OpenAI has launched an API credits benefit for eligible ChatGPT subscriptions, according to a link post by Simon Willison that points to OpenAI's help article on the program.
What changed
Subscribers on a $100, $200 or $500 plan with OpenAI now receive a quantity of API credits that matches the benefit Anthropic announced earlier in October for its Max and Team subscriptions. The credits are applied to one of the subscriber's API organizations.
Willison describes the two programs as pretty much the same deal. Anthropic's credits are described as expiring, and the equivalent quantity is tied to the subscription tier. The source does not say whether OpenAI's credits expire, how they are allocated month to month, or exactly which ChatGPT plans qualify beyond the three price points. Those details sit on OpenAI's help page, which the source links to but does not reproduce.
Why it matters
Both major vendors now treat the chat subscription and the API as one bundle at the higher price points. A person who pays for a premium seat to use the chat product also gets room to build against the API without opening a separate paid account.
Willison says he keeps subscriptions with both companies and may now ship some public-facing demos, since the credits are already covered by plans he pays for.
What to check
- Which of your team's ChatGPT subscriptions sit on the $100, $200 or $500 plans.
- Which API organization the credits are attached to, since they apply to one.
- Whether the credits expire, and when. Anthropic's do; confirm OpenAI's terms on its help page.
- Whether prototype work running on these credits has a plan for what happens once they run out.
The announcement is a plan change, not a new model or API feature. It lowers the cost of experimenting for teams that already pay for premium seats, and it makes the two vendors' offers easier to compare.
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