What to know first
As of November 2, 2026: from December, ChatGPT and Codex on Plus, Pro and Business draw from one token-based allowance. Instant chat does not count. Combined remaining usage and reset times will appear in Settings → Usage. When you run out, you can wait for the reset, upgrade, or buy credits for eligible features. The exact date, token amounts per plan, and whether the 5-hour and weekly windows stay are not published. Before December, record your current usage, and don't upgrade or stock up on credits just because of this change.
What exactly changes in December?
OpenAI's help center says: “Starting in December, Plus, Pro, and Business plans’ usage allowance will be shared across ChatGPT and Codex as we bring the agentic capabilities of Work into the main ChatGPT experience.” As Work's agent features move into the main ChatGPT experience, ChatGPT and Codex will draw from the same allowance.
The table lists only what the article states. OpenAI has not given an exact date, token amounts or new reset periods; for items marked “not published”, go by Settings → Usage in your account.
| Item | What OpenAI says |
|---|---|
| Plans | Plus, Pro, Business |
| Start | “Starting in December”; no exact date |
| Measurement | Tokens; usage depends on the model and the task, and more advanced models and complex tasks use more |
| Instant chat | Does not draw from your usage |
| Where to check | Settings → Usage shows combined remaining usage and reset times |
| When you run out | Wait for the reset, upgrade, or buy credits for eligible features |
| Token amounts per plan | Not published |
| Monthly price | No price change mentioned |
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits
How is usage split today, and what changes in December?
According to the Codex help article, on plans that use shared allowances or credits, Codex, ChatGPT Work, ChatGPT for Excel and Workspace Agents already share one allowance and credit pool, and regular Chat usage is not part of it. Image generation, file uploads and voice in ChatGPT have their own limits that do not apply to Codex.
December adds ChatGPT itself to that allowance. The article does not say whether the separate image, file upload and voice limits will merge too, or how existing message-count caps in Chat (such as the weekly GPT-6 Pro message cap on Pro) will be converted. The table marks these as “not stated”.
| Use | Today | From December |
|---|---|---|
| Codex (desktop, CLI, IDE, web) | Shares an allowance with Work, Excel and Workspace Agents | Shares one token-based allowance with ChatGPT |
| ChatGPT Work | Shares an allowance with Codex | Agent features move into main ChatGPT, same shared allowance |
| Regular ChatGPT chat (not Instant) | Not part of the Codex allowance | Counts toward the shared allowance |
| Instant chat | Not part of the Codex allowance | Does not count |
| Images, file uploads, voice | Separate limits | Not stated |
| Weekly GPT-6 Pro message cap (Pro) | Weekly message count by plan | Not stated |
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Using Codex with your ChatGPT planOpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limitsOpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiers
Who is most likely to notice the change?
This is AISub's reading of the official rules, not an OpenAI statement. OpenAI says: “We expect most users won't need to wait for their usage to reset more often than they do now.” How much it affects you depends on which models and tasks you use.
The Pro tiers just had their Work and Codex allowance adjusted on October 29: Pro 100 and Pro 500 doubled, every Pro 200 subscription moved to the higher allowance, and Plus stayed the same; see the ChatGPT Pro 200 allowance change. Once the allowance is shared in December, it also has to cover non-Instant chat, so people who lean heavily on both reasoning-model chat and Codex should watch it most closely.
| Usage pattern | Effect from December | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly Instant chat | OpenAI says Instant chat does not count | Largely unaffected by this change |
| Frequent reasoning-model chat, little Codex | Chat starts using the shared allowance | Remaining usage in Settings → Usage |
| Little chat, mostly Codex | Same allowance source, now shared with chat | Whether chat eats into Codex |
| Heavy reasoning chat and heavy Codex | Both count toward one allowance | Reset times and credit balance |
| Business members | Business is named in the article | Ask your workspace admin about usage and credit settings |
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limitsOpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiersOpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT — Release Notes
What hasn't OpenAI announced yet?
As of November 2, 2026, the OpenAI help center does not answer the questions below. Media reports are useful context but do not replace an official statement.
- The exact December start date, and whether it rolls out in stages.
- Token amounts for Plus, each Pro tier and Business, and how different models consume them.
- Whether today's 5-hour and weekly reset windows stay.
- Whether Free, Go and Enterprise are included: the article names only Plus, Pro and Business.
- How banked resets already granted and credits already bought work after the merge.
- BleepingComputer reported on November 1, 2026 on an email OpenAI sent to subscribers: a combined Chat and Work experience will be tested with a small group of users in the coming weeks, and Codex remains a separate experience in the ChatGPT desktop app. This is a media account of the email; the help center article does not describe the test.
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limitsBleepingComputer (media report, November 1, 2026): OpenAI says it's doubling Pro usage limits and bringing Work features to Chat
How should you prepare before December?
These are AISub's suggestions. Start by recording a baseline: check your Codex allowance, credit balance and reset times in Settings → Usage or with /status in the Codex CLI. After the December switch, compare one or two reset cycles before deciding whether to change plans. Current rules for resets, banked resets and credits are in Codex resets and credits after you run out.
Because token amounts are not published, we don't recommend upgrading or buying credits early just because of this change. If you do run out often after the switch, compare the price gap between Plus and Pro 100 in ChatGPT Plus vs Pro 100; Plus prices by region are on ChatGPT Plus prices by region.
| When | What to do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Record remaining Codex usage, reset times and credit balance | Settings → Usage; /status in the CLI |
| Now | Note how much of your chat already uses Instant | ChatGPT model picker |
| After the December switch | Watch combined usage over one or two reset cycles | Settings → Usage |
| If you run out often | Compare waiting, upgrading and buying credits | Limit notice and pricing page |
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limitsOpenAI Help Center: Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan
Frequently asked questions
What date in December does the shared allowance start?
OpenAI only says “Starting in December” and has not published an exact date or said whether it rolls out in stages. Check Settings → Usage in your account.
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits
Does Instant chat use the shared allowance?
No. OpenAI's help center says Instant chat will not draw from your usage. More advanced models and complex tasks use more of the allowance.
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits
Will I get less usage after the merge?
OpenAI has not published token amounts for any plan, so there is nothing to compare yet. It says it expects most users won't need to wait for their usage to reset more often than they do now.
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits
Are Free, Go or Enterprise users affected?
The article names only Plus, Pro and Business. It does not mention Free, Go or Enterprise, and there is no official statement about those plans yet.
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits
What can I do when the shared allowance runs out?
OpenAI lists waiting for the reset, upgrading your plan, or buying credits for eligible features. The Codex help article also says OpenAI Support does not manually reset ChatGPT or Codex usage limits.
Sources: OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limitsOpenAI Help Center: Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan
Official sources and review notes
Sources checked on November 2, 2026. Rates and eligibility rules can change; confirm the latest official guidance and your own agreement.
- OpenAI Help Center: Understanding ChatGPT and Codex usage limits
- OpenAI Help Center: Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan
- OpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiers
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT — Release Notes
- BleepingComputer (media report, November 1, 2026): OpenAI says it's doubling Pro usage limits and bringing Work features to Chat
This guide draws on the public sources listed below. Examples illustrate the calculation methods. AISub is an independent price index and is not affiliated with the product providers discussed.