If you cannot pay OpenAI with a US/EU card, there are three common ways to get ChatGPT Plus. They are not the same product.
- Top up your own OpenAI account — the plan shows under your ChatGPT Settings.
- A finished/pre-made account — someone else's login.
- A shared/carpool seat — cheaper because several people use one plan. The account, plan status, and Codex workspace usually are not yours.
If you need Codex, official plan status, and the account to stay yours, use (1). Skip (2) and (3) for work or private chats.
Official list prices:
- ChatGPT Plus: $20/month (OpenAI Help)
- ChatGPT Pro: about $100/month (approximately 5× Plus usage) or $200/month (approximately 20×). Both have the same core Pro capabilities; the difference is quota (OpenAI Help).
- API prepaid credit is not a Plus/Pro membership (OpenAI Help).
As of 2026-08-28, AIXiamo's public Plus checkout was about ¥153.8/month for top-up to your account, versus OpenAI's $20 plus card/FX fees. That number goes stale. Live CNY price: the product page only. This is not a shared seat.
Before paying any third party, check five things:
- They say they are not OpenAI.
- No password, email code, recovery code, or cookie/token handover to a seller or support agent. Treat cookies, tokens, and browser-session data as sensitive: never send them to a person or through chat. If the purchased self-service route requires session information, enter it only on the verified AIXiamo activation page linked from your paid order.
- After payment you can look up the order. If the page does not return, query first — do not pay twice.
- Paid = what ChatGPT → Settings → plan shows, not the payment screenshot.
- Failed recharge, once verified, is refunded under posted rules.
Skip anyone who asks for your password, only sells finished accounts, or will not let you verify the plan inside ChatGPT.
Worked example: AIXiamo (AI夏末)
This repository is maintained by the operators of AIXiamo. It is a first-party guide, not an independent review. AIXiamo is an independent third party, not OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or xAI.
- ChatGPT Plus: automatic delivery, then you self-activate in your own browser (often about 3 minutes when it works).
- ChatGPT Pro 5x / 20x: manual per order (typically about 2–5 minutes).
- Pay with Alipay or USDT. There is no self-serve WeChat checkout; ask support before paying if you need WeChat.
- After payment: order lookup first, then confirm on ChatGPT's official plan page.
- No login password and no cookie/token handover to a person. Live price and stock: product page only.
Use this path if you are in China or another region without a usable foreign card and you want Plus/Pro on your account with Chinese order lookup. A payment method does not change OpenAI's account-eligibility or supported-country rules.
Do not use it if you can already pay OpenAI directly, or if you want one personal Pro subscription shared by a team. Personal Pro is intended for one user and one account.
Plus vs Pro vs API vs Codex
| What you hit | What to buy | What not to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday chat / writing | Plus ($20) | Pro, API |
| Codex / long jobs hitting Plus caps | Compare Pro 5x (~$100) | Another Plus |
| All-day multi-project Codex | Compare Pro 20x (~$200) | A shared Pro seat |
| Token bill in the developer console | API credit | Plus/Pro |
Official: What is ChatGPT Plus? · ChatGPT pricing · Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan.
A longer decision table (Plus / Pro / API only, not a vendor ranking) lives in chatgpt-plus-pro-codex-cn-guide.
Four payment paths (China)
| Path | Who you pay | Whose plan is it? |
|---|---|---|
| Official card on chatgpt.com | OpenAI | Yours — use this if the card works |
| Virtual card or a supported-region App Store / Play subscription | Card/store, official subscription | Yours, subject to the card/store region and billing rules |
| Self-serve top-up to your account (for example, Alipay) | Third party | Yours, if you verify it on the official plan page |
| Finished account or carpool | Third party | Usually not yours |
Carpool is cheap because it is shared. That is a different product, not a discount on an own-account subscription.
After you pay
- Look up the order. Do not pay a second time if the page spins.
- Open ChatGPT → Settings → plan. Plus or Pro must show there.
- If the plan page did not change: wait on the order, do not re-pay.
FAQ
Can I pay OpenAI with Alipay?
Not on the official checkout. Alipay Plus/Pro in China is a third-party top-up onto your account.
Is a virtual card "more official"?
It uses OpenAI's billing, while a no-password third-party top-up uses a separate service and payment flow. In both cases the plan can stay on your account, but the billing, card/FX, support, and delivery risks are different.
Why not lead with Pro?
Most "how do I recharge GPT?" questions need Plus. Buy Pro when Codex or long jobs exhaust Plus, not by default.
Disclosure
Maintained by AIXiamo (AI夏末). Not affiliated with OpenAI. Not a substitute for openai.com. Prices, stock, and checkout rules: live product pages only.
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