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ChatGPT Pro or Business? Claim up to $500 a month in free OpenAI API credits

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Source checked 29 Oct 2026 · Published 29 Oct 2026 · Last reviewed 29 Oct 2026 · By Ctrl+Z Therapy (how we test)

The short answer

OpenAI's changelog of October 28, 2026 says eligible ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers can claim up to $500 per month in free API credits as a subscription benefit. Pro gets $100, $200 or $500 a month on the Pro $100, $200 and $500 tiers. Business gets $20 per paid Standard seat or $100 per paid Premium seat, pooled and capped at $500 per workspace per month. Plus, Go and Free are not eligible.

What to do

  1. Check that you qualify: an active, paid Pro or Business subscription at least seven days old (free trials and complimentary subscriptions don't count), you own the subscription or workspace and the API organization, and you use the same email for both.
  2. Claim it in ChatGPT billing settings or on the API Platform's billing page by linking an API organization you own.
  3. Use the credits within each billing cycle: unused credits expire at the end of the cycle and don't roll over.

Good to know

  • Your first grant is prorated.
  • Free credits are used before purchased credits. If none remain, API requests fail with HTTP 429 and error code credit_balance_exhausted.
  • The credits don't cover Codex usage through API keys.

Source

Checked on 29 Oct 2026. Prices, limits and settings change, so check the source before you rely on them.

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