OpenAI: ChatGPT and Codex will share one usage allowance starting in December

A shared allowance, measured in tokens

According to an OpenAI help center article titled “Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits,” starting in December, the usage allowance on Plus, Pro and Business plans will be shared across ChatGPT and Codex. OpenAI ties the change to bringing the agentic capabilities of Work into the main ChatGPT experience. The article was last updated on Nov. 1, and the page does not show when it was first published. OpenAI has not given an exact date in December.

Usage will be measured in tokens, the units of information a model processes and generates. How much of the allowance a request uses will depend on the model chosen and the task; OpenAI says more advanced models and complex tasks generally use more. Instant chat will not draw from the allowance. Combined remaining usage and reset times will appear under Settings > Usage.

Today’s setup and the transition

According to OpenAI’s Codex help article, Codex, ChatGPT Work, ChatGPT for Excel and Workspace Agents already use a shared allowance and credit pool on eligible plans. Regular chat sits outside that pool, and image generation, file uploads and voice have their own limits. The December change brings chat usage, except Instant, into the same pool. The article does not mention the Free, Go or Enterprise plans.

OpenAI says it expects most users won’t need to wait for their usage to reset more often than they do now. Users who reach the limit can wait for a reset, upgrade their plan or buy credits to keep using eligible features. OpenAI has not published figures on how allowances will change. According to its release notes, on Oct. 29 it doubled the Work and Codex allowance on its Pro 100 and Pro 500 plans.

First spotted at checkout

The change was first spotted on Oct. 29. Tibor Blaho, an AI product researcher, found a hidden notice on the ChatGPT web app’s checkout page. It read: “Starting in December, plan usage will have a shared limit across all of ChatGPT and Codex.” According to Windows Report, the subscription on that checkout page, priced at 23 euros a month including tax, appears to be the Plus plan.

Tibor Blaho@btibor91

ChatGPT web app now has a new hidden shared usage limit checkout disclaimer - "Starting in December, plan usage will have a shared limit across all of ChatGPT and Codex"

Blaho linked the notice to the ongoing work to combine Chat and Work. A day earlier, Thibault Sottiaux, who leads ChatGPT and Codex at OpenAI, had quoted a post asking how that merger would change usage limits. Sottiaux wrote that the team is working on it but it is not rolling out yet. He said the plan is to bring together the best of Chat and Work at some point this year, proceeding carefully and taking time.

Tibo@thsottiaux

Team is working on this but it's not rolling out just yet, sorry for any confusion. Plan is to bring together best of both Chat / Work capabilities together at some point this year, but we're going to proceed carefully here and take our time.

We'll have more to share soon.

Angel 🌼 @Angaisb_

ChatGPT is unifying Chat and Work

I wonder how that changes usage limits