OpenAI sets shared usage allowance for ChatGPT and Codex
Starting in December 2026, ChatGPT conversations and Codex coding tasks on Plus, Pro and Business plans will draw from the same token-based balance.
OpenAIOpenAI will merge ChatGPT and Codex into one shared usage allowance starting Dec. 31, 2026, Yahoo Finance reported. Other outlets described the change as a Help Center update. The change covers the Plus, Pro and Business subscription plans. A ChatGPT conversation and a Codex coding task will draw from the same balance instead of two separate ones. Read more: OpenAI sets shared usage allowance for ChatGPT and Codex
It affects anyone who uses ChatGPT for everyday questions and relies on Codex for software work.
Usage is measured in tokens, the units a model uses to read and write text, according to OpenAI's notice. Heavier models and complex tasks use more tokens, so they drain the shared usage allowance faster than a quick question.
Plain ChatGPT chats in Instant mode stay outside the pool and remain separate. Once the change takes effect, subscribers will see their combined usage and reset times under Settings, then Usage, in ChatGPT.
Related: OpenAI funding target falls to $20 billion
Hitting the limit
When a subscriber runs out, OpenAI says they can wait for a reset, upgrade plans or buy extra credits. All three keep ChatGPT and Codex running. The company still expects most users will not hit resets any more often than they do now.
OpenAI frames the change as part of a larger shift. The company is folding Work into the main ChatGPT experience. So the shared usage allowance is meant to match that merger.
OpenAI has not released the exact token amounts tied to each plan. A separate OpenAI Codex page, updated about a week earlier, still lists different limits than the new notice describes. OpenAI has not confirmed the new five-hour and weekly caps in matching detail.
Related: OpenAI reportedly plans to buy Google's AI chips
The change also lands as OpenAI pulls back elsewhere. CNBC and the Financial Times reported last week that OpenAI cut its funding-round target to $20 billion from $30 billion. Some investors had also reduced their planned allocations amid a broader sell-off in AI stocks.
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