OpenAI says you can wait for your usage to reset, upgrade your plan or buy credits to keep using eligible features.
Sources
- OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits — updated October 31, 2026. The December shared allowance, plans covered, token-based counting, Instant exemption, Settings → Usage, options at the limit and the "most users" expectation.
- OpenAI Help Center: How resets work in Codex — banked reset rules: under 80% remaining, where to redeem, not available on mobile, not credits, recipients chosen by OpenAI, the assistant setting.
- Tibo (@thsottiaux) on X — October 31, 2026, 1:42am ET. Two days of banked resets; multi-account switching on mobile.
