ChatGPT Pro and Business now include up to $500 a month in OpenAI API credits. Plus doesn't get them.

OpenAI said Wednesday that "eligible ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers can claim up to $500 per month in API credits to build apps and agents" (OpenAI Developers on X).

The amount depends on your plan: the $100 Pro tier gets $100 a month, the $200 tier gets $200 and the $500 tier gets $500. Business workspaces get $20 per paid Standard seat and $100 per paid Premium seat, pooled and capped at $500 a month per workspace (OpenAI developer docs).

Plus, free trials, Enterprise and Edu don't qualify. Your paid subscription has to be at least 7 days old, and you link it to an API organization you own, using the same email on both. You don't need a payment method on the API side (OpenAI Help Center). Unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle, and your first month is prorated. OpenAI says the credits don't raise your ChatGPT or Codex usage limits and don't cover Codex used through API keys. It also says availability depends on "the enabled cohort and country" and that the benefit "may change or be removed in the future." Some Pro users replying to the announcement said the claim option wasn't showing for them yet (example).

What this means for you: if you're on Pro or Business and have been meaning to build something with the API, that's real free money each month. Use it or lose it, since nothing rolls over. If you're on Plus, nothing changes, and the credits won't help if you're hitting Codex limits. Look for the claim under Billing in ChatGPT settings or on the API platform, and give it a few days if it isn't there yet.