ChatGPT users on Plus, Pro, and Business plans will share one token budget across ChatGPT and Codex starting in December, according to an updated OpenAI support page. The change accompanies OpenAI’s plan to bring Work’s agentic features into the main ChatGPT interface, merging chat and work in one product.
How the shared token budget works
Tokens measure the information a model processes and generates. The amount of a plan’s budget a task uses can vary: more complex models and tasks consume tokens faster. With the change, ChatGPT and Codex will draw from the same pool for the named plans.
Users can view their remaining balance and reset times in Settings. If they use the budget before it resets, they can wait for the reset, upgrade their plan, or buy extra credits. The shared limit makes usage across the two products relevant to the same allowance.
Chats with Instant models will not count toward the budget. That exception means the change does not apply to every interaction in the same way, even as the main allowance is shared across ChatGPT and Codex.
What the change may mean for users
The service may still appear flat-rate, but a shared budget puts more weight on how often users turn to models and tasks that consume tokens. Heavy use on cheaper plans will likely mean lower-quality results, the source article says. The practical implication is that users may need to pay attention to the kinds of tasks they run, as well as their remaining balance.
OpenAI has recently doubled usage limits for higher-priced plans, a move the article says was presumably in preparation for the merger. The source does not specify how many tokens each plan receives, so users will need to consult their account’s Settings for their balance and reset information.
A simpler interface with a more visible limit
The merger is also a response to the growing complexity of ChatGPT, according to the article. Users currently choose between two operating modes and 11 model settings, distinctions that even experienced users can find difficult to keep straight. Putting chat and work features together could make the product feel more unified, while the shared budget introduces a common usage constraint.
That trade-off is central to the change: one interface can bring capabilities together, but activity in ChatGPT and Codex will now draw on the same allowance for Plus, Pro, and Business users. Checking the balance in Settings will help users understand how much budget remains and when it resets.
Chat-and-work products are converging
OpenAI had already announced plans to merge Chat and Work. The updated support page adds a concrete usage consequence to that direction: from December, certain plans will no longer have separate token budgets for ChatGPT and Codex.
The article also notes that Anthropic has already combined Chat and “Cowork” in Claude. Across these products, chat and work features are moving closer together. For ChatGPT users, the immediate detail to track is the shared token budget and the exception for Instant model chats.