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Key Takeaways
- OpenAI's October 28 release notes confirm the benefit. Availability still depends on rollout, country, and subscription eligibility, so paid status alone does not prove that credits have arrived.
- The Pro $100, $200, and $500 plans correspond to the same amounts in API credits for a full monthly cycle. Business credits are calculated from paid seats, up to $500 per workspace per month.
- The paid subscription must be at least seven days old. The person activating the benefit must own both the subscription or workspace and the receiving API organization, have billing permission, and link them using the same email address.
- The first grant is prorated for the remaining paid time in the cycle, and unused credits expire without rolling over. Codex use with API keys is not covered.
Which subscriptions qualify? Check eligibility and availability first
The benefit is for eligible paid Pro 100, Pro 200, and Pro 500 subscriptions, as well as Business workspaces with paid Standard or Premium seats. The paid subscription must have been active for at least seven days. Plus, free trials, and complimentary subscriptions do not qualify. Do not assume that Enterprise, Edu, or legacy Codex seats are covered; their eligibility has not been confirmed here.
The person activating the benefit must own the individual subscription or Business workspace and also own the receiving API organization, with permission to manage billing. The accounts on both sides must use the same email address. Being only a member, administrator, or holder of a custom billing role is not enough. OpenAI also makes the activation flow available by country and rollout cohort, so check your own billing page to see whether your account can claim the benefit.
How much can you get? Separate a full cycle from the prorated first grant
For a full monthly cycle, the Pro 100, Pro 200, and Pro 500 plans correspond to $100, $200, and $500 in API credits, respectively. Each paid Business Standard seat contributes $20 and each Premium seat contributes $100, up to a combined $500 per workspace per month. This is not $500 for every member.
For example, a monthly workspace with five Standard seats and three Premium seats receives $400 for a full cycle: 5 x $20 + 3 x $100. The first grant is prorated for the paid time remaining in the current cycle, so the amount shown may be lower. For annual prepaid Business subscriptions, the full year's credits are issued at once, up to $6,000 per year; the first grant is still prorated for the remaining time in that cycle.
How do you activate the benefit and check which organization received the credits?
Start in ChatGPT: a Pro owner opens Settings -> Billing, and a Business owner opens the workspace billing settings or Admin Console. Find the API credits benefit, check the receiving organization, and then confirm. You can also start on the API Platform: select an organization you own, then go to Billing, choose the eligible subscription or workspace, and activate the benefit.
Each eligible subscription or workspace can be linked to only one API organization, and an organization can have only one active link of this kind. After activation, switch to that API organization and check the amount and expiration date under Credit grants on its billing page. Linking and credit issuance are separate outcomes. If you have multiple organizations, a link confirmation alone does not prove that another organization received a balance.
Which API usage is covered? Check Codex separately
The credits cover paid API Platform usage in the linked organization, including text, code, and image-understanding requests; agents; audio; image generation; and eligible built-in tool usage and storage fees. Projects must belong to the correct organization. A Business seat does not automatically give a member access to an API organization or project.
OpenAI explicitly excludes Codex use through API keys. These API credits also do not increase usage limits in ChatGPT or signed-in Codex, and they do not become personal usage credits or Business workspace credits. You do not need to add an API payment method to use an active grant, but API model, rate, organization, and project limits still apply.
When do the credits expire, and can usage continue after they run out?
Credits for monthly subscriptions expire at the end of the current subscription billing cycle, and unused amounts do not roll over. Credits for annual prepaid Business subscriptions expire at the end of the annual billing cycle. After activation, future credits are issued automatically at renewal while the benefit remains available and the subscription continues to qualify; this is not a promise that the benefit will be available permanently.
An organization uses free API credits before purchased API credits. Once the grant is exhausted, requests continue to use any purchased balance. When all available credits are exhausted, OpenAI says the API returns HTTP 429 with credit_balance_exhausted. Purchased credits and Auto Recharge are separate spending decisions. Before enabling them, check the recharge threshold, target balance, and monthly purchase limit.
No activation option, no grant, or still getting 429? Check the right layer
If the activation option is missing, first check your plan, the seven-day paid-subscription period, selected workspace, email address, country, and rollout cohort. If linking fails, check ownership on both sides, billing permission, and whether a link already exists. If the link is active but no credits appear, check Credit grants in the correct organization. Contact OpenAI Support with the time, error, and necessary account or organization details; redact screenshots and never share a password or API key.
If credits are available but requests still fail, check the balance, expiration date, project organization, budget, and rate limits. Only credit_balance_exhausted points to the exhausted-balance case described here; not every 429 means you need to add funds. For configuration issues with keys, endpoints, and models, see AI API configuration and troubleshooting. Changing your proxy cannot change claim eligibility, grant amounts, country rules, or billing limits.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim again or transfer the credits directly if I linked the wrong API organization?
Do not submit another claim to get around an existing link. Contact OpenAI Support to request a change to the receiving organization; a request does not guarantee a transfer or additional credits. If the owner of a Business link leaves the workspace, the link is removed, and neither side can link again until the current billing cycle ends.
Will upgrading Pro or adding Business seats issue a full new cycle of credits?
It may increase the prorated grant for the time remaining in the current cycle, subject to the applicable cap. It does not issue a full new cycle. Reducing the seat count affects the next cycle; reassigning an existing seat to someone else does not create additional credits.
What happens to credits already granted if I cancel or receive an approved refund?
Scheduling a cancellation does not immediately remove credits already granted; they remain available until expiration. Future grants stop after the subscription ends or no longer qualifies. An approved full subscription refund removes unused promotional credits associated with the refunded charge. Credits themselves cannot be redeemed for a cash refund. Statutory rights and subscription refund rules apply separately.