TL;DR
Do ChatGPT subscribers get free API credits now?
Yes, on Pro and Business. OpenAI now gives those plans US$20 to US$500 a month in API credits for building apps and agents. Plus, Go, Free, Enterprise and Edu don't qualify. If you're eligible, link your plan to an API account you own now, because unused credit expires every billing cycle.
What did OpenAI announce?
On October 28, 2026, OpenAI said paid ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers can claim free monthly credits for its API. The API is the paid developer side of OpenAI, the part you'd use to plug its models into your own tools, bots or website. Until now that was billed separately from your ChatGPT plan.
You switch it on once by linking your subscription to an API organization (your API account) that you own. After that, credits arrive automatically each time your plan renews.
How much API credit do you get?
| ChatGPT plan | Free API credits per month |
|---|---|
| Pro (US$100 tier) | US$100 |
| Pro (US$200 tier) | US$200 |
| Pro (US$500 tier) | US$500 |
| Business Standard | US$20 per paid Standard seat |
| Business Premium | US$100 per paid Premium seat |
| Plus, Go, Free, Enterprise, Edu | Not eligible |
Business credits are pooled across the workspace and capped at US$500 a month. Workspaces that pay a year upfront get the whole year at once, capped at US$6,000. Your first grant is prorated, so the first month will look smaller.
Who qualifies, and what's the catch?
- Your Pro or Business plan must be paid and active for at least seven days. Free trials and complimentary plans don't count.
- You must own both the ChatGPT subscription (or Business workspace) and the API organization.
- The same email address has to sit on both accounts.
- Unused credit expires at the end of each billing cycle. Nothing rolls over.
- The credits don't raise your ChatGPT or Codex usage limits, and they don't cover Codex used through API keys.
- Availability can also depend on your country.
- OpenAI says the benefit may change or be removed in the future.
How do you claim the credits?
- Sign in to ChatGPT with the account that owns the plan.
- Open Settings, then Billing (Pro), or your workspace billing settings or the Admin Console (Business).
- Find the API credits benefit, pick the API organization to receive it and confirm.
You can also start from the billing page on OpenAI's API Platform. Once claimed, credits show up in your API billing settings, and you don't need a card on file while they last.
Our take
For anyone already paying for Pro, this is real money left on the table if you don't claim it. US$100 a month covers a lot of small automations: a customer-reply bot, product images or a voice agent for your booking line. It's a one-time setup, and it's worth doing.
It's also clearly a nudge. OpenAI wants subscribers building on its platform, with GPT-6.1 Terra and its agent tools, instead of someone else's. That's fine for you as long as you treat the credit as a bonus. OpenAI says the benefit may change or be removed, and once the credits run out, API requests simply stop until you add paid credit. Don't build anything your business depends on without a budget plan for the day the free money ends.
— Artificially Nerdy
What should I do now?
- On Pro or Business? Claim the benefit this week so this cycle's credit doesn't expire unused.
- On Business, ask whoever owns the workspace to claim it. Admins who aren't owners can't.
- On Plus? Don't upgrade just for this unless you'd use the API anyway. Compare plans in our ChatGPT Go vs Plus guide first.
- Set a spending limit before turning on Auto Recharge, so a busy bot can't run up a bill after the free credit runs out.
FAQ
Does ChatGPT Plus get free API credits?
No. Only paid Pro and Business plans qualify. Plus, Go, Free, Enterprise and Edu don't.
Do I need a credit card for the free API credits?
No. OpenAI says you don't need to add an API payment method to use the grant.
Do the API credits give me more ChatGPT or Codex usage?
No. They only pay for API usage, like the Responses, Agents, Images and Realtime voice APIs.
What happens when the free credits run out?
If you've bought API credit, your usage keeps going on that. If not, API requests fail until you add credit.
Can I use the credits on a different API account?
Only an API organization you own, under the same email as your ChatGPT plan. To change the linked organization later, you have to contact OpenAI support.
Sources
- OpenAI: API credits for ChatGPT subscribers: amounts, eligibility, claim steps, what the credits cover and what happens when they run out.
- OpenAI Help Center: API credits benefit for eligible ChatGPT subscriptions: eligibility (including the Edu exclusion), who can claim, payment method, availability by country, and the "may change or be removed" caveat.
- OpenAI Developers on X: the October 28 announcement.
